Stan Van Gundy Signs on to Coach Zion Williamson & Pelicans – New Orleans 2021 NBA Championship Odds are +5500

• Stan Van Gundy is set to take over as New Orleans Pelicans head coach
• The latest odds have the Pelicans out at +5500 to win the 2021 NBA title
• How will Van Gundy’s arrival impact New Orleans after a disappointing season under Alvin Gentry?

After a lengthy search for a new coach, the New Orleans Pelicans are set to appoint Stan Van Gundy as their head coach according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Van Gundy has been looking to get back into coaching recently and will be swapping the microphone for his whiteboard after an impressive stint as an analyst for TNT.

This young, upside-loaded Pelicans roster fell far short of expectations in 2019-20, and Alvin Gentry lost his job as a result. Van Gundy faces a tough challenge in a stacked Western Conference, but could he bring the change that New Orleans needs?

The latest NBA Championship odds are in the table below, led by the Los Angeles teams.

2021 NBA Championship Odds

Odds taken from FanDuel on October 21st

Van Gundy’s No-Nonsense Approach

Some would call it old school, others would deem it necessary even in the modern NBA. Van Gundy pulls no punches with his players, and he’s just as brutal with himself. The former Magic and Pistons coach is willing to take responsibility when he’s messed up, but he asks the same of his players. Conflict is possible during his New Orleans tenure, but Van Gundy’s demanding nature will aim to develop a culture of accountability.

Van Gundy has spoken highly of the Pelicans’ roster in the past, and has experience working with JJ Redick from his Orlando days. Redick was a potential trade chip for the Pels should they have looked to retool this offseason, but it’s reasonable to expect Redick to remain in New Orleans with a man he has a good relationship with. A Jrue Holiday trade remains plausible, which would make Redick’s presence all the more important as a veteran leader for this young group.

July 13th. SVG been scouting 👀 pic.twitter.com/sM1LW6jEj5

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) October 21, 2020

We can expect Van Gundy to hold this team to high standards defensively, too. They were 19th in the NBA in defensive rating last season, a mark that must improve if they are to contend. Van Gundy’s Miami and Orlando teams were always above average by the same metric – improving the Pelicans defensively will be a priority, and they will probably be looking to add a veteran center in free agency to help their rim protection.

Zion Factor

The Pelicans were ultra-cautious with Zion Williamson last season. He was an elite offensive player when healthy, but that is the great question that looms over his NBA career. New Orleans will naturally be wary of overworking their franchise star again in 2021.

if svg stops tweeting this is the worst hire in nba history

— Michael Pina (@MichaelVPina) October 21, 2020

New Orleans with Zion on the floor were an upper echelon playoff team. Without him they were headed for the depths of the lottery. His availability will go a long way to deciding what is possible in Van Gundy’s first season in charge, and the Pelicans’ management will have a part to play in that.

While progress is a must for the Pels in 2021, it isn’t a season when they are expected to make the postseason, let alone contend for the title. Could Van Gundy’s bosses restrict Williamson’s minutes? How many games will he actually be available for?

The Pelicans will struggle to make the playoffs if Williamson is playing under 32 minutes per contest, and if he plays in less than 75% of their games. Last season’s evidence suggests a cautious approach with the 2019 first overall pick, and that makes it hard to back them as a longshot for the title, even at +5500.