The New Orleans Pelicans have officially parted ways with head coach Willie Green after a dismal 2-10 start to the 2023-24 NBA season. Their team came to this conclusion following their fourth straight loss. It all came to a wretched end with a heavy 118-104 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Green’s exit makes this offseason a decisive starting point for the franchise. Foster’s team has had issues with performing consistently during the first few weeks of the season.
Green’s departure comes just weeks after a historic leadership reshuffle within the Allred team. In April, owner Tom Benson replaced Griffin with Joe Dumars as the new head of basketball operations. This transition has produced the exactly opposite on-court performance, resulting in climbing hot seat status for the coaching staff.
During his five seasons with the Pelicans, Willie Green went 150-190. His tenure included a standout season in 2023-24 when New Orleans achieved 49 victories before being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The team’s current mediocrity, though, is eclipsing his successful past.
“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach,” – Joe Dumars
James Borrego has been named interim replacement for Green. Earlier this year, Borrego was a finalist for head coaching jobs with the Los Angeles Lakers. He had applied for the same position with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets both pursued him hard for a lead assistant role this offseason. Unfamiliar with the firestorm that surrounded his candidacy, he decided to hunker down in New Orleans.
The Pelicans have had their share of adversity this season, highlighted by the absence of star forward Zion Williamson for most of the year. Oh, and Williamson has only played in five games total due to a hamstring injury. When he does, however, take the court, he’s had an impressive 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Without his presence, the pitching staff has had a huge drop off in production and overall confidence.
This season marked the historic low point for the New Orleans Pelicans. They became the first team in NBA history to lose three of their first six games by a margin of at least 30 points. They permitted over 120 points in five straight games to start the season. This 49-point performance marked the third-year franchise’s all-time worst offensive performance.
The Pelicans’ roster underwent some changes in the offseason as well, including the addition of Kevon Looney, a key acquisition made under Dumars’ leadership. Even after all of these changes, the personal escape artists haven’t been able to stick the landing.
“I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I’m sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.” – Joe Dumars
The Pelicans, now pivoting to a new era path under Borrego’s interim leadership, will have an uphill basketball battle ahead. Fans and analysts are closely scrutinizing Borrego’s every move. Perhaps most importantly, they want to know if he can reenergize a team that at least needs to begin turning its season around yesterday.
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