The New Orleans Pelicans’ search for a new head coach will likely include many of the candidates considered last offseason. A new name that reportedly could enter the fold may be former Finals MVP and current Clippers assistant coach Chauncey Billups.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans have expressed interest in Billups, along with Washington and Orlando. Last season, Billups’ name was linked to some openings before he joined Ty Lue’s staff in Los Angeles, but New Orleans was not one of them.
Still, LonzoWire wrote a profile on him as an option which included some more information on his coach style and links to players:
“While it’s unclear how Billups would coach a team, there is a history of how he would coach point guards. Kyle Lowry has worked out with Billups in the past and considers him a mentor.
Marcus Smart also spent time working out with Billups in the off-season. In the summer of 2017, Smart and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga met up with Billups for a multi-day workout.”
Billups would likely, then, be a player-coach, which would be a happy change for a Pelicans roster that certainly appeared to struggle to connect to Stan Van Gundy.
