Pelicans fire coach Willie Green amid 2-10 start - ESPN

The New Orleans Pelicans have fired coach Willie Green after a 2-10 start to the season, the team announced Saturday.

Green was doomed by a miserable 0-6 start and injuries to his best players. Zion Williamson has played just five games due to a hamstring injury, an ailment he has suffered in four straight seasons.

The Pelicans were the first team in NBA history to lose three of their first six games by at least 30 points, after allowing at least 120 points in five straight games to begin a season for the first time in franchise history, according to ESPN Research.

New Orleans is on a four-game losing streak, including a 118-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The Pelicans are a bottom-five team in both offensive and defensive rating this season, according to ESPN Research.

«After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach,» Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. «I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I'm sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.»

Assistant James Borrego will become the interim coach for the Pelicans. Borrego, the former Charlotte Hornets coach, was a finalist for the Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching jobs in 2024. The New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets also offered Borrego lead assistant jobs during the offseason, but he stayed in New Orleans.

Green was in his fifth season as Pelicans coach and finishes with a 150-190 record, including postseason appearances in 2021-22 and 2023-24.

When Williamson is healthy, he can be a force. He is averaging 22.8 points, 6.8