Nice little write up from Jeff. Another day, another article on CHANGE!
http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.s...r_orleans_news
Quote:
"It's clear to me, in that I have a contract and right now, I'm proceeding as if I'm going to be there," Gentry said Thursday when asked on The Vertical podcast if he had been given assurance by the front office that his job is safe. "I'm working and I'm here in Chicago looking at players (at the NBA combine). I'm going to the lottery next week. I'm just moving ahead like I normally would unless I hear otherwise."
No one should be shocked by the Pelicans' M.O. For better or worse, this is how the organization operates. Loomis and owners Tom and Gayle Benson have always preferred to maintain a low profile on personnel matters. They've never been big on public votes of confidence.
Two years ago Benson sent a congratulatory letter to head coach Monty Williams and the entire basketball operations staff for "a job well done" after the Pelicans went 45-37 and made the Western Conference playoffs. Two weeks later, Demps canned Williams.
Don't expect a reprisal of that confusing chain of events.
Besides, Pelicans management has little to gain from publicly backing Demps and Gentry at this point. It's abundantly clear next season is a make-or-break proposition for both men. With no extension offer on the table, they know the score: win - or else. Their margin for error is zero.
Loomis and the Bensons are loyal people by nature. They value the organizational stability that has been a hallmark of the club for the past decade. Public and/or media pressure does not, and will not, sway them.
That said, they don't operate in a vacuum. If enough fans stop buying season tickets and attending games, Benson, Loomis and president Dennis Lauscha will take notice.
But they won't make changes for change's sake.
By retaining Demps and Gentry, management is taking a calculated risk. Pelicans fans have long since grown exasperated by the losing, frustrated by the excuses and disillusioned by the seemingly endless spree of injuries.
They're tired of waiting 'til next year.
During Demps' seven-year tenure, the Pelicans/Hornets are 236-322. Their .424 winning percentage in that span ranks 11th among 15 Western Conference teams and 19th in the NBA.
That kind of track record makes it difficult to sell the status quo.
If Demps and Gentry are given a reprieve, then team officials must do something to excite fans and regain their confidence. And that starts with upgrading the roster and coaching staff. Changes to both are imperative this offseason.
If Jrue Holiday is not re-signed in free agency then a capable replacement must be found and an elite wing shooter added. Somehow the Omer Asik/Alexis Ajinca dead wood must be pruned. To borrow a phrase from Sean Payton, these are "musts" not "wants."
A makeover of Gentry's staff also seems in order. Gentry came here to run his version of the Warriors' pace-and-space offense and now finds himself coaching twin towers. It makes sense to bolster the staff with coaches experienced in tutoring big men.
It's reasonable to assume the Pels will be improved next season. DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis will have a full training camp together and the coaching staff will have a full offseason to tailor the system to their strengths.
The question the Pelicans brain trust must ask is: What defines a successful 2017-2018 season?
Will a winning season do it?
Will simply making the playoffs earn Demps and Gentry an extension?
What if the Pelicans earn a postseason bid and then are swept in four games? Will that satisfy the powers that be?
With Davis, going .500 and making the playoffs shouldn't be the goal. You win rings with a talent like him.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans are hamstrung by salary cap limitations, thanks largely to misguided deals for Asik and Solomon Hill. If Holiday is re-signed, the Pels will have few resources left to attract a veteran wing shooter. And barring a Powerball-odds lottery miracle, they've traded away their draft capital.
No, Demps is going to have to be creative to get this done. He got the Pelicans into this mess. It's up to him to get them out of it. And the clock is ticking
Jeff Duncan(Nola.com) article 5/13/17: CHANGE!
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05-13-2017, 10:59 AMChampJeff Duncan(Nola.com) article 5/13/17: CHANGE!
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05-13-2017, 11:04 AMChamp
Let that last statement on Holiday also sink in!
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05-13-2017, 11:33 AMChamp
100% correct.In '99 Benson cleaned house w/Saints (Ditka & GM FIRED) in part b/c fear of season tix renewal collapse https://t.co/RyfFORb5Dl
— Ralph Malbrough (@SaintsForecast) May 12, 2017
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05-13-2017, 11:50 AMDaFranchise80
Jeff Duncan is just stating the obvious. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how the 2017-18 season unfolds. I'm done worrying about the coaching staff and front office. Those issues are out of our control at the end of the day. I've shifted my interest towards the Pels draft, free agency, and training camp with Boogie and AD.
