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.
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.
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