Ex-Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy out in New Orleans
After just one season, Stan Van Gundy and the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to ‘part ways’. From 2014 to 2018, Van Gundy was the head coach and president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons.
Stan Van Gundy’s stay in New Orleans was anything but a ‘Big Easy’. After one season he is done as coach of the Pelicans.
Despite having a budding superstar in Zion Williamson and one of the top young scorers in the NBA with Brandon Ingram, New Orleans went 31-41 and failed to make the playoffs.
The record was only one win more than Alvin Gentry produced as coach the previous year, before being let go.
Injuries to Williamson, Lonzo Ball, Ingram and standout utility player Josh Hart disrupted any chance of the Pelicans gaining continuity during the season. Apparently, New Orleans GM David Griffin did not accept that as an excuse for the record.
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Prior to New Orleans, Van Gundy’s previous stop was in Detroit. In four seasons, he compiled a record of 152-176 and made the playoffs in 2016.
Van Gundy was also in charge of personnel with the Pistons.
He made the trade for star forward Blake Griffin in 2017, a decision still affecting the franchise, as Griffin came with a max contract that does not run out until next season, even though he is no longer with Detroit.
Van Gundy also made the decision to give center Andre Drummond a max contract and, in the 2017 NBA Draft, he decided to take Duke guard Luke Kennard with the No. 12 pick. At No. 13, Utah then selected Donovan Mitchell.
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With the Pelicans, Van Gundy was strictly a coach. In-between coaching stops, Van Gundy was a broadcaster with TNT and ESPN.