Monty Williams' fourth season at the helm of the New Orleans Pelicans is underway, and if he's not careful, it will end up being his last.
It's a little (read: way) early in the season to write off the 42-year-old Williams and his upstart Pelicans, but the lax atmosphere that has surrounded the team in recent years has been replaced with the expectation of winning.
Rightfully so, considering the drastic changes made in New Orleans this past summer. The first and most important domino to fall was the draft-night trade that exchanged the rights to Nerlens Noel and a Top Five protected pick in next year's NBA Draft for Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday, fresh off of his first All-Star appearance. It was a microcosm of the offseason for the Pelicans—immediate returns versus future dividends.
The moves made following the trade were perhaps bigger indicators of the win-now mentality possessed by ownership general manager Dell Demps. Rather than go into the season with plenty of open minutes for recent draftee Austin Rivers, the Pelicans made another big move by orchestrating a ...
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Article written by Kyle Neubeck