NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – METAIRIE, La. (AP) \u2014 The Pelicans have not yet completed a short list of coaching candidates and might keep interim coach James Borrego on a permanent basis heading into next season, New Orleans basketball operations chief Joe Dumars said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, James Borrego is a candidate. No we don\u2019t have a list yet; we\u2019re not going to put it out publicly,\u201d Dumars said. \u201cBut definitely, James is a candidate for this job permanently going forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will go outside the building and talk to some other people as well,\u201d Dumars noted, but without projecting a date for when a decision on the next coach might be made. \u201cIn terms of a timeline, my timeline is to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dumars met with reporters on Tuesday to review a 2025-26 season that ended on Sunday night at 26-56. Borrego, who took over when Willie Green was fired following a 2-10 start, went 24-46.<\/p>\n
What makes Borrego a viable candidate, Dumars said, is \u201chis ability to communicate with his team every day and to do it in a positive way.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat James did, I thought really well this year, was he never let the building get completely collapsed,\u201d Dumars said. \u201cHe always tried to keep the team up and positive. And that\u2019s exactly what you want to see, especially in a situation where he took over and it could have slid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dumars also rejected the notion that keeping Borrego would send a signal of complacency to fans who are starving for a winner.<\/p>\n
Since the NBA returned to New Orleans in 2002, the Pelicans have won a grand total of two first-round playoff series in 2008 and 2018. They have missed the playoffs 15 times, including in two straight seasons and three of three past four.<\/p>\n
Dumars, however, is not part of that history. He was hired a year ago after the firing of David Griffin.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea that you can\u2019t keep the same coach (after a losing season), I don\u2019t really buy into that,\u201d Dumars said. \u201cI think it\u2019s the person and I think it\u2019s how people react to the person inside the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked their opinion about whether Borrego should stay, players tended to diplomatically defer to Dumars, but didn\u2019t shy away from complementing Borrego, either.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t the most convenient of circumstances,\u201d Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson said in reference to Borrego taking over a 2-10 team in November.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the circumstances he was placed in, I think he made the most of his opportunity,\u201d added Williamson, who played in 62 games \u2014 the second most in a season in his career \u2014 and averaged 21 points. \u201cI think he did a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borrego, a former head coach with the Charlotte Hornets, said he feels a strong connection to New Orleans, where he served twice as an assistant, including from 2023 until he was promoted this season. He said he felt he had a close and productive relationship with players across the roster and he wants to remain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe things I\u2019m most proud of in the season are the commitment that I saw to competing every night,\u201d Borrego said, complimenting his players for \u201cnever dropping the sword.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had an amazing spirit in our gym every single day. There was a commitment to development,\u201d Borrego said, noting the heavy minutes and statistical improvements of their two 2025 first-round draft picks, guard Jeremiah Fears (14.3 points per game) and forward Derik Queen (11.7 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game).<\/p>\n
Under Borrego, the Pelicans were in 34 \u201cclutch games,\u201d which in the NBA are classified as games within five points in the final five minutes. They went 10-24 in those contests.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a talented team, but we\u2019re just not consistent enough. Talent alone doesn\u2019t win,\u201d Dumars said. \u201cSome nights it was tough where we just did not look like the team we need to be, but that\u2019s all part of figuring out who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borrego said he believes he could address the Pelicans\u2019 enduring shortcomings more fully with an offseason in charge, something he did not have last summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did the most with what I was given in that time period,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cWith an offseason, you\u2019re going to make strides.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borrego also cautioned Pelicans fans not to put too much stock in the benefits of yet another coaching change, and to try to see the wisdom in building upon what he sees as an upward trajectory with the current coaching regime in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can all look at teams that maybe over-reacted and under-reacted. It\u2019s not an exact science,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cThere is no complacency here. The goal is to win.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes with that comes change. You can overcorrect, under-correct,\u201d Borrego added. \u201cThe bottom line is this is a motivated group to get better.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kept our energy high. We kept our spirit high,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cFor that, I\u2019m grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Notes: Dumars said he expects Williamson\u2019s improved reliability and productivity this season will prompt other teams to inquire about the possibility of trading for the 25-year-old power forward. But Dumars stressed that while he might take those calls, he does not envision trading Williamson, who also has said he\u2019d prefer to remain with New Orleans.<\/p>\n
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