New Orleans Pelicans: Monty Williams Deserves Some Credit

OK, who thought that on March 11 that the New Orleans Pelicans would still be in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race? But wait, what if I told you that Jrue Holiday would be gone for an extended period of games? Or that Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson would be in and out of the lineup with nagging injuries? Stop lying to yourself.

This band of misfits has persevered through the storm with a 36-29 record despite a minuscule plus-0.8 point differential and a roster that has been cycled through tremendously throughout the season. Nate Wolters, Toney Douglas and John Salmons were seeing playing time for the Pellies at certain points of the season.

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It was as though New Orleans was just looking for bodies capable of moving out on the floor.

Monty Williams is a hot topic across the Twittersphere, and more often than not he is not regarded in a positive light. Pundits point out his sometimes shaky handling of late-game situations and how he is capable of getting exposed against an elite coach. (I mean … aren’t all non-elite coaches capable of that?)

All of the Twitter hatred (and the greatness of Davis) has forced Williams’ 2014-15 coaching campaign to go significantly under the radar.

Through the many injury cards that the Pellies have been dealt, Monty has been able to keep the boat afloat, getting the most out of unsung heroes such as Alexis Ajinca (!!!), Dante Cunningham and Quincy Pondexter.

He has helped Eric Gordon finally find his role and develop his stellar outside shot into an elite weapon, while also dabbling into playmaking duties when his number is called upon.

Everybody knew Davis was on the path to superstardom, but that does not mean that Williams has not had an influence on his development. He was in Spain with Davis this past summer, a part of the Team USA coaching staff for the FIBA World Cup, watching him blossom into the elite force of nature that he has become.

Not many people around the league know Davis better than Williams and I believe it is time for people to start giving him some more credit for the job he has done.

Coaching a young team calls for a tumultuous season full of peaks and valleys. New Orleans had their fair share of tough losses, especially during a tough east coast trip during the dog days of January. Williams could have easily lost the team then. Instead, he stayed on them and their reliance on his leadership did not waver.

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The Pelicans are capable of beating any team on any given night because of their unique blend of talent and coaching. Likewise, they are also capable of losing on any given night for those same reasons. It is just a matter of putting things together once the lights come on.

Following their win on Monday night over the Milwaukee Bucks, Williams issued some interesting comments to the press about the growth of the Pelicans as a team through the way they play:

“They understand what they want to do, it’s a matter of doing it and a matter of executing the game plan. They felt it when Milwaukee was scoring in the third. Their comments were ‘We’ve got to get stops.’ No one said anything about offense. That’s a sign of growth, because most young guys are worried about their offense.”

Reading those comments should make any Pelicans fan giddy. Their young team is starting to figure things out, and Monty Williams is a big reason why.

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