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Name: Stan Van Gundy
Age: 61
Experience: Three years as head coach with Miami, five years as head coach with Orlando, four years as head coach with Detroit
Coaching record: 523-384 record in regular season, 48-43 record in playoffs
Overview
A name that seemingly came out of the blue, Stan Van Gundy is one of the more interesting names linked to the Pelicans so far in their coaching search. Though his last stop in Detroit ended unceremoniously, his coaching style suits the modern game and he’d be an interesting pairing in New Orleans.
Most known for his time in Orlando, Van Gundy was ahead of his time as the league moved into a pace and space future. Like most, his time as both general manager and head coach ended poorly in Detroit but was that a sign of his shortcomings as a coach or was Orlando more indicative of his abilities?
Coaching style
The question about Van Gundy is which version of him would New Orleans be getting? In Orlando, Van Gundy had a modern approach to the game years ahead of its time. In 2008-09, the year the Magic went to the Finals, they were second in the league in three-pointers attempted and their most common lineup was one of Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard, a four-one-one-in offense based on pacing and spacing.
Each of the next three seasons, the Magic ranked first in three-pointers attempted under Van Gundy. While the players varied, the lineups remained largely the same concept of spacing and shooting.
In Detroit, Van Gundy struggled to replicate the same offensive output. Maybe the increased load as a general manager made things difficult on the sideline but he was unable to reach the same levels with the Pistons. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have his moments. In 2015-16, the team made the playoffs and looked primed to make a leap Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tobias Harris and Stanley Johnson looking like bright pieces for the future.
That side ranked just outside the top ten in three-pointers attempted in the league. The Pistons never reached the same levels of outside shooting frequency that the Magic did but consistently ranked near the top half in the league.
For the Pelicans, the idea of pacing and spacing is what best suits the roster. It’s easy to look at the teams in Orlando and picture Zion Williamson in the Dwight Howard role with guards and wings around him. It wouldn’t be that simple in New Orleans but it provides a potential blueprint of what could come under Van Gundy.
How he’d fit with Lonzo Ball
The shooting and spacing aspect of Van Gundy’s offenses would suit Lonzo Ball if that’s how he created his offense. That type of offense is what Ball has played in during his time in the NBA.
The more interesting part would be how Ball handled the heavy dose of pick-and-roll Van Gundy’s teams use. In Orlando, Van Gundy’s sides routinely ranked at the top of the league in pick and roll frequency. Like multiple things, that didn’t directly translate to his job in Detroit but that was likely due to having Andre Drummond at center versus Dwight Howard.
Ball was not particularly good in pick and rolls last season, ranking in the 11th percentile. There would need to be large improvement on that end from him, though there could be workarounds. Brandon Ingram showed a proficiency as a ball handler in ball screens while Jrue Holiday has experience as well.
Ball could be used more as a spot-up shooter in those sequences, an area he had much more success last season. While his role within the offense is uncertain, he would almost certainly be a valued player under Van Gundy.
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