re: Windhorst: Vaughn "Gaining Traction"

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Why it makes sense

Vaughn checks a lot of the boxes the Pelicans should be looking for with this hire.

He’s a former player with a championship pedigree and 12 years of experience dealing with different personalities.

He got experience as a head coach during his time in Orlando, even if it was mostly a disaster. So it’s not like he’ll have a big learning curve walking into a head coaching job.

He puts a major emphasis on developing relationships with his players off the court and learning what they care about away from basketball.

He showed creativity and flexibility with his moves to push an injury-depleted Nets squad during the NBA Bubble.

He already has a relationship with Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon from their time together with the Nets.

After the dysfunction and bad blood that poisoned the Van Gundy era in New Orleans, Vaughn could serve as a calming figure who unites all sides and relieves some of the tension around the organization. The hope would be that he could serve as a Monty Williams-like figure who demands respect because of his character and work ethic.

Members of the Brooklyn front office and players have been effusive in their praise of Vaughn because of the role he played in shaping their culture and his adaptability during the enormous amount of change they’ve undergone.

The Nets have been one of the most innovative organizations in the league with the way they’ve developed their offense over time and the work they’ve done to groom their young talent. Bringing in a coach who embraces a system with more ball movement and a better understanding of the younger players on the roster will be crucial for this hire in New Orleans.

Vaughn also has a deep understanding of the most important position in today’s NBA: point guard. He’s worked with players such as Kyrie Irving, D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie. Bringing in a coach like Vaughn could help address the backcourt issues that plagued the Pelicans all season. In addition, he’d be a great person for guys such as Kira Lewis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (and maybe Lonzo Ball) to learn from.

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Biggest questions

- How concerning should it be that Vaughn’s teams were so bad in Orlando?
- Why did the Nets pass him over and hire Steve Nash if they thought so highly of him?
- Does he have the personality to galvanize a team that’s been too laid-back at times?
- Can he be the person who finally institutes a defensive culture in New Orleans?
- How will his personality fit with David Griffin and the rest of the front-office staff?
- Is he the right person to lead a team that will be under major scrutiny if it fails to make the playoffs again?
- Would he push his guards to run the offense more, or would he lean into Point Zion as much as Van Gundy did?

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