The NBA's Conference Finals will be tipping off this week, but for 28 other teams the offseason is in full swing. One of those teams, the New Orleans Pelicans has a big decision to make; they must find a coach in whose hands they will place the career of Anthony Davis, possibly the heir apparent to LeBron James as the NBA's best player.
Despite a surprising postseason berth the Pelicans fired head coach Monty Williams last week. Williams was sometimes criticized for a lack of creativity offensively, and parallels were drawn to Scott Brooks and his inability to win a title in Oklahoma City with two of the NBA's premier talents, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
One of the men the Pelicans are interested in is ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy, who has previously coached the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. Van Gundy has publicly denied that he is seeking out the Pelicans' job out of respect for his friend Williams, but has not denied interest in the position.
Van Gundy has a reputation for instilling strong defensive principles in his teams, which is a stark difference from another strong candidate Alvin Gentry, currently an assistant to Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors.
Per Yahoo Sports, Gentry met with New Orleans owner Mickey Loomis and general manager Dell Demps on Monday, and is expected to try and sell them on an offensive shift that would better feature Davis' multi-faceted skill set. A former point guard before a growth spurt, Davis has shown post up ability, mid-range shooting, and ball-handling skills.
[Yahoo]
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