The Stan Van Gundy coaching era for the New Orleans Pelicans is over after one season.
The veteran NBA coach was fired after one season, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnaroski and Andrew Lopez.
The news is surprising, but not without merit. The Pelicans were vastly hot and cold in the 2020-'21 NBA season, despite ascendant offensive play from first-time All-Star Zion Williamson and steady numbers from Brandon Ingram. New Orleans struggled with its defense for much of the season, but maintained a shot at the final play-in spot until the last week of the season, when they were without most of their core group, including Williamson, Ingram, Steven Adams and Josh Hart.
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New Orleans finished in 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 41-31, one spot out of the newly established play-in tournament. The final spot was claimed by the San Antonio Spurs. The result marked the third consecutive season for the Pelicans with a sub-500 record, the first two of which were helmed by Alvin Gentry, who was fired after his 5th season on the job.
Van Gundy's .421 winning percentage marked the second lowest of his career, behind only the .390 winning percentage (32-50) in the 2014-'15 season, his first as coach of the Detroit Pistons.
The coaching move comes at a significant inflection point for the Pelicans, who recently signed Ingram to a max extension and are fast approaching a similar extension window for Williamson. The former No. 1 overall pick had a career year in his second NBA season, averaging 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while continuing to be an unstoppable force in the paint and taking on significant ball-handling duties.
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Williamson also proved his durability in Year 2 after a rookie season that saw him miss the first half of the season after undergoing meniscus surgery and playing the remainder dealing with minutes and "burst" restrictions. He played in all but 11 games of the 72-game schedule this past season, with a majority of those missed games coming to close out the season after suffering a broken bone in his hand.
Fostering Williamson's continued growth as a superstar talent will undoubtedly be a top element in the next Pelicans coach's to-do list. That coach will also be the third such coach in as many seasons for several player on the Pelicans roster.
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