Willie Green's Post-Suns Loss Remarks Signal Inevitable Exit

Willie Green may have lost the locker room in New Orleans.

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Before any New Orleans Pelicans fan engages in Willie Green criticism, it's important to acknowledge the impossible hand he was dealt. The fifth-year head coach found himself in a very difficult situation, especially after the offseason. The top brass gave up an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, signaling their desire to be competitive. At the same time, they drafted two lottery picks, which Green is tasked with developing. He has to compete for a play-off spot in a stacked Western Conference while giving extended minutes to two rookies.

On top of this, the franchise star, Zion Williamson, is already sidelined, while another former All-Star, Dejounte Murray, remains out, and Jordan Poole is still Jordan Poole. Oh, and he is also injured. Even the best head coach in the NBA would struggle under these circumstances.

Willie Green Has Been Given an Impossible Task but He's Also Failing at It

At the same time, it's impossible to argue that Green has done a good job. The Pelicans suffered yet another deflating loss, this time at the hands of the Phoenix Suns, on Monday. Green's post-game remarks suggested that the 44-year-old head coach may be running out of ideas and could be losing the locker room.

Criticizing the team's fight, Green said, "We can't wait and let teams get up 15 points and now show our toughness and show our ability to be aggressive. A good learning experience for us... It's just below our standard," per Pelicans Film Room on X.

Throughout his tenure in New Orleans, the biggest defense for Green was that his team played hard for him and that he was a players' coach. He was known to keep his team fighting, which in turn generally punched above its weight. This has obviously not been the case this season. In fact, Green's admission that the team is not fighting enough is a reflection of his inability to get through to this team.

The Pelicans won 21 games last season and are currently on pace to be at the bottom of the league once again. Losing this much, especially when the team is not constructed to be a tanking team, takes a toll on the players and the coaching staff. Players begin to lose confidence and start to play well below their capabilities. That means that a new voice in the locker room may be needed.

This doesn't mean that Green is a bad head coach. Sometimes, team-coach relationships run their course, and parting of ways becomes the only choice. Before it's too late, the Pelicans would be wise to move on from Green and seriously consider associate head coach James Borrego to replace him.