The New Orleans Pelicans are making a change early in the NBA season. The team has fired head coach Willie Green after a 2-10 start to the season featuring some historic losses.
Videos by FanBuzz
The Pelicans announced the news on Saturday morning with a statement from Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars. Associate Head Coach James Borrego will take over as the interim head coach.
This ended Green's tenure with the team that began with the 2021-22 season. He ends with a 150-190 record and two postseason appearances (2021-22 and 2023-24).
"After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach," Dumars said. "I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I'm sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future."
The Pelicans started the season with an 0-6 record. This stretch included a 32-point loss to the Celtics, a 34-point loss to the Nuggets, and a 31-point loss to the Thunder. According to ESPN, the Pelicans are the first team in NBA history to lose three of their first six games by at least 30 points.
The team won its first game on Nov. 4 against the Hornets. The Pelicans then beat the Mavericks by two points on Nov. 5. These two games served as the only bright spots in the early season stretch as the Pelicans then dropped four straight games to the Spurs, Suns, Trail Blazers, and Lakers.
The defense struggled during this 2-10 start to the season while allowing at least 101 points in every game. The Pelicans gave up at least 110 points in 11 of these games. The team has also played without Zion Williamson for five games as he has dealt with another hamstring injury.
"As I have stated, Joe Dumars is in charge of basketball operations decisions, and as one of the best basketball minds in the business, I trust him to make the right decisions for our franchise," said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. "I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years.
"This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions. My expectation is to be a winning team that competes for championships, and I remain steadfast in our commitment to building a championship-caliber organization for our players, partners, and above all, our fans."
