From high-IQ experiments like Rajon Rondo to established veterans, discover which candidate fits the New Orleans Pelicans front office's vision and which potential hire could spark a fanbase revolt.
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The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly winding down their coaching search and have four final options in their sights.
The final candidates have a wide range of public perception; some would be welcomed with open arms, and at least one would possibly lead to open revolt by the fanbase. All four options appear to be serious options, but there are also some that feel more likely than others.
Here are the final reported candidates for the Pelicans job, ranked by how likely it currently appears to be that they will be the choice for the job:
1. Rajon Rondo
Rondo would be the most exciting choice. He's not a traditional head coach, but is more than qualified thanks to his lengthy playing career and fantastic basketball mind.
The recent success of JJ Redick and Jason Kidd has laid the groundwork for Rondo to jump straight into being a head coach. Rondo has done some consulting work for the Milwaukee Bucks, but that's the limit of his experience.
Still, it would be a fun swerve for the team to make and would be a sensible experiment to pursue. This would be a widely accepted move.
2. Steve Hetzel
Hetzel is the least-known of this group but is gaining a lot of steam behind the scenes. He's been an assistant coach since 2009, when Joe Dumars hired him to do player development for the Detroit Pistons. But started in the NBA in video coordination for the San Antonio Spurs in 2005, under Gregg Popovich. He's worked under many great names, starting in college as a student manager for Tom Izzo.
3. Jamahl Mosley
Mosley was just recently fired by the Orlando Magic, which freed him up to be pursed by the Pelicans, with a long line of rumors that they would be very interested in him. He would be higher up on this list, but he's getting a late start into real consideration.
Obviously it's conflicting given that he was just fired, but Mosley is still a young and exciting coach. He did a lot with a little with the Magic, but they have hit their ceiling and he was let go.
4. Darvin Ham
Ham is the one that no fans in New Orleans seem to want, and the good news is that things appear to be slowing down on that front. He played for Dumars with the Pistons and has been a long-time favorite for this job, though, so anything can happen.
He was thrown into the fire with the Los Angeles Lakers and was let go despite a positive record (90-74). Perhaps a lower-stakes environment like the Pelicans could serve him well.