{"id":9714,"date":"2025-05-05T04:35:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T04:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/9714\/"},"modified":"2025-05-05T04:35:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T04:35:22","slug":"pelicans-executive-vp-joe-dumars-noncommittal-on-futures-of-zion-williamson-willie-green","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/9714\/","title":{"rendered":"Pelicans executive VP Joe Dumars noncommittal on futures of Zion Williamson, Willie Green"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Pelicans have made the playoffs just twice since drafting Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019.<\/p>\n

METAIRIE, La. (AP) \u2014 Joe Dumars grinned when Zion Williamson\u2019s name came up during the 61-year-old Hall-of-Famer\u2019s formal introduction as the New Orleans Pelicans\u2019 executive vice president of basketball operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the league office, I\u2019ve had to talk to Zion a few times,\u201d said Dumars, who spent the past three seasons as the NBA\u2019s executive vice president and head of basketball operations \u2014 a job that included oversight of player conduct.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t go into those conversations. But we talked since then, and I\u2019ve talked to Zion since I became the EVP here, and we had exceptional conversations on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the extent of what Dumars chose to say about Williamson on Tuesday, a week after\u00a0his hiring. The topic is sure to come up again this offseason, as Dumars goes about determining the path forward for a franchise coming off its worst record (21-61) in two decades.<\/p>\n

Williamson, drafted first overall out of Duke in 2019, is still just 24. He has averaged 24.7 points in 214 games, showing the potential to be a transformational star. But injuries have sidelined him for 258 regular-season games, as well as every postseason contest New Orleans has played since he was drafted.<\/p>\n

Then there have been some unsavory off-the-court episodes with romantic partners splashed all over social media, some of which very well could have been the topic of Dumars\u2019 past talks with Williamson. And Williamson was suspended one game this season for being late for a team flight.<\/p>\n

Watch Live: Joe Dumars#Pelicans<\/a> | @CaesarsSports<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/Lm40lcQ0jw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

In his general comments at team headquarters, Dumars indicated that his tolerance for players who are unreliable on the court and irresponsible off of it will be low.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to set standards \u2014 and you can\u2019t waver from those standards,\u201d Dumars said.<\/p>\n

Standards that change over time are not conducive to elite basketball, Dumars said, adding, \u201cThat\u2019s not elite anything when you allow things to just slide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just two players attended Dumars\u2019 introduction: guards CJ McCollum and Jose Alvarado. Also in attendance was coach Willie Green, who has one year left on his contract, and whose future with the club remains in limbo.<\/p>\n

Dumars was largely complimentary about Green, a native of Detroit, where Dumars won two NBA titles as a player with the Pistons before winning a third as general manager.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been knowing Willie forever \u2014 great man,\u201d Dumars said.<\/p>\n

Dumars is taking over for David Griffin,\u00a0who was fired last week\u00a0after a six-year stint that began with the drafting of Williamson.<\/p>\n

What Dumars intends to change remains unclear. He was noncommittal about his plans, saying he wanted to spend more time meeting everyone and spend a lot of time listening.<\/p>\n

\u201cGriff did some nice stuff,\u201d Dumars said. \u201cYou got some nice pieces here. It\u2019s a hard job.\u201d<\/p>\n

This past season, the Pelicans were done in largely by extended injury absences involving not just Williamson, but all of their starters. That\u2019s another area in which Dumars aims to \u201cfind out what\u2019s happening,\u201d adding that he doesn\u2019t want to \u201ccome in with any preconceived notions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pelicans announced Dumars\u2019 hiring just two days after firing Griffin. The club never discussed other candidates or a search process for Griffin\u2019s successor.<\/p>\n

Gayle Benson, who owns both the Pelicans and the NFL\u2019s New Orleans Saints, described a relationship with Dumars that grew considerably while he worked at NBA headquarters. Something she liked most about him, she said, was that he will \u201calways give you straight, truthful and honest feedback, even when it\u2019s not what you want to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also touted Dumars\u2019 Louisiana roots; he grew up in Natchitoches, played in college for McNeese State and is an unabashed Saints fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a proud native of Louisiana, he knows how important our teams are to our community,\u201d Benson said. \u201cHe and I have spoken about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that Dumars \u201chas my full support to make any decision he deems necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dumars, who has made Michigan his primary family home, said he was happy working for the NBA in New York and wasn\u2019t looking to leave until Benson reached out to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes opportunities come along and, you know, right place, right time, right people,\u201d Dumars said.<\/p>\n

One of the first steps toward success, Dumars said, is to \u201cfill your building with like-minded people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people that are going to embrace New Orleans,\u201d Dumars said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to embrace being in this city, in this state.\u201d<\/p>\n