After the Pelicans change coach, should Tyronn Lue be eliminated?

Previously, the Pelicans officially announced that coach Willie Green would be fired, and assistant coach Borrego would take over for the following season. The biggest reason for the Pelicans' coaching choice is naturally the bottom record.

But looking at the current Western Conference, you will find that there is another team that seems to be facing a similar situation, from the Los Angeles Clippers.

As of now, the Clippers have a record of 4 wins and 9 losses, ranking only 11th in the Western Conference. Judging from the team's situation, it is indeed difficult not to imagine that the relationship between the Clippers and Tyronn Lue will follow the old path between the Pelicans and Willy Green in the near future?

First, let’s take a look at the Pelicans. They traded up their 26-year-old unprotected first-rounder in the 2025 draft just to ensure that they could select rookie Derek Quinn. This trade choice is enough to show the confidence of the team’s senior management in this season, but the bottom record from the start of the season to the present is actually very far from the expectations of the team’s senior management.

Looking at the team's lineup, Zion should have been the first choice for the tactical core, and this season's average of 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2 steals per game is still good enough. However, it is a pity that he was suspended due to injury in just five games of the season, making it difficult to maintain the team's offensive and defensive system.

Outside of Zion, the team replaced the degenerated McCollum with Jordan Poole during the offseason. Poole was still a stable scorer averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 assists per game last season, and his overall offensive efficiency also improved. Originally, he should have been the first choice to replace the injured Murray.

But judging from the results, Poole only handed over a data sheet of 14.1 points and 3.4 assists this season. He completely lost the off-ball offensive threat of the Wizards last season. He was not even qualified by the standard of a scorer in the transition period. His scoring efficiency dropped sharply, and his field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage both dropped to 30%.

The veteran Rooney recruited in the free market was almost completely abandoned; the only bright spot was Sadiq Bay in the same transaction, but he was only qualified, but the overall reinforcement failed to achieve the expected ideal effect.

Since the Pelicans' first-round pick this season is in the hands of the Hawks, losing too many games will not be good for them; especially considering that the team can no longer trade their first-round picks casually, and most of the main players in the team are Mesozoic players aged 25-29, it is not easy for the current young echelon to achieve immediate combat effectiveness.

To sum up, it is currently difficult for the Pelicans to seek a breakthrough from external transactions. The only option is to use the original team as the basis and try to find a solution from the tactical level. However, Willie Green obviously failed to find the answer, and it is not surprising that he was eventually kicked out.

As for the Clippers, who are also in trouble, their record is also sluggish, but their biggest problem has always been Leonard's attendance rate. Although the team still won 50 games last season when he only played 37 games, they lost seven games against the Nuggets in the playoffs, and the Nuggets played seven games against the champion Thunder before deciding the winner.

Judging from this result, this Clippers' lineup still has certain offensive potential. But this season is different. The Clippers have lost Powell, who averaged 21.8 points per game, and the second person to share Harden's ball-holding pressure. The offensive focus of the substitute transition period is also facing a crisis. So the management made a big effort to strengthen the team during the offseason and brought in many veterans to make up for the bench rotation.

Obviously, for the Clippers in the new season, they are still aiming for the championship, but their current record has not even qualified for the play-offs, which is also far from the expected goal.

Bill was originally the first choice to replace Powell in offense, but was eventually reimbursed for the season after averaging 8.2 points per game; Los Angeles and Collins also both declined significantly, and the aging Paul was unable to maintain stable contributions on both offense and defense.

The team's goal was to improve the depth of the rotation and the diversity of offense and defense, but in the end not only could the four players not be able to play their strengths, they could not even meet the basic rotation standards.

From a future perspective, the Clippers' own 2026 first-round swap rights were also given to the Thunder in the George trade case. The next first-round with autonomy will have to wait until 2030, and their existing older lineup also lacks trading flexibility; to solve the current dilemma, the same can only be solved at the tactical level.

It’s just that the Clippers and Pelicans are the same. Although the injury problem cannot be ignored, the reality is that they have not been able to achieve the offensive and defensive effects they should have on their existing lineup.

So, after the Pelicans fired Willie Green, the Clippers' question surfaced. Should they fire Tyronn Lue?

First of all, coach Tyronn Lue is naturally to blame for the Clippers' problems. He took the initiative to abandon the defensive system that produced results last season and stubbornly put the role of signings in unsuitable positions. This resulted in a lack of changes in offensive and defensive tactics and the failure to share Harden's game load. As a result, the problems that existed last season continued to intensify this season.

Judging from these issues, it is not completely impossible if the Clippers choose to fire Tyronn Lue.

But referring to the Pelicans' choice, if they just fire the coach and bring in the assistant coach to take over the coaching position, can the Clippers get substantial changes?

Or maybe the Clippers choose to recruit a new coach from outside, can they reorganize the system in a hurry?

Can the Clippers avoid the running-in problem of the new team? Or even derive other additional questions?

Especially referring to the precedent of the Grizzlies, after firing Jenkins last season, the new season is still in the aftermath; from this perspective, the most suitable choice for the Clippers at present is probably to wait for Leonard to return, and then give Tyronn Lue a final opportunity to adjust.

If the complete Clippers still struggle to improve after Leonard returns, then the team's senior management will face an unchangeable lineup and the only choice will be the head coach..

At that time, Tyronn Lue will most likely end up like Willie Green.