The New Orleans Pelicans were in a bind last July, and they knew it. Zion Williamson had suffered a broken leg and learned about it on his birthday. The first-overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft wound up missing the entire season despite Williamson’s stated hopes of being ready for the regular season.
There was an apparent disconnect between the team and the player coming out of the bubble and through the initial rehab processes. First, there were ‘burst’ restrictions, which Zion admitted were strange and that was before the alleged piano-playing incident. Even worse for the front office, the problem went beyond one player.
Sep 26, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day from the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Stan Van Gundy had lost the locker room after only one season, and the front office knew it. Williamson needed to be welcomed back into a team with a better internal atmosphere. Executive Vice President David Griffin had not only to take ownership of the move and convince Governor Benson to pay the bill of three coaches (don’t forget Alvin Gentry’s last one-year extension) but also had to cede some control of the process.
Not only would Vice President Swin Cash and General Manager Trajan Langdon be more involved, but the coaching candidates would also have some questions. How could they not, considering the perceived state of the franchise at the time?
How times have changed. That One Player (Zion Williamson) is extremely happy with the organization that drafted him, to the tune of a five-year, no-option max-level deal potentially worth over $230 million. Teammate and fellow All-Star Brandon Ingram signed a similar five-year deal with no opt-out clause to stay with the Pelicans.
Even if the outside world did not see the full picture, this was just one signal that things were turning around for the better in the Big Easy with Willie Green in the building.
Apr 5, 2022; Sacramento, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green smiles during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
A lion’s share of the credit goes to Willie Green and what he has done to win over the locker room. His squad rallied around a slow start and wound up pushing the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to a first-round Game 6. NBA coaches and scouts took notice and the national media is starting to recognize the respect given to Green.
Green and championship contention go hand in hand. After a 12-year NBA career as a player, he joined the Golden State Warriors and then the Phoenix Suns for some NBA Finals runs as an assistant coach. Griffin said the approach was no longer about just the Xs and Os. Green’s “tireless work ethic and authenticity of character” stood out during the hiring process.
Steve Nash said before the Opening Night, “Willie’s a good friend. He’s someone I really admire and respect so I’m really excited and happy for him. He deserves this success. He’s a high-character person and a very talented coach.”
Green’s players are vocal about how Coach lifts them up, quite literally. Even the corrections “come from a place of love” says Green.
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Utah Jazz Head Coach credited Green’s “drive” and “connection” with players and how it carries weight coming from a 12-year NBA veteran when I asked the Jazz coach about Green before the home opener in the Smoothie King Center.
TNT was in New Orleans for the matchup with Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks. Shaq could see Green’s positive effect through the television screen. The Hall of Famer said, “I can tell that the players love playing for him. When you have a coach that lets you go out and play, you will compete all the time…When guys make a mistake and they pan back to the coach, he is not yelling. He is not making faces.”
That’s not the style or culture down in New Orleans. It’s not in Willie Green’s nature to try and show anyone up. He just keeps showing up and doing the job. The measure of an NBA coach with staying power is one who can win with almost any roster and Green has passed that test. The short-handed Pelicans beat the Mavericks without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram pouring in buckets or Herb Jones slowing down Doncic.
I asked Ingram about Coach Green’s presence and level of preparation after the team’s 130-108 win in Brooklyn. Thanks to Green’s leadership, Ingram explained, “I don’t listen to outside expectations of our team. We know where we want to go. We know where we want to be. I think that’s how we keep on being steady. Willie’s message is the same every time we step into the locker room, every time we step on for practice, and it’s to get better.”
Ingram continued, Green stresses, “Continue to learn about each other. Continue to get better. When we do it in practice it makes it easy to come out here and follow the game plan.”
It helps keep the team loose. It’s Green’s standard operating procedure and a big reason why these Pelicans are 3-1 with an eye for the top spot in the Western Conference standings come playoff time. It’s also why Green is in line for an extension should this season go as planned.
The opportunity to sit among some of the scouts during preseason and Opening Night was a chance to stir the pot for some opinions. A simple “anyone could win with this roster” statement was completely rejected by almost every scout. As one divisional rival scout pointed out, “More established coaches have managed to get fired with comparable or more established rosters. What Willie is doing is above and beyond.”
Another scout provided the evidence. “A lot of coaches would have lost the team before Christmas with that slow start.”
Green has been a gem of a find as a first-time head coach and will be up for an extension as soon as this summer. The days of paying for multiple coaches are over for ownership, but Green’s next contract will be just as expensive.
As an Eastern Conference scout said, “If the Pelicans don’t make (Green) a Top 10 paid coach, someone else will. And they’d give New Orleans a few more draft picks too!”
We laughed, but I don’t think it was that much of a stretch to call it a joke. Green has just been that great and the NBA world is taking notice.
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