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New Orleans Pelicans officially hire Stan Van Gundy as head coach

The New Orleans Pelicans have named Stan Van Gundy as the team’s head coach, it was announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin.

Van Gundy becomes the seventh coach in Pelicans franchise history.

“We are delighted to welcome Stan, his wife Kim and their family to the New Orleans Pelicans,” said Griffin. “Stan’s track record of success as a head coach speaks for itself. His ability to teach while building genuine relationships was one of his many strengths that drew us to him. We feel like we are hiring one of the most accomplished leaders and authentic human beings in the NBA.”

“I am honored and excited to coach this talented group of players in New Orleans,” said Van Gundy. “This opportunity was one that I was really attracted to due in large part to David Griffin’s record of putting together highly competitive, talented teams in a great family atmosphere. When I got into the interview process and had a chance to meet with Mrs. Benson, Dennis Lauscha, Griff, Trajan Langdon, Swin Cash and the Pelicans front office, it became clear how committed and invested they are to winning. My wife Kim and I want to thank Mrs. Benson, along with Griff, Trajan, Swin and the front office for welcoming our family and entrusting me to lead this team. We look forward to working with this great organization and getting involved in the New Orleans community.”

Van Gundy joins New Orleans after spending last season as a game analyst for TNT and studio analyst for NBA TV, and the previous season as an analyst for ESPN. Prior to his television stint, Van Gundy served as the head coach and president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons from 2014-18, amassing a record of 152-176 (.463) and leading the franchise to their first playoff berth in 2016 after a six-year drought.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Stan and his family to New Orleans,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “Stan’s basketball acumen and record of accomplishment are a tremendous fit for this team right now. We look forward to Stan bringing a level of sustained success for our Pelicans on the court. I also want to commend David Griffin, Trajan Langdon, Swin Cash and the entire front office for the time and effort put into this comprehensive head coaching search.”

A native of Indio, California, Van Gundy has a career regular season record of 523-384 (.577) with Miami (2003-06), Orlando (2007-12) and Detroit, and a career playoff record of 48-43 (.527), qualifying for the postseason in eight of the 12 seasons he has served as a head coach. Van Gundy’s most successful stint came in Orlando, where he helped lead the Magic to five consecutive postseason appearances, highlighted by an Eastern Conference Championship and a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals. During his tenure with the Magic, the team compiled a 259-135 (.657) regular season record, and Van Gundy was selected as head coach of the Eastern Conference for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. From 2007-11, Van Gundy’s Magic teams finished in the top five each season in plus/minus, and top 10 each season in three-point shooting, offensive rating and defensive rating.

Van Gundy began his NBA head coaching career in Miami, where he led the HEAT to a record of 112-73 (.605) over three seasons, and was named head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Star team during the 2004-05 campaign. That season, Miami finished with a 59-23 (.720) regular season record and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Prior to being named the head coach in Miami, Van Gundy served as an assistant coach with the HEAT from 1995-2003.

A graduate of SUNY Brockport (NY), where he played on the men’s basketball team for his father, Bill, Van Gundy began his coaching career in the college ranks, and served as the head coach at Division III Castleton College (NY) (1983-86), then-Division II University of Massachusetts-Lowell (1988-92) and the University of Wisconsin (1994-95). During his eight years as a collegiate head coach, Van Gundy compiled a record of 135-92 (.595).

Pelicans reportedly interested in Stan Van Gundy for head coaching job

With the Lakers having won the 2020 NBA championship a few days ago, the next big league event will presumably be next month’s rescheduled draft. But right now, multiple teams are interviewing head coaching candidates. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune on the Pelicans:

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported [that Stan] Van Gundy met with the Pelicans about their coaching vacancy and is one of four finalists for the job.

The 61-year-old Van Gundy, who worked as a color commentator for TNT during the NBA’s restart, has been a head coach in Miami, Orlando and Detroit. He has a 523-384 record in 12 seasons with those franchises.

