NEWSLETTER
A little over 24 hours after the Chicago Bulls announced the departure of Head Coach Jim Boylen, the New Orleans Pelicans did some firing of their own.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez, the Pelicans have dismissed head coach Alvin Gentry:
New Orleans has dismissed coach Alvin Gentry, sources tell @_andrew_lopez and me.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 15, 2020
Despite high expectations entering the Bubble, the Pelicans went 2-6 in Orlando and failed to close the gap in the Western Conference playoff race. The team finished the season 13th in the conference, with a record of 30-42 – a record that clearly wasn’t good enough for Executive VP of Basketball Operations David Griffin.
Gentry coached the Pelicans for five seasons and finished with a 175-225 record. And while that win-loss column isn’t the most impressive, we should probably keep in mind that Gentry wasn’t working under the easiest circumstances.
Per ESPN:“Gentry was forced to use a combined 140 starting lineups in five seasons. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that’s the most of any team in the last five seasons and 11 more than the next-closest team (Dallas).”
The now former-head coach’s greatest accomplishment came during the 2017-18 season when the Pelicans swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. However, the team lost its next series against the Golden State Warriors.
So, anyway, this goes to beg two questions: (1) How much of a threat are the Pelicans in the coaching market and (2) is Gentry a possible Bulls candidate?
For starters, this is now easily the second-most attractive job in the NBA (with the Brooklyn Nets coming in at No. 1). The Pelicans have a potential superstar on their team in Zion Williamson, and there is a good chance they’ll keep 22-year-old All-Star Brandon Ingram around after this offseason (when he’s a restricted free agent). Mix in more young talent like Lonzo Ball and Jaxon Hayes, along with veteran pieces like Jrue Holiday and Derrick Favors, and there is no reason this team shouldn’t be an up-and-coming playoff team next season. In other words, the Bulls would likely have to do some convincing if the candidate they wanted also happened to be at the top of the Pelicans’ list.
Fortunately, for now, it seems as though the two franchises are looking for a different style coach. Lopez reported this morning that former-head coaches Ty Lue and Jason Kidd are already on New Orleans’ radar. Additionally, Brooklyn Nets interim coach Jacque Vaughn is drawing interest. The only name to overlap, thus far, is former-Nets Head Coach Kenny Atkinson, which certainly isn’t a surprise.
I’ll be curious to see if Gentry pops up on the Bulls’ list of candidates. While it’s always important to do your due diligence, Gentry, 65, doesn’t seem to fit the mold Chicago is looking for right now. At the same time, he has a ton of NBA head-coaching experience (he also had stints with Heat, Clippers, Pistons, and Suns), and it’s hard not to at least think about such a true professional.
If I had to guess, Gentry doesn’t get too far into the interview process with the Bulls. Arturas Karnisovas seems to want someone who can give the Bulls an entirely new look, and while Gentry would certainly be an improvement at head coach, he may not offer the freshest feel.
Oh well, only time will tell.
