Pelicans fire Alvin Gentry after team struggles in bubble
Zion Williamson will have a new coach during his sophomore season in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans have fired head coach Alvin Gentry, first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
Gentry, 65, completed his fifth season with the team Thursday. He had one year remaining on his contract.
Alvin Gentry has been relieved of his head coaching duties.
Story: https://t.co/RhbAvMAryh pic.twitter.com/unDvEPtAsf— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 15, 2020
In five years with the team, Gentry compiled a 175-225 record. He posted one winning season with the team, going 48-34 during the 2017-18 season. The Pelicans lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals that season.
While Gentry’s fate may have been sealed before the NBA restart, it didn’t help that the Pelicans struggled in the bubble. The team went 2-6 after the league restarted.
Pelicans could be enticing destination for coaches
With the move, the Pelicans now join the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls in searching for a new coach. The Pelicans are reportedly considering Ty Lue and Jason Kidd for the position, according to Lopez.
As @wojespn reported last week, two names expected to be in the search are Ty Lue and Jason Kidd.
Another name to watch - if the Nets don’t retain him - is Brooklyn’s Jacque Vaughn. https://t.co/wlqGMtxBCo— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) August 15, 2020
The team could also consider Kenny Atkinson and Jacque Vaughn — but only if the Nets don’t retain Vaughn.
The Pelicans have direct connections to Atkinson, Kidd and Lue. Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin worked with Lue when the two were with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Griffin also overlapped with Kidd when Griffin was with the Phoenix Suns.
Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon was with the Nets when Atkinson coached the team.
While the Pelicans have struggled in recent seasons, the team could be an enticing draw for coaches. The opportunity to work with Williamson, who averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds as a 20-year-old rookie, and Brandon Ingram should be appealing.
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