New Orleans Pelicans head coach, Alvin Gentry could be fired by season’s end.
“Gentry is on the outs,”a league source told me via text message on Friday evening.
“Gentry is gone after the season,” said another source.
The Pelicans are currently sitting in 13th place in the NBA’s Western Conference with a 26-34 record.
Gentry has not had an easy job as head coach, this season.
In a season full of distractions, Gentry, has had to navigate the Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers campaign that has been national news.
To add insult to injury, last week, the Pelicans announced that both the team and Dell Demps mutually parted ways.
Demps spent 8 1/2 seasons as general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“We will immediately begin the process of restructuring our basketball operations department,” stated Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson.
“New Orleans will always be near and dear to my family and me,” Demps told the Advocate newspaper.
“It’s a place that welcomed us with open arms and felt like home from Day One. The kindness and pride of the people, the food and the culture is second to none. NOLA is the city that my wife Anita and I watched our son Riley grow from a 10-year old kid to a high school graduate at Isidore Newman School.”
Danny Ferry was named Demps’ replacement in the interim.
It’s believed by some in NBA circles that former Philadelphia 76er front office man, Sam Hinkie could replace Ferry and Demps.
In the meantime, in stints with the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and now the New Orleans Pelicans, Gentry who began his NBA head coaching career in 1989, has compiled a 951-447 overall head coaching record.
He’s been diplomatic yet firm all season in both his locker room and in his remarks with the media.
Gentry, who an NBA championship in 2015 as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors was quite frustrated last week when answering questions about the state of the New Orleans Pelicans.“To tell you the truth, this whole thing has been a dumpster fire,” he said.
“It’s just hard, you know, we want guys to be professional and do this, but it’s hard for guys to go through what they’ve been through. To be able to come out and beat a team of that quality, I’m happy for all the guys. I thought that they did a great job.”
