Willie Green Telling Pelicans To Keep Fighting, Not To Point Fingers

The Pelicans are off to an embarrassing start without star power forward Zion Williamson and occasionally, small forward Brandon Ingram.

With a record of 1-11 entering Friday, they sported the league’s worst record. There has also been some recent reports that head of basketball operations David Griffin is on the hot seat.

But through it all, it seems, first-year coach Willie Green appears to be staying positive. And it appears he is telling players to try to do the same.

“Keep your integrity. Don’t start pointing fingers. Keep fighting,” Pelicans point guard Devonte’ Graham said is the message from Green. “You can’t give up your teammates. You can’t give up on the organization. It’s going to turn. It’s going to get better.”

Green recently told reporters that is basically all the Pelicans can do at the moment.

“I still believe in our guys,” Green said, via Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “This is just a part of it. This is part of what we have to go through as a team. No excuses. But we’re not healthy. We’re not whole. We really don’t know what we’re going to look like. But I believe this experience for guys is going to be so valuable going down the stretch.”

Green, 40, was an assistant with the Warriors and Suns from 2016-2021 before arriving in New Orleans. He played in the NBA as a combo guard from 2003-15 with five teams.