When New Orleans retained Willie Green after a 61-loss season last year, it came as bit of a surprise, especially with Joe Dumars being brought in to head basketball operations. The Pelicans followed up that head-scratcher with trading away their own 2026 first-round pick to move up and select Derik Queen in June.
New Orleans does have talent on their roster. Their core of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones is extremely talented when healthy. They brought in Jordan Poole, who enjoyed a resurgent year with Washington last year, and drafted Jeremiah Fears, and Queen. They also have players like Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, Yves Missi, and Saddiq Bey.
Despite their depth and talent, the Pelicans are 0-4 to start the year, including back-to-back losses of 30 or more points to the Celtics, and Nuggets. New Orleans made it clear with their transactions that they are looking to compete, and an 0-4 start is not ideal, leading to the need for big changes.
New Orleans must fire Willie Green and start fresh
When the Pelicans hired Green, he was one of the hotter names on the coaching market due to his track record as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr and Monty Williams. When New Orleans made the playoffs in 2022, the future looked bright. Since then, Green has not been able to build momentum.
The injuries to Williamson have not helped, as he has played 129 out of a possible 246 games in the last three years, but Green has not been able to right the ship even with Williamson. He laments the team’s lack of toughness, and not being ready for games, but that comes directly from the head coach. That usually signals that a coach has lost the locker room, and his message is not getting through to players.
Additionally, New Orleans’ offensive scheme has a stunning lack of creativity. A team with talented scorers like Williamson, Murphy, Poole, and ample floor spacing should not be struggling to break 90 points. The defensive intensity is also not there, despite having a dynamite wing duo in Murphy and Jones.
The Pelicans cannot waste this season
New Orleans pigeon-holed themselves when they decided to trade their first-round pick away. In a loaded West, they are not guaranteed a playoff spot, and they can’t afford to tank. They are stuck in the middle, so they have to try to compete.
Williamson has looked rejuvenated, Murphy showed that he is ready for a larger role, and Fears has been as good as advertised to start the year. New Orleans has the talent to at least be in the play-in mix. Firing Green would give the team a fresh start, and potentially the jolt they need to right the ship before it’s too late.
