Rumors

What’s next? I assume you want to get back in the saddle again as a head coach or a coach in general. Willie Green: Nothing right now. My mind is not even on what’s next. Something will come next. It’s only been a month. So, I’m just enjoying spending time with my family, decompressing, doing some things I want to do. And then we will get to that point probably sometime in February. Would it be safe to assume you want to be a head coach again? Willie Green: We’ll see. I would never close the door to any opportunity.

Andscape

Joe Dumars was hired after no real search took place, with multiple league sources saying his is among the league’s most generous executive contracts despite the otherwise extremely tightfisted Pelicans operation under Benson. Yet as far as front-office gigs go, his appears only slightly more demanding than Kawhi Leonard’s endorsement contract with Aspiration. Instead, Dumars seems to have outsourced nearly the entire job to former Detroit Pistons exec Troy Weaver. The only notable New Orleans move that appeared to have Dumars’ imprint was Saturday’s firing of coach Willie Green.

New York Times

Pelicans guard Jordan Poole was upset with his role after Green removed him from the starting lineup against the Denver Nuggets on October 29th, league sources told HoopsHype. Green’s messaging had also become stale with Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III after playing for Green his entire Pelicans tenure as coach, league sources added. In addition, some players and members of the organization felt Green didn’t hold Zion Williamson accountable enough during his coaching tenure, sources said.

HoopsHype

Ohm Youngmisuk: Joe Dumars says he has great respect for Willie Green but also says "tough decisions have to be made." He says everyone has "a responsibility to show up and perform and that Pels will lean into that, taking responsibility and accountability and not shying away from it."

x.com

The New Orleans Pelicans have fired coach Willie Green after a 2-10 start to the season, the team announced Saturday. Green was doomed by a miserable 0-6 start and injuries to his best players. Zion Williamson has played just five games due to a hamstring injury, an ailment he has suffered in four straight seasons. The Pelicans were the first team in NBA history to lose three of their first six games by at least 30 points, after allowing at least 120 points in five straight games to begin a season for the first time in franchise history, according to ESPN Research.

ESPN

"After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. "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."

ESPN

Question: The Pelicans are 150-188 (.444) and have not won a playoff series in Willie Green’s four-plus seasons as head coach. There have been national reports that the organization is “monitoring” his job status. How do you assess the job he’s done so far as head coach? Benson: "I hired Joe Dumars because we needed a change in leadership at that top level of the Pelicans. I believe in Joe, and Joe knows exactly the stats you noted. We need to improve immediately. Our roster is built for success right now. I will rely on Joe to make these decisions and changes as he sees fit."

New Orleans Times-Picayune

Question: Specifically as it pertains to Willie Green, how do you feel about the job he has done? Benson: “I really like Willie Green, but I hired Joe Dumars to assess our basketball operation. And that’s what he is doing. He is assessing Willie and all the players. He and I spent the entire halftime (of the Portland Trail Blazers game on Wednesday night) talking. When he makes a decision, that's up to him. That's why I hired him. I trust Joe, because I feel like he knows people. He's known Willie since he was a child, so they know each other. And if he can fix that problem, then he'll fix it. If he can't, then that'll be his decision, not mine. I've left that in his hands.”

New Orleans Times-Picayune

Michael Scotto: Pelicans coach Willie Green was asked if he chose not be announced during introductions. He said, “No.” When asked if he’d prefer an intro, he said, “Whether they announce me or not, I’m fine with whatever the decision was.” Context: Rarely does a head coach not get introduced.

x.com

Pelicans Film Room: "My message to the team was we gotta do that to start the game... We cant wait and let teams get up 15 points and now show our toughness and show our ability to be aggressive. A good learning experience for us... It's just below our standard" -- Willie Green on the team's fight

x.com

Pelicans Film Room: "We trust them. That's the biggest thing right now... We trust Jeremiah with the ball. We trust Derik with the ball" -- Willie Green on the rookies

x.com

Pelicans Film Room: "Joe and I talk pretty much everyday. We all echo the same sentiment. We'll continue to work at it. We're all frustrated, want to be better. We're all a part of making sure that we do everything we can to be better" -- Willie Green on his conversations with the Front Office

x.com

If Monday indeed proves to be Green's last day on the job, few in league coaching circles will be surprised.

marcstein.substack.com

Michael Scotto: The New Orleans Pelicans suffered their third loss of 30+ points while falling to an 0-6 record this season. The hot seat is getting warmer for head coach Willie Green. According to our @hoopshype research, New Orleans has the sixth-worst point differential ever for an 0-6 start

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