DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 14: Head coach Alvin Gentry of the Phoenix Suns directs his team against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on February 14, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry could be fired by season’s end.
“Gentry is on the outs,” a league source told me via text message on Friday evening.
“Gentry is gone after the season,” said another source.
The Pelicans are sitting in 12th place in the NBA’s Western Conference with a 27-34 record.
Gentry has not had an easy job as head coach, this season.
In a season full of distractions, Gentry, has had to navigate the Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers campaign that has been national news.
To add insult to injury, last week, the Pelicans announced that both the team and Dell Demps mutually parted ways.
Demps spent 8 1/2 seasons as general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“We will immediately begin the process of restructuring our basketball operations department,” stated Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson.
Not everybody is angry at New Orleans Pelicans GM Dell Demps. Demps has support from his fraternity of players. Spoke to a retired NBA player today who told me: “Damn they fired my friend on the busiest weekend of basketball! How low could the Pelicans go?”
“New Orleans will always be near and dear to my family and me,” Demps told the Advocate newspaper.
“It’s a place that welcomed us with open arms and felt like home from Day One. The kindness and pride of the people, the food and the culture is second to none. NOLA is the city that my wife Anita and I watched our son Riley grow from a 10-year old kid to a high school graduate at Isidore Newman School.”
Danny Ferry was named Demps’ replacement in the interim.
Not everybody is angry at New Orleans Pelicans GM Dell Demps. Demps has support from his fraternity of players. Spoke to a retired NBA player today who told me: “Damn they fired my friend on the busiest weekend of basketball! How low could the Pelicans go?”
Per The Bird Writes: For the rest of this season though, Ferry has been handed the reins of the general manager duties on an interim basis, but few, if any, have given much thought to the idea that his interim tag could potentially flip to a much more permanent one while being upgraded to a higher standing within the organization in good time.
While that’s great news for Ferry, one cannot forget his last post in an NBA front office role.
While GM of the Atlanta Hawks, Ferry made a racist remark relating to Luol Deng’s heritage while on a conference call in 2014.
“He’s a good guy overall,” said Ferry.
“But he’s not perfect. He’s got some African in him. And I don’t say that in a bad way, other than….”
In the recording, you can hear Ferry speaking about Deng, with Atlanta ownership laughing in the background.
Per SB Nation: Ownership interjects once Ferry first references to Deng’s heritage, and says “That comment was Sterling. That’s going to be on TMZ tomorrow.”
Ferry did apologize. “I repeated those comments during a telephone conversation reviewing the draft and free agency process,” he said.
“Those words do not reflect my views, or words that I would use to describe an individual and I certainly regret it. I apologize to those I offended and to Luol, who I reached out to Monday morning.”
Ferry was eventually let go by the Hawks and he has found consultant jobs in the NBA since then.
It’s believed by some in NBA circles that former Philadelphia 76ers front office man, Sam Hinkie could replace Ferry and Demps.
New Orleans Pelicans are considering Sam Hinkie as president of Basketball Operations.
#TrusttheProcess part 2?
Gentry began his NBA head coaching career in 1989.
In stints with the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and now the New Orleans Pelicans, he’s compiled a 951-447 overall head coaching record.
He’s been diplomatic yet firm all season in both his locker room and in his remarks with the media.
Gentry, won an NBA championship in 2015 as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors was quite frustrated last week when answering questions about the state of the New Orleans Pelicans.“To tell you the truth, this whole thing has been a dumpster fire,” he said.
“It’s just hard, you know, we want guys to be professional and do this, but it’s hard for guys to go through what they’ve been through. To be able to come out and beat a team of that quality, I’m happy for all the guys. I thought that they did a great job.”