Since the Pelicans made the playoffs two seasons ago and hired Alvin Gentry that summer, things have gone south in New Orleans. They’ve started off each of the last two seasons 0-6, finished 12th in the Western Conference last season at 30-52 and are tied for 12th in the West at 27-41. There have been injuries, sure, but still, this is not the way the franchise wants to be trending.
Certainly the team made a major change to address its struggles, picking up DeMarcus Cousins over All-Star Weekend, but that hasn’t gone so smoothly early on, and it will take more than a few weeks to figure out if Cousins and Anthony Davis can play together. Unfortunately for Gentry, he might not have that much time.
According to a report from Sean Deveney of Sporting News, Gentry’s job is not safe:
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.
“There’s some feeling in the front office the record being what it is, the writing is on the wall,” the source said. “Might as well make a change in April and start searching. But is that really fair? Can’t you give Dell an offseason to get some shooters, give Alvin some time to remake the offense? They’ve at least got to give this playoff spot a run and that might buy more time. That’s sort of where it stands.”
Things appeared to perhaps be on the upswing a few days ago, as Cousins and Davis combined for a spectacular alley-oop in the Pelicans’ blowout victory over the Trail Blazers, but then just Wednesday night, they fell apart down the stretch, and lost to the Miami Heat. That kind of inconsistency is surely not the kind of “significant progress” the front office is looking for from Gentry and company. As harsh as it might be, if the team can’t find a way to figure things out down the stretch, Gentry’s reign in New Orleans might indeed be short-lived.
