NBA Austrailia had a nice piece about the Pels HC search

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Simon Legg - NBA Australia: Tom Thibodeau
If the rumours are true, and Tom Thibodeau is set for the exit door, go and grab him Pelicans!
We know that they tried to snap him up in 2010, before having to settle for Monty Williams—now they have a chance to be aggressive and chase their man.
The Pelicans' defensive rating (104.7) ranked a paltry 22nd—and despite holding off the injury-plagued Thunder to claim the eighth seed—they proved just how far away they are from genuinely challenging in the postseason after being swept by the Warriors.
Offensively, they have Anthony Davis—a truly transcendent star who has grown before our eyes in the last two seasons. They’re going to be fine on that end of the floor.
The major question is, can they make a big enough defensive leap to challenge the Western Conference heavyweights?
It’s not just about Dell Demps making shrewd free agency decisions and acquiring the right defensive personnel—it’s largely about building the right scheme with all players buying in.
For instance, the Chicago Bulls ranked second for defensive efficiency during the 2013-14 regular season, while having Carlos Boozer start in 76 games and averaging 28 minutes per contest.
They survived through all of his defensive miscommunications, clunky footwork and over-the-top screaming and remained elite on that end.
The Omer Asik experiment simply didn’t work, particularly in the playoffs where his net rating ballooned out to -22.5.
He is now a free agent, and Demps will need to make some savvy moves to rejig this roster.
With a defensive-minded coach, and some clever roster tweaks, could the Pelicans be headed north?

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Steve Shea - BasketballAnalyticsBook.com: Kenny Atkinson
The Pelicans have an exceptionally unique and talented player in Anthony Davis. In general, I wouldn’t suggest a team pick its coach based on how he might fit one player. New Orleans is an exception.
The Pelicans will get the most value defensively out of Davis if they can play four players with perimeter defensive skills around him.
NBA offences use screens to try and create favourable mismatches. A guard like Harden wants the one-on-one matchup with a big man such as Omer Asik. In response, defences have moved towards “positionless” basketball, fielding players that can guard multiple positions.
Davis is a rare big man that can guard faster players on the perimeter. (It’s the same skill that has NBA scouts drooling over Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein even though Cauley-Stein has a very limited offensive game).
With Davis and four other players that can guard the perimeter, New Orleans would be able to switch all screens and never encounter the “quick guard on clunky big man” mismatch.
Playing Davis alongside a big like Asik can also lessen the impact of Davis’s interior defensive abilities. Opposing teams, especially ones with forwards that can shoot, will pull Davis out of the paint, preventing him from helping when the offence drives.
There was concern prior to this past season as to if Davis could handle the majority of the team’s rim protection responsibilities. The concern was valid.
Davis tended to go for the block too often and could pick up cheap fouls. As Davis matures, he should learn to chase blocks less. This will make him both a better interior defender and less foul prone.
The best offence for New Orleans is Davis and four players that are skilled offensively on the perimeter. Golden State, Atlanta and Cleveland all found great success this past season with lineups featuring four players that could shoot the three.
Imagine Davis with the ball at the foul line. Suppose New Orleans has spread the floor around him with shooters like Luke Babbitt, Quincy Pondexter, Eric Gordon and Jrue Holliday stationed on the 3-point line. What can the defence do? They can stick to the perimeter shooters and let their centre guard Davis one-on-one.
How many centres in the NBA can handle that assignment? Or, New Orleans can have defenders drop to help. In that case, Davis can kick the ball to a wide-open 3-point threat, probably in the corner. Either case results in an incredibly efficient—LIKE BEST IN THE LEAGUE—offence.
Current Assistant Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Kenny Atkinson, is the ideal candidate for Head Coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.
While several teams have found success in the NBA this season with lineups built around one interior presence and four perimeter players (such as Houston, Cleveland and Golden State), Atlanta has done it without the obvious superstar on the perimeter. New Orleans currently lacks that supreme perimeter talent.

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Atlanta has also built a quality defence without the prototypical interior defender. Davis could develop into the game’s best interior defender, but right now, he still has work to do. Tough forwards that can help him defend and rebound should surround him.
Atkinson saw firsthand the value of DeMarre Carroll in Atlanta.
Atkinson worked under the offensive wizardry of Mike D’Antoni and was in New York later when the Knicks moved Carmelo Anthony to the four so that they could play four perimeter threats around Tyson Chandler in the middle.
Atkinson understands what it takes to succeed in the modern NBA (and it’s not what worked in the past). He’s coached in systems that would serve as the perfect blueprint for New Orleans moving forward.
Give Kenny Atkinson Anthony Davis and the right players around him, and he’ll take the Pelicans to the top of the standings.

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