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05-13-2017, 11:51 AMbahmamamba
Duncan really? Ahahahaha
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05-13-2017, 01:42 PMNMThreeMVP
I've read better analysis from half the posters on here and all of the bloggers and twitter pundits who follow the Pelicans. That was written for the super average fan.
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05-13-2017, 02:09 PMChampSuper average fan or truther? I'm no fan of Duncan but read again what is in bold.Quote:
Originally Posted by NMThreeMVP
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05-13-2017, 02:12 PMRUFshreve
I don't live in New Orleans and even I know Jeff Duncan is a joke. Nothing he says should be taken seriously or even acknowledged. I damn sure won't give him any clicks.
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05-13-2017, 02:18 PMDaFranchise80
Jeff Duncan and David Fisher both do a great job at dividing a fanbase. Their articles are nothing but click bait.
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05-13-2017, 02:29 PMChampWhat about Fletcher and T-Bob? Am I safe to post their tweets?Quote:
Originally Posted by DaFranchise80
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05-13-2017, 02:33 PMChamp
Demps record is what it is. If you keep Holiday you better hope he stays healthy and does not turn ball over. Win and people will show up again. Keeping the same when people want change is a gamble. That is all Duncan was saying.
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05-13-2017, 02:59 PMDaFranchise80You can post whatever you want from whomever. Like I said earlier it's not going to change a thing in the coaching and management departments. I'd rather focus my energy on the draft combine and the upcoming free agency.Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ
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05-13-2017, 03:05 PMDaFranchise80Like I said, Duncan was just stating the obvious which we already knew. He also has a history of pissing off a whole fanbase with his ridiculous hot takes (see Bountygate).Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ
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05-13-2017, 03:07 PMPELICANSFANMalbrough is simply the Skip Bayless of New Orleans bloggers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ
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05-13-2017, 03:09 PMPELICANSFANYou do realize that the same can be said if you let him walk and have to replace him as well?Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ
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05-13-2017, 04:02 PMRUFshreveI like David Fisher. He actually has original thoughts, uses stats to back up what he writes and provides consistent coverage of the team. Duncan doesn't do any of those things. Nothing in this article was new to anyone here. It's just the same old stuff we all have known forever. Duncan and Fisher are not similar. One is respectable, one isn't.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaFranchise80
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05-13-2017, 04:08 PMRUFshreveFletcher is horrible. I dont know how that guy has a job.Quote:
Originally Posted by Champ
I like T-Bob in general, but he isn't the brightest guy.
Regardless, you can share whoever's tweets you want. If it's guys like Duncan and Fletch, just be prepared to get slammed for sharing it. Atleast Jimmy Smith isn't around anymore. -
05-13-2017, 05:59 PMBuckwheat
Jrue Steel Rod Holiday needs to go.
We need a Head Coach with a Real GM.
Again I am a supporter of the Pelicans.
It hurts watching this unfold with AD on this roster. -
05-13-2017, 06:47 PMMythrol
Don't ever believe Duncan about anything.
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05-13-2017, 07:12 PMbillfromfinance
What average fan could even name coaching staff outside of Gentry? Heck people here and on TD were asking who Jamelle McMillan was when the Pelicast came out. Why would changing that make a difference to them? How about putting a little more effort into why the current coaching staff are not qualified to coach and train big men. The real reason change would be a big deal is because it would give these writers something to write about. They don't give two hoots about "the fans" other than wanting your clicks and coins. No doubt half the reason they want change is because they have nothing else to write about. The organization isn't a leaky boat, likes stability and is a business at the end of the day. So they come across as very boring, and it's hard to keep pumping articles out about the same old thing.
You're a broken record mate. Just like these articles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckwheat
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05-13-2017, 08:20 PMPELICANSFANHe used to. Lately he has been terrible.Quote:
Originally Posted by RUFshreve
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05-13-2017, 10:58 PMRUFshreveI've always appreciated Fisher's writing, but it's been a while since I've seen or read one of his articles, so if he has changed, I haven't seen it for myself yet. That stinks if true, he was one of the few good writers covering this team. We need more of those, not less.Quote:
Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN
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05-13-2017, 11:32 PMDaFranchise80Scott Kushner is a good writer to follow for Pelicans news. He and Justin Verrier were my favorites.Quote:
Originally Posted by RUFshreve