Looks like the NBA has quietly agreed on a new formula: if your team is floundering in the standings, it’s time to swap out a front-office face. Dallas, sitting at 3-8, waved goodbye to GM Nico Harrison, not exactly a tearful farewell, more like a ceremonial shrug for the fans. Meanwhile, the Pelicans, trudging through a 2-10 start, didn’t waste time showing their head coach, Willie Green, the exit. And of course, this all comes with the classic team huddle: the obligatory ‘you need to do better’ speech.

The Pelicans’ start to the season has been, let’s say, creatively disappointing. Even Trey Murphy III’s big nights, like his 35-point explosion against the Lakers, haven’t been enough to turn the tide. He told the media about Joe Dumars’ message in the locker room: “The biggest message was that what we have done in these 12 games was unacceptable. It’s time to really lock in and turn this thing around.”

Ouch. That’s a locker-room speech fans definitely needed to happen.

The issues go deeper than Murphy’s impressive stat lines. Zion Williamson came into the season healthy, fans buzzing with hope, and the Pelicans added fresh pieces like Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney, and promising rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. On paper, this looked like a team ready to compete. 

Instead, rotations and in-game decisions under Willie Green often didn’t seem to help the team gain traction. Case in point: rookie Derik Queen kept the Pelicans afloat early against Portland, scoring 16 points in the first half, but Green benched him for Looney to start the third, allowing the Trail Blazers to pull away.

Friday’s NBA Cup pool play had the Pelicans back in action, but the scoreboard wasn’t doing them any favors. Even Trey Murphy III’s recent scoring spree can’t paper over the cracks. “Just being aggressive,” Murphy shrugged after the Lakers’ loss.

“Also, a lot of film work. Just knowing defenses and knowing tendencies, and also my teammates finding me in transition.” Translation: he’s doing everything he can, but basketball isn’t a solo show, especially when the rest of the team is still figuring out how to click.

Flashback to last year, and you’ll see a very familiar Pelicans saga. They rolled into the season with big expectations, only to get steamrolled by injuries and off-court headaches.

Between shuffled rotations and more than 20 different players seeing the court, New Orleans barely got a glimpse of what a fully functioning squad might look like. Now, even with healthier bodies and some shiny new additions, the team is still struggling to find chemistry.

The pattern has been relentless. Starting 0-6 set the tone early, and even as they eked out a couple of wins, the team has struggled to find consistency. Blowouts piling up: 32 to Boston, 34 to Denver, 31 to OKC, only reinforced Dumars’ frustration.

“Losing the same way, over and over again. That’s not improvement,” he said. Even with a healthy Murphy and Herb Jones back, and Williamson primed for a strong season, the Pelicans couldn’t string together even a semblance of consistency.

Willie Green out in New Orleans

The Pelicans officially pulled the plug on Willie Green on Saturday, making him the first NBA head coach to get the pink slip this season. Green was just at the start of his fifth year in New Orleans, but a 0-6 start to the campaign left the team languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference.

James Borrego, Green’s former associate and former Charlotte Hornets head coach, steps in as interim, tasked with steadying a ship that has been taking on water.

Green’s tenure in New Orleans was a mix of promise and frustration. His first head-coaching gig in the league saw him finish with a 150-190 record, guiding the Pelicans to two playoff appearances and one play-in berth.

While his defensive acumen was a major selling point when he was hired, this season’s collapse saw New Orleans slide to 28th in defensive rating, giving up over 121 points per game.

As Joe Dumars put it, “It really wasn’t the won and lost record as the ultimate determining factor. We have to establish who is going to be here in New Orleans going forward and I just did not see that happening.”

In many ways, Green was stuck between high expectations and harsh realities. His teams flourished when they were healthy, but struggled whenever Zion Williamson missed time, which happened frequently. Zion played in just 39% of the games during Green’s tenure and missed every playoff matchup. Still, the coach made the Pelicans competitive, even engineering playoff runs that started from dismal season beginnings. 

Green’s path to coaching had been solid: 12 seasons as a player, stints developing talent with the Warriors’ championship teams, and assistant work with the Suns.

But in New Orleans, even experience couldn’t shield him from the brutal math of NBA losses, roster turbulence, and high-stakes expectations. And so, after 150 wins, 190 losses, and countless lessons learned, Willie Green’s Pelicans era officially closed.