3 biggest needs the New Orleans Pelicans must address in the 2021 NBA off-season
The New Orleans Pelicans had one of the most talented rosters of the 2020-21 NBA season, at least on potential. Despite having a couple of All-Stars and a veteran coach, the Pelicans missed the NBA Playoffs and will have a lot to work on during the 2021 NBA off-season.
Zion Williamson was definitely the brightest spot for the New Orleans Pelicans last year, as he made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career and had a great sophomore year.
Of course, his year ended with a finger injury, but the biggest issue for the New Orleans Pelicans are reports that he might not be happy with the franchise's current state.
3 areas the New Orleans Pelicans must work on in the 2021 NBA off-season
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31-41 record was definitely something the franchise did not need for the 2020-21 NBA season, and next year needs to be a solid one if Williamson needs to remain comfortable in New Orleans.
In this article, we will take a look at the areas the New Orleans Pelicans need to improve on during the 2021 NBA off-season.
Without further ado, let us start.
#3 Look for a coach that can turn things around
This one is a glaring issue for the New Orleans Pelicans at the moment. The franchise does not have a coach right now.
Stan Van Gundy's one-year tenure with the team was not successful, as his style probably isn't suited to the new generation of NBA players, and the New Orleans Pelicans' main names are mostly young talents.
Still, according to Van Gundy himself, the decision to end his tenure as coach did not come after issues with Zion Williamson or the team's young core, but just differences with the front office. Van Gundy described Williamson as not a "coach killer" on the Stupodity podcast.
"He's a guy who is gonna help you win a lot of games. He plays the game the right way. One of the things I'll miss is the opportunity to continue to coach him. He's so unique in the way that he plays the game and the things that he can do. It really gets your mind spinning as a coach and you have a lot of possibilities in what you can do with him. That was fun to explore. I'm happy with what we did with Zion. I think we helped him. How anyone else felt about that would be up to them."
Perhaps Van Gundy was not the problem in New Orleans, but the team now desperately needs a coach and trust in the work he/she can do on the court. Some names have already been mentioned, such as Brooklyn Nets' assistant Jacque Vaughn.
Vaughn has reportedly decided to stay in Brooklyn, and the Pelicans still need to find a coach that will give the team the structure needed to compete for the NBA Playoffs with the young core it has.
Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee and Phoenix Suns assistant coach Willie Green seem to be the top names right now for the Pelicans' coaching job.
#2 The New Orleans Pelicans have to fix their defense
Apart from the front office issues and coaching changes, there is one reality on the court that definitely needs to be worked on. The New Orleans Pelicans are not a good defensive team.
While the team's offense ranked 12th in Offensive Rating in the 2020-21 NBA regular season, the New Orleans Pelicans were 22nd in Defensive Rating with 113.8 points allowed per 100 possessions. The team also allowed the seventh-most points per game to opponents, with 114.9 per game.
The New Orleans Pelicans were only 18th in turnovers forced on opposing teams, 15th in steals per game and 22nd in blocks per game. The defensive end must be addressed, as the team seemed to lack the effort needed on that side of the basketball court during last season.
Moreover, with Lonzo Ball's possible departure in Free Agency, the New Orleans Pelicans might need a great perimeter defender to replace Ball.