The New Orleans Pelicans are shifting on from head coach Willie Inexperienced after one other brutal begin to their season.
The Large Simple was something however for New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Inexperienced.
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the Pelicans have fired the fifth-year boss after their newest dreary begin. Assistant coach James Borrego will take over on an interim foundation.
“After cautious analysis, we have now made the troublesome choice to make a change at head coach,” Pelicans govt vp of basketball operations Joe Dumars mentioned in an announcement, per Charania. “I’ve the utmost respect for Willie Inexperienced, and I’m sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans group and the New Orleans group. We want him and his household all the very best sooner or later.”
Inexperienced, who additionally constructed a 12-year taking part in profession between Philadelphia, New Orleans, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Orlando (2003-15), amassed a 150-190 in four-plus seasons with the Pelicans (2-10). He supervised two playoff journeys in 2022 and 2024, however didn’t get out of the primary spherical. Granted the job after serving as an assistant for the 2021 Western Convention champion Phoenix Suns, Inexperienced’s finest season was a 49-33 mark in 2023-24, the very best tally for the Pelicans since their 2013 rebrand.
Accidents partly marred Inexperienced’s final two seasons within the bayou, headlined by the prolonged absences of franchise face Zion Williamson, who has appeared in additional than 30 video games simply as soon as over the past 5 seasons. New Orleans has additionally needed to work with out prized acquisitions Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole, the previous of whom has not taken the ground since late January after tearing his Achilles.
All that and extra decimated the Pelicans’ win complete: they gained solely 21 video games final yr (the drop of 28 being the largest single-season distinction in franchise historical past) and misplaced their first six this time round, half of these defeats coming by at the least 30 factors. Amidst this attempting season, New Orleans gained’t even have the consolation of its personal first-round choose come summer season, having traded it to the Atlanta Hawks final draft evening for the rights to the newest No. 13 selection, Derik Queen.
In Inexperienced’s locations rises Borrego, who beforehand held a four-season time period on the helm of the Charlotte Hornets (2018-22) and a 30-game interim stint with the Orlando Magic (2015). Nicely-lauded for his work on Gregg Popovich‘s San Antonio Spurs’ workers, Borrego reportedly interviewed for the New York Knicks head teaching emptiness that was ultimately stuffed by Mike Brown earlier than returning to New Orleans. Borrego has gained two championships as a Spurs assistant, incomes these rings in 2005 and 2007.
The Inexperienced period ended with a 118-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at residence on Friday evening, New Orleans’ fourth straight loss after a quick two-game successful streak. Borrego’s supervision begins on Sunday when the Pelicans host the Golden State Warriors (7 p.m. ET, GCSEN).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
