The Pelicans parted ways with Stan Van Gundy earlier this week and several names have been floated as possible replacements for their open coaching position.
Rick Carlisle, who stepped down as the coach of the Mavs on Thursday, is among the candidates that the franchise is considering for its next head coach, per Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Ballys Sports.
Other candidates who are being considered by New Orleans include Ime Udoka, Fred Vinson, Jerry Stackhouse, Lloyd Pierce, and Teresa Weatherspoon.
Robinson adds that Zion Williamson has been lobbying for Weatherspoon. Whoever lands the position will be the third coach for the Pelicans over the past three seasons.
More New Orleans Pelicans News
- Some members of Zion Williamson‘s family would prefer that the former No. 1 overall pick plays elsewhere, with some outside of the organization viewing it as a “heap of dysfunction,” per Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, and William Guillory of The Athletic. Despite how his family feels, Williamson remains committed to the franchise, per The Athletic’s scribes.
- Griffin letting Van Gundy go after one season isn’t a great look for him, Jeff Duncan of The Athletic writes. The Pelicans will need to get their next hire right in order to convince Zion Williamson to remain with the team long-term.
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Williamson never demanded for Van Gundy to be dismissed from the team, according to Scott Kushner of Nola.com. However, Williamson has expressed deep frustration for the team’s consistent losing ways, which prompted the Pelicans to make a change before things could reach a potential breaking point.
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ICYMI: Van Gundy reportedly had strained relationships with several players on the team, as many of them didn’t prefer his X’s and O’s style of coaching rather than trying to build personal relationships. More on that can be found here.