Van Gundy’s best work came in Orlando, where he was in charge for five seasons. There, Van Gundy surrounded Dwight Howard with versatile forwards who could shoot and rode that formula to multiple deep playoff runs…

According to Wojnarowski, the Pelicans are also supposed to interview Ty Lue for their head coaching vacancy later this week. Lue, who has been one of the Pelicans’ top targets from the beginning of their search, according to multiple sources, is also being pursued by the Clippers and Rockets.

The Pelicans brought nothing to the table during their play in the Disney NBA bubble, but that aside, they’ve got a compelling roster of young talent built around young stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. The chance to coach them is a very solid opportunity.

I really liked Stan’s recent work as an NBA broadcaster. If he doesn’t return to coaching and sticks with TV, I’d have absolutely no complaint.

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday wins 2019-20 Teammate of the Year Award

NBA players have selected New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday as the recipient of the 2019-20 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.

The award, presented annually since the 2012-13 season, recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.

More than 250 NBA players submitted their votes for the 2019-20 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award through confidential balloting conducted by the league office. NBA players determined the winner from among the 12 nominees who were selected by a panel of league executives.

Holiday received 53 of 267 first-place votes and finished with 1,041 total points. Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (806 points; 48 first-place votes) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Korver (796 points; 26 first-place votes) finished in second and third place, respectively. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.

In addition to Holiday, Harris and Korver, the other finalists were Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea, Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig, Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley, Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, Toronto Raptors forward-center Serge Ibaka, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills and Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner.

Holiday, 30, has spent the last seven seasons with New Orleans after playing his first four seasons with Philadelphia. The 6-3 guard was selected as an NBA All-Star in the 2012-13 season and named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In the 2019-20 season, he averaged 19.1 points, 6.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.62 steals in 61 games across regular-season games and seeding games.

In July, Holiday announced that he would use the remainder of his 2019-20 season salary to start a social justice fund with his wife, Lauren, a former player for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund is designed to address socioeconomic inequalities across communities in New Orleans, the Los Angeles area and Indianapolis. Jrue and Lauren are Los Angeles and Indianapolis natives, respectively, and Jrue’s two brothers, Aaron and Justin, both play for the Pacers.

Sixers and Kings reportedly interested in coach Alvin Gentry as an assistant

There’s movement in NBA coaching ranks these days. The Sixers have reportedly agreed to make Doc Rivers their new head coach. Here’s the Sacramento Bee on jobs one former head coach may be offered:

The Kings are reportedly considering former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry for a top job on Luke Walton’s coaching staff.

A source told The Philadelphia Enquirer’s Keith Pompey the Philadelphia 76ers are seriously considering hiring Gentry as an assistant to new head coach Doc Rivers. The same source revealed Gentry is also in the running to become associate head coach of the Kings.

The most interesting head coaching news in recent weeks might be former NBA star point guard Steve Nash getting the Nets’ head coaching job. Brooklyn’s roster is loaded with talent, and watching how Nash manages the rotation and what sort of schemes he comes up with will be loads of fun.

Should the Pelicans play Zion Williamson at center?

The Pelicans have a fascinating core of young talent, based primarily around forwards Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

But, should Williamson remain a power forward? Or would moving up one spot and playing undersized at center be the move to make?

Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune exploring it:

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo’s versatility on both ends of the floor is a major reason why Miami is two wins away from making the Finals. Adebayo playing “up” a position when it matters most could also be a clue for how the Pelicans deploy their own athletic, talented big man in the future.

As a rookie, Zion Williamson operated almost exclusively at power forward. He played 92% of his minutes there compared to 8% of his minutes at center, according to Basketball Reference. As he continues to develop, lineups that feature him at center could be the Pelicans’ trump card in important moments.

Offensively, Williamson is already equipped to play the 5. In his first season, the 20-year-old proved he was one of the game’s most difficult players to slow down inside. Williamson averaged 16.8 points in the paint, the second-most in the league behind MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. His combination of speed, strength and touch around the rim allowed him to shoot 62.1% from the field inside of 5 feet.

Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game on 58.3% shooting — extremely efficient scoring numbers — even though he played most of his minutes next to Derrick Favors, a traditional center who posed no threat as an outside shooter. The Pelicans could immediately become a more dynamic offensive team by playing Williamson at center and surrounding him with four players who can make shots or attack off the dribble.

The Pelicans were a mess in the NBA restart at the Disney bubble, but for now it seems safe to write that off and focus on what should be a bright future. They do still have a lot of development to do if they want to be in the mix for next season’s playoffs. But the potential is there.

Brandon Ingram wins NBA Most Improved Player award

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has won the 2019-20 NBA Most Improved Player Award.

“I want to congratulate Brandon on winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “I am so proud of Brandon’s personal achievements this season and am glad to see him rewarded for all of his hard work and dedication. It has been a truly memorable year watching him excel on and off the court.”

“This award recognizes the countless extra hours Brandon spent in the gym this season as well as the diligence and commitment he puts into the game every day, both mentally and physically,” said Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “I could not be more excited for him and his family to receive this well-deserved honor.”

Ingram, 6-9, 190, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers last July, finished the season averaging career-highs in multiple categories, including points (23.8), rebounds (6.1), assists (4.2) and steals (0.9). Entering the season, Ingram held career averages of 13.9 points, 2.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 0.6 steals. The Duke University product also saw a major improvement in both three-point shooting as well as at the free throw line. Entering the season a career .329 shooter from beyond the arc on 0.7 makes and 2.0 attempts, Ingram shot .391 from three-point range on the season, increasing both his makes (2.4) and attempts (6.2) per contest. At the free throw line, Ingram entered the season with a career .662 shooting percentage, including a .675 shooting percentage last season, and increased his mark to .851 from the charity stripe in 2019-20. The improvement at the free throw line is the third largest year-over-year in NBA history (min. 250 FTA).

Prior to the NBA restart, Ingram was one of just seven players in the NBA to average at least 24.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.0 SPG, and was the only player to average at least 24.0 PPG while shooting better than .465 FG%, .385 3FG% and .855 FT% (min. 25 games). Ingram produced 17 games with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists after recording seven such performances in his first three seasons. He also had 11 30-point games, including two 40-point games, after registering four career 30-point games prior to the 2019-20 campaign. Furthermore, Ingram became just the second player in NBA history to increase their total points by over 400, total rebounds by over 80, total assists by over 85, and total steals by over 25 from the previous season, while playing in less than five additional games and averaging less than .5 minutes more per contest, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo.

At 22 years old, Ingram, who was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game this season, became the second player his age or younger to average at least 23.5 PPG while shooting over .450 FG%, .390 3FG% and .850 FT%, joining Kevin Durant. He became just the fifth player in NBA history age 22 or younger to average at least 23.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.0 APG and 0.9 SPG, joining Tracy McGrady (twice), LeBron James (twice), Luka Dončić and Michael Jordan.

A Kinston, North Carolina native, Ingram is the first player in New Orleans franchise history to be named Most Improved Player, and just the third individual in franchise history to win one of the NBA’s annual performance awards, joining Chris Paul (Rookie of the Year – 2005-06) and Byron Scott (Coach of the Year – 2007-08).

Most Improved Player voting from a panel of national and international sportswriters and broadcasters was based on games played from the start of the regular season through March 11 and did not include “seeding games,” which took place July 30 – Aug. 14 for the 22 teams participating in the season restart.

Pelicans fire coach Alvin Gentry

New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin announced today that Alvin Gentry has been relieved of his head coaching duties.

“I’m grateful for and appreciative of Alvin’s commitment to the organization and, most importantly, the local community,” said Griffin. “The City of New Orleans is richer because of his presence here. These types of moves are often about fit and timing, and we believe now is the right time to make this change and bring in a new voice.”

“I want to thank Alvin for his contributions to the Pelicans and the New Orleans community,” said Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson. “We believe that making a head coaching change is necessary at this time. I truly appreciate Alvin’s leadership, dedication and perseverance through some challenging circumstances over the past five seasons. He will always be a part of our Pelicans family, and we wish him and his family all the best in the future. Our intention moving forward is to find the right head coach that will guide this Pelicans team to compete for championships. That is what our fans deserve.”

