NOT SO FAST: Why Pelicans Must KEEP Monty Williams

Some New Orleans fans have been calling for Monty Williams’ head for quite a while. The Hornets/Pelicans have been irrelevant in playoff conversations since the departure of Chris Paul, and recent struggles have not helped his cause. This chatter has apparently become legitimate according to Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher:

“The love for all things Louisiana by Pelicans owner Tom Benson and his wife, Gayle, is well-known. That could be why the hot rumor circulating around the league right now is that if Benson decides the team is not meeting expectations and makes changes, he will bring in two Louisiana natives as replacements—former Detroit Pistons GM Joe Dumars and former Nets/Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson.”

Aug 28, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints owners Tom Benson, center, his wife Gayle Benson, left, and his daughter Rita Benson LeBlanc, right, on the sidelines before their game against the Baltimore Ravens at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

While the results thus far for the team have not reached expectations, it is imperative that the Pelicans do not let go of Monty Williams just yet.

When the Pelicans acquired Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday last off-season, it was clear that the team wanted to contend for the postseason immediately. As we all know, the following season did not go as planned. Injuries decimated the talented Pelicans team and quickly evaporated what little playoff hopes they had.

Dec 30, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans point guard Tyreke Evans (1) celebrates with teammate point guard Jrue Holiday (11) after hitting a shot to take the lead with 1.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the New Orleans Arena. The Pelicans defeated the Trail Blazers 110-108. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Monty has definitely been at fault at times during his tenure. Questionable lineup decisions and wasted 2-for-1 opportunities are among the common issues that have plagued the fifth year head coach.

That said, Monty did not intend for the entire core of his team to miss significant time in the 13-14 season. He experimented with some funky lineups not because he wanted to, but because he had to.

Holiday, Evans, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis have been the five most talented players on the team. Last year, they played 91 minutes together across 12 games. 91! Not even two whole games worth.

They have played together exactly the same amount of time so far into this season. Those 182 minutes are all those guys really have, since they did not spend the offseason together (Holiday, Evans and Anderson nursing injuries, Davis with Team USA).

To put that into perspective, the Memphis Grizzlies starting lineup of Mike Conley, Courtney Lee, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol has logged 296 minutes this season alone.

Because Memphis has been able to keep their core players on the floor, they now sport one of the most consistent and competitive teams in the league.

When Omer Asik was acquired, Monty had yet another piece to fit into the puzzle. So far this season, the core has been able to not only play together, but grow together. Alternating wins and losses every game is obviously not a surefire sign of improvement, and disappointment in those results in understandable. But every game these guys can play together now will continue to help them improve for the future, and so far this season that is proceeding as planned.

Dec 12, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik (3) dunks over Cleveland Cavaliers center

(17) during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Monty Williams’ defensive scheme seems to be full of holes at times. But it can work.

In Monty’s rookie coaching season, he had a roster of smart, experienced players. Chris Paul, David West, and Emeka Okafor were able to execute his scheme well enough to land them the 8^th most efficient defense that season.

This trio had played multiple seasons together at that point so the communication, easily the most important part of any defensive scheme, instantly became much easier.

Monty wants the Pelicans to hedge on pick and roll situations, which consists of the bigger defender to get past the screen and trap the guard while the rest of the team rotates to fill the gaps until the big man can return to position.

Hedging is very tricky, and the pick-and-roll heavy offenses nowadays can easily pick apart a poorly executed scheme (see: the Pelicans defense last season). However, when it works it disrupts the timing of the offense and throws their sets off. A scheme that is so rotation heavy requires quick decision making and communication.

Paul and West, who are by no means elite defenders, executed the scheme quite effectively. They each knew when to move, when the other was going to move, and where Okafor, Ariza and whoever else was on the court were going to be.

The statistics show that the Pelicans defense is improving, but the difference is visible as well. Anderson and Davis are exhibiting a better understanding of when to be aggressive and how quickly they need to get back. Holiday and Evans have proven that when working hard enough they can finish their part of the job. As the core of the team continues to develop a better understanding of each other’s tendencies, the overall product will improve.

What goes beyond any scheme or statistic is the relationship between the coach and his players. From what I can tell, Monty has positive relationships with his players. Friction between himself and Eric Gordon when the idea of EG coming off the bench is a thing of the past. Monty has spent even more time with star Anthony Davis than anyone else because of his position with Team USA. And as revealed in his recent Sports Illustrated collaboration, Ryan Anderson has also formed a tight personal bond with his coach.

Dec 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams talks with forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Jazz 119-111. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The same reason Coach Pop’s Spurs have found so much success is the same reason teams like the Cleveland Browns and the Oakland Raiders fail. Year after year coaches are fired, new management is found and whatever the previous coach had gotten to begin building collapses. How can you fire a coach or general manager just a couple seasons after hiring them?

Owners must realize that it is impossible for all of the players to buy into a new coaches principles from the get go. You will not get immediate results, but the more practice the players get the better off they will be. Just like anything in life. Teachers cannot hand a student a calculus textbook and expect to be in the presence of a physicist right then and there. They need to learn what they have to do before they can reach their potential in the system.

Just ask Tyreke Evans. During his tenure in Sacramento, he played under Paul Westphal and Keith Smart. After winning Rookie of the Year for the 09-10 season, he was constantly being forced into different roles in the Kings’ lineup. The constant question of whether or not he was a point guard, shooting guard or small forward took a toll on him and his game suffered.

Jan 4, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New Orleans Pelicans point guard Tyreke Evans (1) shoots a free throw during the second half of the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana Pacers beat New Orleans Pelicans 99 to 82. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Rose of ESPN says something along the lines of, “Positions were created so a novice could follow the game.” What he means by this is that just because a player is a certain size does not mean he has to play a certain role. As long as you have players on the court that can co-exist, the results will speak for themselves. Now that Tyreke is finally allowed to get comfortable with his role in Monty’s system, his production is starting to get back to an above average level.

Continuity and trust are critical in building a contending professional sports team. The Spurs stand out as the team with the most willingness to grow and adapt together and for good reason. But teams like the Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Raptors are all embracing this idea of continuity and it has paid off. This ideal transcends basketball and leaks into the other sports as well.

Although this is his fifth season as head coach of the Hornets/Pelicans, Monty is essentially in his second season with this team. That timetable shrinks even more when injuries are taken into account. The Pelicans have assembled a group of young and talented players that have a lot on their plates from the fans, the media and the ownership. They need time to process their surroundings and become accustomed to each other.

Monty Williams may have not succeeded yet, but it would have been miraculous if he had. The team that was put together for him is finally in one piece, and most available candidates would not be an improvement over him. His players like him and are startingto take hold of his philosophies.

Sure, performances like the one in Charlotte leave a bad taste. But this team is capable of big things, as seen against Memphis last night.

If the Pelicans want to keep building they must keep the foundation intact, and that means keeping Monty Williams. For now