Willie Green Might Be On The Hot Seat

Written by Dion Sherman and Danny McCabe

    Since hiring Willie Green back in 2021, it seems as though the organization has lacked urgency in a bad way. This offseason, they shut down that narrative by making an aggressive play to go out and get Dejounte Murray. That should quell some of the noise in the short term, but it is far from an end-all be-all solution for the Pelicans. 

    Next on New Orleans’ agenda needs to be figuring out what is next for Brandon Ingram. With one year left on his contract, he is poised to have a big season, which would leave the Pels with some even bigger decisions. Do they cave in and offer him a max extension? Do they negotiate a sign-and-trade to extrapolate some value out of the former Duke wing to find a better fit with the rest of their current roster? If Ingram does get extended, it presumably leaves the team with a void at center that needs to be filled sooner rather than later. 

    A mixture of uncertainty and pressure will face head coach Willie Green this year, as he has to rely on the team’s stars in Ingram and Zion Williamson to stay healthy, no easy task for this duo as we’ve seen in recent years. Add in the unknown of how Dejounte Murray fits in, and the situation becomes even more questionable as we approach the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. 

    Green has done a solid job, but this could be a make or break season for his future with the team. As the fans and organization alike urgently expect results from this group, the finger will likely be pointed in his direction first if the team fails to get off to a strong start this season. They are no longer taking mediocrity as an end of season result.