Per the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “this season, the Pelicans got off to a 6-22 start. They lost 13 consecutive games, a franchise record, before rebounding. They were a popular pick to make the Western Conference play-in tournament entering the eight-game seeding round inside the Walt Disney World bubble, but they lost four of their first six games and were eliminated from playoff contention with two games still remaining in the restart.”

Gentry was named head coach of the Pelicans on May 30, 2015. He compiled a 175-225 (.438) regular season record in five seasons with New Orleans, earning one playoff berth in 2018 and advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals. The Pelicans finished the 2019-20 season with a 30-42 record.

More from the Times-Picayune: “The Pelicans’ inconsistent effort, turnover-prone ways, poor defense and crunch-time struggles were all factors in their up-and-down season. They ranked 29th in turnover percentage and had a 13-28 record in games that were within five points at any point during the final five minutes. They finished with a 30-42 record, their fourth losing season in the past five years.”

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson playing limited minutes at beginning of NBA restart

Zion Williamson played limited minutes Thursday. Everyone would have loved to see him out there longer, except Pelicans brass, who are focused on keeping the big guy healthy and letting him build up momentum during the NBA restart. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune reporting:

It was hard not to notice the similarities between Zion Williamson’s professional debut and his performance Thursday in the first game of the NBA’s restart in Kissimmee, Florida.

In each game, he played four short stints at the start of each quarter. Even though his minutes were limited, he put up impressive scoring totals. On Jan. 22, he had 22 points in 18 minutes. On Thursday, he scored 13 points in 15 minutes…

On Friday, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin cleared the air on why Williamson was used so sparingly in New Orleans’ 106-104 loss to the Utah Jazz.

“I appreciate the fact that everyone wants him to play 40 minutes every night,” Griffin said. “I can promise you he’s not going to. No mistakes were made (Thursday) with how this was handled other than by me coming forward and expressing this in the clearest way possible. This isn’t complicated. He will not play significant minutes in the next game, and he may not in the following game. This is all about the ramp-up time. He didn’t get the benefit of the things that his teammates got for those 13 days. This is going to take some time.”

Clippers to face a motivated Pelicans squad Saturday

The Clippers face the Pelicans tomorrow. Here’s the OC Register with some thoughts on LA:

Now, on the heels of their bubble-opening 103-101 loss to the Lakers, Doc Rivers’ squad shouldn’t expect the New Orleans Pelicans to accommodate the Clippers in their search for rhythm and cohesion ahead of the playoffs in mid-August.

No, the hungry, high-octane Pelicans have good reason to be disruptive.

New Orleans (28-37) is one of five teams chasing the eighth and final playoff spot, held currently by Memphis, which has a four-game lead on the Pelicans. And after dropping their bubble opener 106-104 against Utah on Thursday, the Pelicans will have even less room for error in their remaining seven seeding games.

Veteran coach Alvin Gentry has his Pelicans believing they can insert themselves into the postseason picture.

“I think we’re in a good place,” New Orleans center Derrick Favors told reporters, via Zoom, a couple days before the restart.

Leading Scorers

Pelicans (PPG)
Brandon Ingram 24.2
Zion Williamson 23.1
Jrue Holiday 19.6
JJ Redick 15.0
Lonzo Ball 12.3

Clippers (PPG)
Kawhi Leonard 26.9
Paul George 21.2
Lou Williams 18.7
Montrezl Harrell 18.6
Marcus Morris Sr. 17.1

No timetable for Zion Williamson return to Pelicans yet

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who departed the NBA campus in Orlando last week to attend to an urgent family matter, has been getting tested daily for COVID-19 while away from the team and continues to produce negative results (reminder: this a good thing. You want “negative” results when being health-tested for a bad thing.)

While there is no current timetable for his return to campus, he fully intends to rejoin the team.

Per NBA protocol, his quarantine period will be determined upon his return.

NBA scrimmages between different teams began today around the league.

Actual games that count in the standings begin next Thursday, July 30.