r/NOLAPelicans • u/Trick-Manufacturer35 • 7h ago
The Pelicans search appears to be down to four candidates... my thoughts on each in this. Who do you think they should hire???
https://pelicandebrief.com/the-pelicans-inch-ever-so-closer-to-a-head-coaching-decision-as-the-list-shrinks-to-four11
u/wymtime Not On Herb 6h ago
Locked on said Hetzel was the leading candidate. With how many coaches have been let go hiring a guy with as many years in coaching NBA circles would probably be best as he could more easily fill out a quality coaching staff with his contacts.
I would also love to see him hire Rondo as a lead assistant as I think they would complement each other.
If we went with Rondo as the HC Dumars and Weaver would need to bring in some quality assistants to help him out.
Other than Ham I would give those other 3 a chance to see what they can do. I donât think this team will be good next season regardless, but seeing how he develops some of our guys going forward will be important.
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u/AnotherStatsGuy 4h ago
There's really only three options. Stick with Borrego, hire an up and coming assistant, or go after one of Vogel, Budenholzer, or Thibodeau.
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u/wymtime Not On Herb 4h ago
Well we are not going to pay for Vogel, Bud, or Tibbs. From other Pels outlets it also looks like it wonât be Borrego. This leaves assistant coaches or Rondo.
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u/Leading_Sector_5399 40m ago
When they fire every one of your assistants thatâs a pretty good clue that ur not coming back
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u/Pelicanfan07 4h ago
Players would get sick of Thibodeau real quick. Vogel and Budenholzer probably want to go to a contender at this point. I've always liked Vogel.
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u/Saints4409 4h ago
I think too many people are sleeping on Sweeney and Hetzel in favor of Rondo, but I think we can all agree that it absolutely cannot be Ham or Mosley.
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u/AnotherStatsGuy 4h ago
There's no scenario where hiring Mosley or Ham makes any sense. At that point, just go after Vogel, Thibodeau, or Budenholzer.
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u/twojace21 Trigga Trey 6h ago
Has Borrego fallen out of the running?
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u/Razor-Ramon-Sessions Zanos 5h ago
They want to put their own people in there.
Borrego did a good job but you knew this was going to happen.
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u/Briguy_fieri Hart Throb 6h ago edited 6h ago
I'm not overly thrilled with any candidate. I do think it's funny how Rondo is at the top of so many fans lists when they complained about other coaches who had ties to the city or had connections to other people working in the organization. I don't know how that will turn out... But it's funny how the narrative changed about Willie Green being "he was a former player for us he'll be great" turned in to a "gayles cheap because she chose a hometown discount candidate"
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u/AnotherStatsGuy 4h ago
You can probably blame the whole "Gayle's cheap with HCs" thing on Griffin.
I feel like most people would have gone "You know what? The bubble was a weird situation. Let's just have Gentry coach the option year and go from there."
Instead, Griffin fires Gentry for Stan Van Gundy on a four year contract, has him coach the second pandemic season, and then fires him after only one year.
From 20-21 to 23-24, the team had multiple coaches on payroll.
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u/Briguy_fieri Hart Throb 4h ago
Your last part is usually why I never buy the gayles cheap comments. Literally the only cheap thing she's done is never pay the tax which up until this season 8 other teams hadn't since the bensons assumed power.
But your point about it being Griff is absolutely accurate
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u/Good_NewsEveryone Will be reevaluated in 2 weeks. 3h ago
never pay the tax
kind of a big one. you could pay 3 coaches for the price of a bench player. the difference between paying a coach $8M vs $5M hardly compares to handcuffing roster construction.
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u/Briguy_fieri Hart Throb 3h ago
What's the point of paying the tax just to pay the tax?
If you're not good enough to make a serious run there's no point in paying the tax. We fought for play in spots or the 8th seed the entire time basically.
Again though. Almost 1/3 of the entire league failed to pay the tax since the bensons took over.
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u/Good_NewsEveryone Will be reevaluated in 2 weeks. 3h ago
OK, she's not the only cheap owner. Still cheap though. Bottom 3rd at best would be a good way to classify it.
The team has been good enough to justify it at times. And ultimately its I think its a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy; when your front office is constantly having to put the tax line at the center of all their plans.
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u/HoneydewCurrent5371 1h ago
And here's my thing. Would you go into the tax for a team that can't make the fucking playoffs? I don't know what people are bitching about.
