Alvin Gentry will find himself on the hot seat if the Pelicans continue to struggle, Sean Deveney of Sporting News writes. New Orleans has won just 38 games since he took over the team, but the lack of success isn’t entirely his fault. Gentry hasn’t been able to implement complicated offensive sets because of a rash of injuries since taking over the job. He’s been forced to use 55 different starting lineups over the last two seasons and Deveney argues that Gentry deserves more time because of the instability.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Jameer Nelson has been a leader for Nuggets and many within the organization believe he possesses the skills to become a head coach down the road, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. “Jameer is the leader of our team,” Mike Malone said. “It’s been important because we have so many young players on this team. It’s great to have a young guy that can look to a guy like Jameer and how to act on and off of the court.”
- The Nuggets should consider dealing Wilson Chandler and Minnesota would be a good destination for the veteran, Michael Pina of RealGM opines. Pina believes Denver could get a future first round pick for the small forward.
- The Suns should deal Tyson Chandler in order to free up minutes for their younger frontcourt players, Keith P. Smith of RealGM contends. Smith argues that the team should be patient with its rebuild and not try to bring aboard any other veterans who don’t fit its timeline.
- The Grizzlies are winning games despite a slew of injuries and Colin McGowen of RealGM believes coach David Fizdale deserves credit for his effective communication and aggressive defensive scheme. Memphis leads the league in defensive efficiency, as I noted in this week’s edition of Fantasy Hoops.