Executive Vice President David Griffin admitted that changes would be made to the New Orleans Pelicans roster this summer to remain competitive in the NBA's Western Conference. That has led to the Brandon Ingram trade rumor industry ramping up to historic levels. However, the lead executive might have to team up with head coach Willie Green to get some new ideas on the coaching staff.
The Pelicans suffered through a ‘bittersweet' season according to Zion Williamson. Now comes the expected roster turnover, including a well-respected offensive mind. Associate head coach James Borrego could be off to a new project after just one year in New Orleans. The Athletic's Sham Charania reports Kenny Atkinson, JJ Redick, David Adelman, and James Borrego are lined up to be interviewed by the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports Borrego is at the top of the list, though “There’s not a straight-line candidate for this job. There’s no obvious veteran.”
There are options within the organization to move up. Ryan Pannone parlayed a stint with the Birmingham Squadron into a spot on the NBA bench before moving to the Alabama Crimson Tide. TJ Saint and Jodie Meeks helped guide the Squadron with a wildly efficient three-point heavy offensive scheme. Saint or Meeks moving up to the Pelicans would not be surprising. Mike D'Antoni is still an in-house consultant and Green just got a year of absorbing Borrego's philosophies.
Pelicans keeping an open mind moving forward
EVP David Griffin and GM Trajan Langdon send out scouts to look at coaches as well as players. Here are five names that have come up in some around-the-gym conversations over the past month. One thing to remember: This front office likes to bring in winning characters who have the rings to match.
Lloyd Pierce (Indiana Pacers – Lead Assistant) has served under Gregg Popovich and won a gold medal. The 48-year-old logged professional minutes in Billings, Wyoming and Baden-Württemberg, Germany with a stop in Australia in between. He lost to Popovich's San Antonio Spurs in the 2008 NBA Finals. Peirce was the coordinator for player development under Mike Brown's LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.
Pierce is more defensive-minded than Borrego but he was in charge of playcalling coming out of timeouts with the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. He also has head coaching experience with the Atlanta Hawks. A bump up to an Associate HC title might be enough to lure Pierce to the Pelicans.
Mike Weinar (Indiana Pacers – Assistant Coach) is another Hoosier State name that keeps getting mentioned as an up-and-coming offensive wizard. The then-graduate assistant was two NCAA champion rings with a Florida Gators insignia on the side (2006/2007). The now 39-year-old spent over a decade with the Mavericks, overlapping time with Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic.
Weinar has helped unlock Tyrese Haliburton's game while developing xxxx. He has also kept Myles Turner involved just enough on offense to keep the fringe All-Star talent engaged on defense. That is exactly the kind of recipe the Pelicans will need to cook up around Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III next season.
Joshua Longstaff (Chicago Bulls – Assistant Coach) has helped keep one of the league's marquee franchises in the playoff mix despite a rash of injuries. The Bulls have finished with respectable offensive numbers even without Lonzo Ball being available. He spent time under Mike Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks but got a start as a video analyst and player development coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder's Big 3 from 2010 to 2014.
Chris Quinn (Miami Heat – Assistant Coach) has stepped up to serve as an interim head coach on the few occasions where Eric Spoelstra has had to miss a game. Like a pat on the back from Popovich, the Pat Riley stamp of approval is as good as it gets in this business. He is universally liked around the league and was a First-Team Big Ten selection as captain of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Quinn played with the Heat 2006-10), Spurs (2010-11), and Cavaliers (2013) with a couple of overseas jaunts before turning to a coaching career. Heat legend Udonis Haslem's 2022 compliments after that interim stint just reinforce the case for bringing Quinn into New Orleans.
“When you listen to Quinny, you’re hearing Spo. It’s the same message.” Haslem said. “He has the knowledge, the experience, the relationship with the players. He has every base covered when you talk about checking the boxes to have the ability to be a successful head coach.”
Terry Stotts (Free Agent) – Stotts has a shot to stick around and move a slot up in Milwaukee. Instead, Stotts resigned from an assistant position under Adrian Griffin. The Bucks seemed to be a poisoned well to the long-tenured, 66-year-old veteran coach so he dipped out before the regular season tipped off.
That looks like a wise move now. Stotts would have been in line to scoot over to the head coaching seat once Griffin was let go. However, getting passed over for a reportedly already meddling Doc Rivers would have been an insufferable indignity. Stotts “would be like a high school hiring an over-qualified assistant principal” according to one source. The locker room might need that kind of guidance instead of another young, player-friendly face though. Stan Van Gundy was a gruff individual but he arguably got the most out of Zion Williamson and the team.
Stotts gave Dame Lillard and CJ McCollum great offensive frameworks with the Portland Trail Blazers. Could Williamson, McCollum, and Murphy III get a bit further in the NBA Playoffs back by a top-10 defense? It might be worth a shot to find out.
G-League Coach Call-Up Long Shot: Jordan Sears (Texas Legends/Dallas Mavericks) is one of the G-League top tacticians. He previously spent time on the staff at St. John's as a graduate assistant. Spears was the 2018 NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year with Wesleyan University but led a top-five G-League offense last season. The Legends were in the top three in both three-pointers created and made. Sears also has an NBA Finals championship ring thanks to a few years with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pelicans have stressed continuity over the past couple of offseason but if Borrego goes, they should be well-set in quality candidates to step in immediately.
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