The New Orleans Pelicans pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent memory at the February deadline when they snagged DeMarcus Cousins from the Kings for a song. But the transition hasn’t gone particularly smoothly. They’ve gone just 3-7 since he arrived in New Orleans and are currently five-and-a-half games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
If something doesn’t change soon, it appears the organization might move on from head coach Alvin Gentry. Via Sean Deveney Sporting News:
In the larger sense, though, this might be a crucial week for Gentry’s tenure in New Orleans. A league source told Sporting News that though no definite decision has been made on the future of the tandem of Gentry and general manager Dell Demps with the Pelicans, failure to secure that playoff spot (which has been all but lost) or at least to show “significant progress with this roster as it stands” likely will move the Pelicans to oust Gentry. Demps is more likely to stay, but that’s not a certainty, either.
It doesn’t seem particularly fair to Gentry given that it’s been just 10 games and that a superstar pairing like this obviously requires a considerable adjustment period. But such is the nature of the business.
The Pelicans have been beset by injuries during Gentry’s almost two-year tenure, but the team still obviously hasn’t shown the type of progress that management would like to see. He could very well be one of the first casualties once the NBA’s coaching carousel starts to grind its gears for the offseason.
