The Athletic's profile on Ty Lue as a head coaching candidate

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Why it makes sense

Pelicans EVP of basketball operations David Griffin won a championship with Lue as his head coach in Cleveland. Griffin was the general manager for the Cavaliers from 2014-17 and left before Lue was fired. Griffin has stressed the importance of bringing in a coach who can generate a winning culture and organizational buy-in from everyone on the roster. Bringing in someone who already has a good working relationship with Griffin will almost certainly make that process much easier, and it’ll give them a head-start with the potential of a shortened offseason leading up to the 2020-21 season. Griffin has spoken glowingly in the past about the job Lue did as a rookie coach on a LeBron James-led team and coming out of it with an historic NBA title run. Lue also has a history of working with some of the league’s biggest stars. He won two rings with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal as a player. He won another as a coach with James. This past year, he’s been an assistant with a Clippers team that features Kawhi Leonard. Lue knows how to meet the high demands that come with coaching stars, and he knows how to hold them accountable. With Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram in the building, a coach with that kind of background would be invaluable.

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Biggest strengths

Brings a defensive mindset
Understands how and when to make adjustments in a playoff environment. Isn’t afraid to take risks
Knows how to manage stars
Established working relationship with the front office
Championship pedigree

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Biggest questions

Can he win without LeBron?
Can he be the leader in the locker room New Orleans needs?
Will he be willing to pass up on other “win-now” situations — like Brooklyn or Houston — to coach an up-and-coming team that’s probably 2-3 years away from being true title contenders?

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