The New Orleans Pelicans’ decision to move on from Alvin Gentry as head coach was a move that many saw as a response to the team’s poor finish inside the bubble. But after a season that saw the Pelicans experience wild highs and lows, Gentry was cut loose in the days after returning home from the bubble.
After nearly a week of silence following his firing, Gentry joined ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman to discuss the Pelicans moving on.
“No, he just said they were moving in a different direction and, I mean, if they decided that, what am I going to do from there? We talked and we talked about ‘Are we on the same page or not?’ Those are the conversations that you have but like I said, he has a peragotive to move on and find his own guy.
“As I said, I’ve been in this league a long, long time and I’m fine with that. It doesn’t personally effect me because I think I’m a good coach and I think, given the opportunity, I could have been a good coach there…I don’t hold any bitterness whatsoever. I’m going to move on. I’ll pull for them because I like the kids and I think there’s a lot of good people there.”
Gentry was dealt a tough hand in the way of injuries after an off-season where nearly the entire roster was changed. But he did himself no favors with a style built on freedom offensively when his young team needed direction.
The team’s 13-game losing streak exploited many of the problems for the team that carried on even through Zion Williamson’s debut when the season turned around. A shoddy defense doomed the team throughout the season and was the worst aspect of the team’s play in the bubble.
Despite the struggles, Gentry did build a bond with the team and to see him continuing to root for them moving forward is a pleasant sight to see.
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