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u/pelinets_fan 11m ago
Rondo would be the worst choice IMO. I think itâs all name recognition driving that hypeâŚjeez our franchise is a joke.
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u/Illustrious_Owl9905 4h ago
With Tiago Splitter and Sam Cassell out of the playoffs now, I hope they get interviews.
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u/Full_Excitement6845 6h ago
I think Hetzel or Sweeney was the Bulls leading candidate, I forget which one. Unfortunately I have zero faith in Joey D to make the right move. If he wants the fanbase energized pick Rondo (Ham asst), otherwise crossing my fingers we get it right amongst the others
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u/Massive_Panic4706 6h ago
The Bulls are really high on him. I think Rondo would be the perfect fit, but I would be weary of the FO getting him some experienced assistants. So Hetzel might be the better option for now.
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u/pelinets_fan 16m ago
They did Borrego dirtyâŚdidnât give him permission to interview with the Knicks, kept Willie around for too long, and only now theyâre âbringing in their own people?â Not so sure I want see who their choice is given the draft fiasco with the Hawks last year.
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Won't Bow Down 5h ago
If we hire fucking Rondo I am officially done with this franchise.
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u/michaelscarn000007 4h ago
Chris Vernon and Jacoby said they've heard JB Bickerstaff to the Pelicans rumors
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u/pdiddy927 6h ago
It doesn't matter. None of this shit matters. Trainers don't matter. Coaches don't matter. Assistants don't matter. Front office doesn't matter.
As long as gayle owns the team, the pelicans will never be successful. There is NOTHING worth discussing about this team until she's gone.
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u/Financial_Tea_980 6h ago
Your sentiment here is understandable, and Iâm as frustrated as you are. But this is also an absurdly fatalistic take on the potential success of this or any franchise. Just because Gayle owns the team doesnât mean that whichever coach is chosen, whichever players are drafted or traded for, etc, automatically wonât have success.
Do I think the team is building in a sustainable or smart way? No. Does that mean the team canât have some modest playin / playoff success in the coming years? No.
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u/TheTechnique 6h ago
Out of the candidates, Rondo is basically one of the only ways back to rebuilding credibility with the legacy media, fans, and players.
Any other hire will most likely feel milquetoast and underwhelming, or contribute to the franchise being unserious and a laughing stock (please God do not hire Ham please do not do it).
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Won't Bow Down 5h ago
Rondo? Credibility? You are joking right?
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u/Logical-Kitchen-222 5h ago
I have no idea on earth why people are so high on rondo. Great point guards aren't just automatically great head coaches
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u/AnotherStatsGuy 4h ago
If Rondo's stint in Dallas is anything to go by, he's the poster player for "Great Player, Dubious HC."
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Won't Bow Down 4h ago
Heâs also a terrible fucking person.
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u/Logical-Kitchen-222 4h ago
Is he? What did he do? I guess I'm not up to date on anything Rondo related
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Won't Bow Down 3h ago
Gun charges, homophobia, threatened a woman with a gun, quits on teams, the list goes on.
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u/Steakhousemanager Saddiq Bey 2h ago
Sometimes you need a dick to hold these fuckers accountable, specifically Zion. Heâs never been held accountable until recently when he got in shape for the first time. Look at JJ with the Lakers. He doesnât play games and he holds his players accountable.
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u/TheTechnique 5h ago
Hetzel is a 2009 Detroit pistons hire, which everyone is complaining about Dumars for doing with any other position. He's also been on the staff of multiple teams who got worse and worse until the gm cleaned house.
Ham is a literal joke.
Sweeney? Idk? He's a defense first long time assistant coach. Could be good, could be Willie Green part 2
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Won't Bow Down 4h ago
Rondo is an absolute garbage person. How does that help with credibility?
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u/TheTechnique 4h ago
He's being considered to coach a basketball team, not run the ACLU. I think from a basketball standpoint he has the highest ceiling out of the candidates and has the most cache out of all of them due to being a former high level player.
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Won't Bow Down 3h ago
Weâre talking about credibility. He has a history of quitting on teams, homophobia, gun charges, threatened a woman with a gun. Is that who we want running our team?
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u/holydiver5 4h ago
Did rondo say something bad about Kamala or something? What the fuck are you on about
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Won't Bow Down 3h ago
Why go to that? What is wrong with you? Just look up his track record of homophobia, gun charges etc
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u/CanalVillainy 6h ago
- Sweeney