The New Orleans Pelicans have relieved head coach Alvin Gentry of his duties after another season in which they missed the Western Conference playoffs. The Pelicans announced the firing in a release Saturday.
New Orleans went 30-42 this season, including a pedestrian 2-6 record in the Orlando bubble. The Pelicans have missed the postseason four of the past five years under coach Alvin Gentry after he took over for Monte Williams in 2015-16. Prior to his stint with the Pels, Gentry spent two seasons with the Clippers and Warriors as an assistant coach.
However, since taking over as head coach in New Orleans, Gentry has been dealt plenty of adversity. The Pelicans’ franchise player Anthony Davis was shaky about his future with the club and would ultimately get dealt for a brand new young core two years ago.
Of course, that haul for Davis included rookie phenom and first overall pick Zion Williamson who played sparingly this season. New Orleans started the campaign off in horrid fashion, going 6-22 as Williamson was forced to miss their first 44 games due to knee injury.
The Pelicans would rally and get within range of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference but faltered in the Orlando bubble. Players such as Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball were still able to find their footing in the NBA this year and moving on from Gentry could slow the Pelicans’ growth. Expect names such as Tyronn Lue and Jason Kidd to be brought up in New Orleans, as one of the most attractive jobs in the NBA has just become vacated.
