Stan Van Gundy To Show Softer Side While Being Tough On Young New Orleans Pelicans

Gayle Benson made a statement in joining New Orleans Pelicans’ Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin in the introductory press conference for new head Stan Van Gundy. Though the media session was conducted over Zoom, Van Gundy’s excitement to get started working towards next season was palpable. Griffin’s assured demeanor and Benson’s resounding commitment to supporting a championship team with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram was a constant refrain.

Benson’s prepared remarks touched on several aspects of the hiring process and Van Gundy’s character. Benson said, “Even though we are doing this remotely it is still a very exciting day for our New Orleans Pelicans organization. Our entire organization is so pleased to welcome Stan and his wife Kim and their four children to the New Orleans Pelicans’ family. Stan has had a tremendous record as head coach in the NBA. He is regarded as one of the most innovative and respected coaches. I am personally excited as well as our entire organization to get ready for the start of the next NBA season, which could be very soon. We know that Stan brings a very strong basketball mind to the game. He demands accountability and will provide great leadership for our young team. Finally, I wanted to acknowledge the hard work that David, Trajan, Swin, and our entire front office put into the interview process. We were purposeful and deliberate and we got the coach that we wanted. I am so excited for the upcoming season and cannot wait to get back to playing basketball in the very near future.”

Griffin also stressed accountability while adding to Benson’s statement, explaining, “As Mrs. Benson mentioned, we absolutely feel like we got the right guy and the right person for this job. We feel like we got the right guy, and the right time, the right fit for our team…We were benefitted by an incredible pool of candidates that wanted this job…Relative to Stan Van Gundy, this is a process where Trajan, Swin, Bryce, and Graham and myself and many others of our front office team interviewed nine total people in one fashion or another. We set up a criteria, a pretty clear criteria, of what we were seeking in the next head coach and we took a great deal of time to do that. We have explained to some of you offline, from a media perspective, about why we were not in a hurry.”

“As fate would have it the season may be on us sooner than we thought. But the reasons for that were multifold. It was to give us enough time to really analyze our team and get a feel for who we felt like we really were and to do that without the sting of what happened in the bubble sort of resonating daily with us. We wanted to give ourselves a real opportunity to know who we were and what we really needed. I think what we very quickly discovered in our interview process was Coach Van Gundy gave us the best possible option. Coach Van Gundy in his 22-year coaching career and an assistant and head coach, 12 years as a head coach, has proven he is a coach who is going to win an awful lot of regular-season games.”

For Griffin, the hire was thorough but became easier actually as the process stretched near a month. He took in Van Gundy’s interview answers then looked at his resume and could not a match for the consistent track record and reputation as a defensive teacher that wanted to lead this team the same way Griffin wanted to build it.

Griffin mentioned Van Gundy’s past, his “winning almost 66% of his games with the Orlando, better than 60% of his games in Miami, and for his career has a winning percentage above .500 in the playoffs which is really, really, rare. So this is a proven winner and this is a coach that can win right now. More importantly to us, it is a coach that is a teacher and a very sincere, authentic human being who is going to build long-lasting relationships with our team. Because we look at this team as just now scratching the surface of what we hope is a long, sustainable run, coach Van Gundy was obviously the selection for us because, in addition to giving us the best chance to win in the short term, we feel he gives us the best chance to build a sustainable winner in the long term. For that reason, Trajan and I are honored to introduce you to our next head coach of the New Orleans Pelican, Mr. Stan Van Gundy.”

Van Gundy took the compliments well, practically blushing when thanking Benson and a handful of front office staffers for granting his this “great opportunity.” He then explained he “was enjoying being a TV analyst and wanted to coach again but only if we could find an absolutely great opportunity and New Orleans had it all. First of all, they have a governor’s and executive group that has proven they know how to win at the professional level (with football)…, and is a group totally committed to the New Orleans community, which is important to Kim and I as we were looking for people to work for. Then David Griffin’s proven ability to build championship level teams, and the front office team that he has put together in New Orleans and the family atmosphere he is trying to build within the organization and on the basketball team.

Van Gundy continued on about what made him leave the comforts of a media job saying, “of course it is a very exciting roster, a mix of very talented young players and some productive, high-character veterans. Then finally, it is a city that Kim and I are excited about and cannot wait to live in. When we knew for sure when we made the right decision, was last night when the communications team told me instead of a jacket and tie I could wear a polo at the introductory press conference. I knew right then I was on it.”

Van Gundy replied later he “was only going back for the right job” adding, “he felt like New Orleans was that opportunity.” With the season quickly approaching Van Gundy is working overtime to fill out his staff, developing relationships with the roster by meeting with everyone in person, and studying film. He “cannot wait to get back on the court and to build a tough, disciplined team that truly Won’t Bow Down” as the team’s motto declares.

That was part of the allure of hiring Van Gundy. Griffin saw a coach that would be a bit tougher when practices drifted towards lackadaisical, or when watching constant mistakes during free run scrimmage sessions. For all of Alvin Gentry’s faults, he preached offensive and getting up the floor to get shots against scrambling defenses. Though Griffin praised Gentry to begin the press conference, that mantra being preached daily led to sloppy possession far too often, with the team looking out of sorts throughout the Orlando bubble.

Van Gundy said, “I do not want us or them (the players) or us to ever to use youth as an excuse.” There will be no, “well I was young and that’s why I turned the ball over three times in the last two minutes of a tied game. Listen, they are all great players and they come into this league young because of their talent. It’s time to play and compete so I don’t want to use (youth) as an excuse…As far as coaching, there is a lot of teaching to do to bring these guys along. The NBA game is different than the college game in some ways and learning all of those things, there has to be more teaching, there has to be a real emphasis placed on their development. They are far from finished products at this point in their career no matter how good they are and we have to keep that in mind every day.”

If the New Orleans Pelicans decide to run it back with mostly the same core, replacing any departing free agents with similar styled players, the team has the offense to run anyone off the court. Van Gundy will spend far more time stress defensive effort. This is especially true concerning rebounding and transition defense, which will be a priority along with limiting turnovers. He will also want to see more in rhythm shots from efficient spots on the court.

In short, Van Gundy and the players will establish new protocols and boundaries for what is acceptable on the court and what kinds of consequences come with any lapses in individual effort or team responsibilities. Gayle Benson and David Griffin agree he is the right coach to lead the sustainable championship culture Griffin mapped out in his introductory press conference last offseason.