New Orleans fires Willie Green after nightmare start
The The New Orleans Pelicans are off to a rough start until the season. New Orleans fires head coach Willie Greenafter 2-10 start of the campaign. The Pelicans will go with assistant coach James Borrega as a temporary coachper ESPN.
Adding to their woes, New Orleans lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. LA beat the Pelicans 118-104. The Pelicans only have wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks this season. The team has also already suffered some setbacks, embarrassing defeats.
The New Orleans front office argued the team needed a change.
“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change in the head coaching position,” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement to ESPN. “I have the utmost respect for Willie Green and truly appreciate his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family the best in the future.”
This season, New Orleans is in the fifth position of the NBA team in the offensive and defensive ranks, ESPN reported.
The Pelicans will be looking for a new leader
New Orleans has struggled on the floor in recent seasons. The squad dealt with injuries, especially franchise star Zion Williamson. The Pelicans just aren’t the same team when Williamson wasn’t on the floor.
Green leaves New Orleans after posting a 150-190 record with the franchise. He has been with the team for more than four seasons. His best season was 2023-24, when New Orleans won 49 games and made the NBA playoffs. The Pelicans were then eliminated from the postseason by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Time will tell if Borrego can have better luck with the club as New Orleans continues its campaign. The Pelicans next play the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
2025-11-15 15:04:00
