New Orleans Pelicans Fire Willie Green After 2-10 Start, Elevate Borrego to Interim Coach

The New Orleans Pelicans have made a significant coaching change, firing head coach Willie Green after a disappointing 2-10 start to the season. Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, announced the decision, indicating that it was not solely the team's record that prompted the move.

Dumars expressed concern over the team's lack of improvement, noting they were losing games in a repetitive manner without showing the necessary effort to compete. He stated, 'We have to establish that we're going to play hard every night.' Dumars emphasized the importance of changing the team's direction, implying that the franchise could no longer afford to wait for things to improve on their own.

Team owner Gayle Benson, who has faced increasing pressure regarding the franchise's performance, expressed her admiration for Green but deferred to Dumars on the decision, acknowledging the challenges of the business.

Green's tenure, which began in 2021, ended with a record of 150 wins and 190 losses, during which he led the Pelicans to the playoffs twice but struggled with injuries, notably to star forward Zion Williamson.

Williamson, who has been a critical player since being drafted first overall in 2019, missed a significant portion of Green's coaching tenure due to various injuries, participating in only about 39% of the games during Green's era.

This season, Williamson has already missed seven games due to injury, affecting the team's performance. Dumars, who took over operations earlier this year, had initially decided to retain Green, hoping for a fresh start.

However, the team's poor performance, including a six-game losing streak and significant defeats, led to reassessment. Following Green's departure, assistant coach James Borrego was promoted to interim head coach.

Borrego previously served as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets and has a coaching record of 148 wins and 183 losses. He joined the Pelicans as an associate head coach in 2023 and is expected to steer the team for the remainder of the season.

Borrego's first game in charge will be against the Golden State Warriors, and there is some optimism as Williamson has been upgraded to questionable status for that game. The Pelicans hope Borrego can inject new life into the team and reverse their fortunes, starting with their upcoming match against a Warriors team led by a red-hot Stephen Curry, who has recently returned to form.

This coaching change represents a pivotal moment for the Pelicans as they strive to turn around their season and re-establish themselves as a competitive force in the NBA.