The Whiteboard: Imagining who the other Pelicans head coaching finalists are

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The New Orleans Pelicans fired head coach Alvin Gentry in August after a disappointing showing in the NBA bubble, and they’ve taken their time with their search for his replacement. Gentry’s successor will need to take a team with established talent like Jrue Holiday, J.J. Redick and Most Improved Player Brandon Ingram to playoff contention, while also balancing the needs of a long-term build around Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball, Jaxson Hayes and Ingram.

Finding the right coach to toe the line between short-term goals like reaching the playoffs and long-term goals like building a winning culture and stable foundation for the future is not easy, which is why the Pelicans have been thorough. According to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, they’ve interviewed nine candidates and have whittled their list down to four finalists.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Tyronn Lue and Stan Van Gundy are two of the four finalists. This obviously begs the question: Who are the other two finalists for the Pelicans gig?

Let’s try and figure out who some of the potential candidates might be.

Jason Kidd

We start with the most cringeworthy inclusion on the list. The Athletic’s Clevis Murray reported on Monday that Kidd was a candidate in New Orleans’ search on Monday, so if that’s true, he’s almost certainly one of the four finalists.

Kidd’s time with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks was marred by controversy and tension with his front offices for trying to seize too much power. Here’s hoping the Pelicans aren’t actually considering the (first) coach who held Giannis Antetokounmpo back as the guy they want to usher in a new era with Zion.

Kenny Atkinson

This would be an ideal inclusion to the list of finalists, especially since Lue is such a hot commodity on the market with the LA Clippers and Houston Rockets in hot pursuit. As someone who instilled a modern NBA offense and winning culture in Brooklyn, Atkinson would be a perfect fit for this young, rebuilding team expected to contend for a playoff spot in the coming seasons.

Atkinson’s Nets teams played at a fast pace, attempted a ton of 3-pointers and even made progress as a top-10 defense in his final season at the helm. That’s exactly what New Orleans should be striving for, even with a lackluster cast of shooters at the moment. Atkinson would be able to build an effective offense around Zion, and his ability to develop young talent is a given after he helped Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen and so many others grow under his watch.

Becky Hammon

Some NBA team is going to make history by hiring Becky Hammon, and they’re going to be happy with the results when the day finally comes. It’s just difficult to see a team with a young core being the one to do so, since it’s always hard to sell a first-time coaching hire for a rebuild project.

The Pelicans have seen what happens when they entrust a generational talent to the wrong head coach for too long — it’s called Anthony Davis, and he just won championship by forcing his way to the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans may err on the side of caution by hiring someone with head coaching experience first, but Hammon’s name should be circulating for every coaching vacancy around the league over the next few years.

Chris Finch

The usual exception to that “rebuilding teams don’t typically hire first-time head coaches” rule? Assistant coaches who have been on the sidelines of the team in question. As an assistant for the Pelicans since 2017, and an assistant in the NBA since 2011, Finch is plenty familiar with this roster’s makeup, strengths and weaknesses.

Finch also has experience coaching overseas in England, Germany and Belgium, as well as in the G League (which could be beneficial for a team with so many young prospects to develop). Finch is known as an offensive mastermind, and a little continuity with emerging stars like Williamson and Ingram could go a long way in getting New Orleans off to a better start in 2020-21.

Mike D’Antoni

Admittedly, the idea of Mike D’Antoni encouraging Zion Williamson to jack up five 3s a night in his second season is horrifying, but the Pelicans do need someone capable of crafting an effective offense around this generational talent. Say what you will about the Rockets, but they consistently ranked near the top of the NBA in offensive rating.

However, the Pelicans don’t have a James Harden or anywhere near the same amount of shooting prowess as Houston did. It’s fun to envision Lonzo Ball’s playmaking being fully empowered in a D’Antoni offense, but the Pelicans’ defense might be the bigger issue here, and Mike D certainly isn’t the guy to hire to address those issues.

David Vanterpool

Ask anyone who’s played for the Portland Trail Blazers over the last decade (or the Minnesota Timberwolves last season) which assistant deserves a shot at a full-time head coaching gig and they’ll undoubtedly mention David Vanterpool’s name.

He won multiple championships overseas as a player and formed a strong bond with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in Rip City. His reputation as a “Dame Whisperer” is crucial here, because if Vanterpool can implement a successful offense and a respectable defense, then his ability to connect to his star players could make all the difference in the world as New Orleans prepares to hand the reins over to Zion and Ingram for the next 10 years.

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