The Honeymoon Is Over
NEW ORLEANS - At this time last season, the love affair between New Orleans Pelicans fans and head coach Willie Green still hadn't reached the peak of its honeymoon phase.
That wouldn't come until Green's fiery timeout on April 15, with the Pelicans trailing the Los Angeles Clippers in the second play-in game.
The Pelicans would go on to win that game, 105-101, and then push the Phoenix Suns to six games in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out, but never, ever, bowing down.
Less than 365 days later, Green is on the hot seat with fans who are not just disappointed in the team's 33-36 record, but in how New Orleans has arrived at this point in the franchise's history.
And where is that exactly? Though the Pelicans are on pace for their highest win total in five years and their fourth consecutive year of improvement, they're essentially in the same position they were before the drafting of Zion Williamson.
The New Orleans Pelicans are a middling team, with an inconsistent roster, fighting on the fringes of playoff contention.
It was true under Alvin Gentry. It was true under Stan Van Gundy. And it is, unfortunately, true today. Willie Green is just the latest to be caught in the vortex.
Green is in a difficult position. He's the second-year coach of a franchise with no sustained record of anything but inconsistency. His staff was largely selected for him rather than by him. His two best players have played 12 games together all season.
That doesn't, however, make him exempt from criticism. He and his staff have rarely given the Pelicans a schematic advantage over their opponents. His message of quick ball movement and persistent defensive intensity is either going unheard or unheeded.
Green admits he has to get better, and the front office remains committed to him. He must flatten his learning curve for that commitment to hold true. Beyond being self-aware and self-critical, Green will have to consider shaking up the bench with some new or more experienced assistants.
The Pelicans lack an overall identity and that starts with the head coach.
As for the players...
Zion Williamson has missed 171 out of a possible 285 regular season games to this point in his career. Though the Pelicans were 17-12 overall with Zion, they had lost six of their last eight with him on the floor prior to his injury on Jan. 2. Williamson is the player with the highest ceiling on the roster, but his overall ability has been overshadowed by his lack of availability.
Brandon Ingram, whose injury history seemed to be behind him after missing 23 games over his first two seasons in New Orleans, has missed 64 over his last two. When B.I. has been available, he has not been the same player that he was down the stretch of last season. Positioned to assume the role of leader, Ingram has faced increasing questions about his willingness to play through pain and his overall fit.
CJ McCollum has had to play the lead when he brought in as an elite supporting player. Jonas Valanciunas has been game, but hasn't been utilized offensively and gets exposed defensively.
The individual progress of Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, and Naji Marshall hasn't translated to team success.
Jaxson Hayes is still an enigmatic athletic specimen. Kira Lewis Jr. remains a mystery.
Josh Richardson is a serviceable backup and Dyson Daniels is a rookie.
The "deepest team in the NBA" may be talented, but the production has not lived up to the billing.
After finishing their most recent home stand with a 2-2 record and alternating between convincing victories and abysmal losses, the Pelicans enter their final "soft spot" on the schedule. Two games on the road against the Houston Rockets precede visits by San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets.
Those three teams have a combined 57 wins, and the Pelicans are 6-0 against them so far. Winning three of four is the minimum necessary before a final nine-game gauntlet featuring eight games against teams .500 or better, with four of those coming on the road.
If the Pelicans fail to make the playoffs, a very real possibility with 13 games left to play, this season can only be viewed as a step backwards. Another year of unfulfilled expectations and more questions raised than answered.
The Pelicans know one thing about their roster for certain. It is incomplete. New Orleans needs help protecting the paint, shooting from distance, and creating shots off the dribble.
There are still too many young players on the roster than need playing time in order to develop, on a team that no longer has the luxury of time on its side.
Not when within the division the Memphis Grizzlies have made a quick climb to the top half of the Western Conference standings during the same time frame. Not when the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a combined 46 wins over the last two seasons, sit a game ahead of the Pelicans while having the NBA's youngest team.
Not when the Sacramento Kings, after 16 consecutive losing seasons, appear to be the breakout of team of this one.
The Pelicans have been usurped as the "feel good" story of the year. The sad reality is, Pelicans fans haven't felt good about their team in months.
And while there is disagreement on the reasons why and what the fixes may be, there is no disputing that fact.
The honeymoon is indeed over in New Orleans. For David Griffin. For Willie Green. For Zion Williamson. For everyone.
Qualifying for the playoffs this season won't change that. There's still a lot of work to be done to earn that faith and optimism once again from a fan base that has heard, and seen, it all before.
Read More Pelicans Scoop Articles:
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- New Role Gives Herb Jones Path To NBA All-Defense Honors
- Pelicans Giving Fans Great Value With Gameday Promos
- CJ McCollum Career At A Crossroads
- Willie Green's Rotations Need More Time To Build Rhythm
- Herb Jones As Center Unlocks Options For Pelicans
- 5 Lineups To Lean On, And Learn From, These Last 5 Weeks
