Last summer, the Pelicans waited over two months to hire a head coach, putting Stan Van Gundy behind the eight ball early on. This offseason, they can’t afford to wait again.
Patience is not a virtue for the Pelicans this summer. Last offseason, the Pelicans waited patiently to find the right person for the head coaching job, a move that backfired as Stan Van Gundy was fired after one season.
It’s part of a carousel of coaches the Pelicans’ core has gone through. Zion Williamson will be on his third coach in three seasons, which should trigger alarms about his future and his current level of discontent. For the trio of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart – though the latter two are restricted free agents – next season would be their fourth coach in four years.
All of this does not spell good things for the current state of the Pelicans. Though stability is one of the most valued and sought aspects of franchises, the Pelicans lack it in every sense. Williamson, a player entering his third year in the league, is the longest-tenured Pelican. Two young core pieces, Ball and Hart, are entering restricted free agency.
And topping it off is a head coach vacancy and a franchise lacking a guiding voice on the court. Last year, Alvin Gentry was fired on Aug. 15 after a disappointing run in the bubble. Van Gundy was not hired until Oct. 21, 67 days later.
For multiple reasons, the Pelicans can’t afford that long of a wait this season, none moreso than the need for a clearer path throughout the offseason. In many senses, Van Gundy was given a job he was never going to succeed at last year. By being hired late, he could not work with his team throughout the offseason. Every aspect of his job was rushed even without taking into account the shortened offseason and abbreviated preseason.
This summer could be a far more normal summer for the Pelicans, But names linked to the team are already being snapped up. Ime Udoka was hired by the Celtics and Jason Kidd is reportedly nearing a deal with the Mavericks.
New Orleans can’t afford to wait again this offseason as candidates are hired elsewhere. Regardless of how interested the team was in Kidd and Udoka, New Orleans needs to afford its next head coach the time never available to Van Gundy.
If the franchise wants to move forward and closer to the stability it needs to find, the first move is to move far more swiftly toward a head coaching hire this offseason and set the path for the offseason.
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