Amid a disastrous 2-10 start to the season for the New Orleans Pelicans, Willie Green has been fired as the team’s head coach.
NBA insider Chris Haynes first reported the news one day after the Pelicans suffered a 118-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
James Borrego, who has been an assistant on Green’s staff since 2023, will serve as interim head coach for New Orleans.
Following the move, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars told reporters Green’s ouster did not have to do with the team’s record but the fact that he did not see the team “establishing identity.”
Green seemed to be on shaky ground coming into this season after the Pelicans finished 21-61 last season. They could explain away some of their struggles because of an injury-plagued roster.
Yves Missi was the only player on the Pelicans who started at least 60 games during the 2024-25 campaign. CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III were the only other players who made more than 31 starts.
Even with more injury issues so far this season, most notably involving Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are a mess in every conceivable way. They rank last in the Western Conference in net rating, have lost four straight games after starting the season 0-6 and have four losses by at least 23 points in their first 12 games.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto noted after their 0-6 start that the Pelicans had the sixth-worst point differential in NBA history at that point.
Not all of the Pelicans problems can be pinned on Green. Their front office has made many questionable roster decisions, including over the summer when they traded a first-round draft pick in 2026 to the Atlanta Hawks for the draft rights to Derik Queen.
Green, though, was given ample opportunity to prove he could be part of the turnaround in New Orleans and never put it together. He was in his fifth season as head coach, putting together a record of 150-190 with two playoff appearances.
Borrego returns to the head coaching chair on an interim basis for the first time since he was fired by the Charlotte Hornets in April 2022. The 48-year-old went 138-163 during his four-year tenure as a head coach in Charlotte.
