The New Orleans Pelicans fired head coach Alvin Gentry following a poor showing at the Orlando bubble following the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Pelicans only managed to win two of their eight games in Orlando, with Orlando Magic defeating them 133-127 to wrap up their NBA season. This result, being the latest in a three game losing streak, saw the Pelicans finish in 13th place in the Western Conference, far from a playoff spot.
Pelicans Executive Vice President David Griffin spoke to the media on Saturday about Gentry’s dismissal, without getting into specifics over why he was dismissed. He did, however, mention that the Pelicans’ recent results were not the main factor behind Gentry’s dismissal.
Griffin explained that this decision was because of his own decision to reshape the Pelicans, as coach Gentry did not have a place in his plans.
Griffith was brought to the franchise in 2019. He soon set about making several organizational changes, however, Gentry was not among those who were dismissed at the time. In total, Gentry was head coach of the Pelicans for five years.
According to ESPN, there are already several likely replacements for Gentry, including the likes of Tyrone Lu and Jason Kidd. Assistant coach Chris Finch also remains an option.
