New Orleans Pelicans have a surprisingly successful season behind them, and their coach Alvin Gentry is one of the major reasons for that. Pelicans’ front office certainly thinks that way, since the team announced on Thursday that they agreed to a two-year contract extension with Gentry.

“We are thrilled to have Alvin as our head coach,” – said Pelicans general manager Dell Demps. “He did a tremendous job last season. When we faced adversity, Alvin and his staff continually discovered ways to place the team in situations where we could be successful.“

This extension will see Alvin Gentry staying with the organization through the 2020-2021 season since the Pelicans already the team option on the 2018-19 season before the start of 2018 NBA postseason. According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the extension will give Gentry a salary raise for the next season and a guaranteed contract for 2019-2020 while the terms for 2020-2021 will be performance-based.

After making a blockbuster trade in 2017 by acquiring center DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans had big plans for this season. After a good start of the season, the team found itself in a big trouble since Cousins was ruled out for the season. Pelicans managed to bounce back from this setback and finished the season as the sixth seed in the stacked Western Conference. They managed to sweep the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round before being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors.

Alvin Gentry started his NBA coaching career with the San Antonio Spurs in 1989, serving as an assistant under Larry Brown. He later had the same role with several other NBA teams including the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons, where he would later go on to become the head coach. Gentry was named New Orleans Pelicans head coach in 2015.

The post New Orleans Pelicans and Coach Alvin Gentry Agree to a Two-Year Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Days after being selected as an NBA All-Star Game starter, New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the 2017-18 NBA season.

Cousins suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 115-113 win over the Houston Rockets. With 14 seconds left in the game, the 27-year-old landed hard on his left leg after attempting a rebound after missing a free throw.

“We were starting to play damn good basketball,” – said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry to ESPN after the game. “DeMarcus has been great.“

“I feel horrible for him,” – Gentry added. “Everything that he’s done, and what he’s tried to do for us this year, and what he’s made himself, and the improvements in all areas that he’s made on and off the court, has just been great. I don’t want that to happen to a guy that’s trying to better himself.“

Before the injury, DeMarcus Cousins just posted his second triple-double in three games and ended the game with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. He has been pivotal to the Pelicans’ good run in this part of the season and has been averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He and power forward Anthony Davis were on track to be the first pair of teammates to average at least 25 points per game and 10 rebounds in a season.

“We were just getting it,” – said Davis. “We were just figuring everything out. That’s the tough part. We’ve just got to keep going. We’ve got to keep going and keep finding a way to win.“

DeMarcus Cousins was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2017 from the Sacramento Kings. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

The post Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins Suffers a Season Ending Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans are adding shooting guard DeAndre Liggins to their roster according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski. Liggins will first sign a 10-day deal with the Pelicans, who will then decide whether they will keep him on a long-term basis. In order to sign the guard, Pelicans are using an injury exception, awarded to them by the NBA.

The New Orleans Pelicans were set back by injury problems for the better part of the season, with their star forward Anthony Davis being in and out of the lineup. The team’s backcourt, however, is hurting the most with players like Solomon Hill, Frank Jackson, and Tony Allen sitting more on the sidelines than actually playing. The acquisition of Liggins, who was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, will bring depth to the Pelicans’ line-up and should make them better at defense. Also, Liggins is a quality 3-point shooter, which can be crucial if the team intends to make a playoff run. The Pelicans are currently just above .500 with a 20-19 record and sitting at the 8th spot in the Western Conference. They are one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers on the 7th and two games above the Los Angeles Clippers.

Considered a basketball journeyman, DeAndre Liggins first got the taste of NBA when the Orlando Magic took him 53rd overall in 2011 NBA Draft. He failed to make an impact in Orlando and was released after playing 17 games. In 2012 he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, having multiple assignments in the NBA Development League with the Tulsa 66ers. He then briefly played for the Miami Heat, before heading to Europe in 2014. In 2016 he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers and played 61 (19 as a starter) before being released once again. After a brief spell with the Dallas Mavericks, he joined the Bucks, for which he played 31 games, averaging 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 points per game.

The post DeAndre Liggins Joins the Injury-Plagued New Orleans Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New Orleans Pelicans have a surprisingly successful season behind them, and their coach Alvin Gentry is one of the major reasons for that. Pelicans’ front office certainly thinks that way, since the team announced on Thursday that they agreed to a two-year contract extension with Gentry.

“We are thrilled to have Alvin as our head coach,” – said Pelicans general manager Dell Demps. “He did a tremendous job last season. When we faced adversity, Alvin and his staff continually discovered ways to place the team in situations where we could be successful.“

This extension will see Alvin Gentry staying with the organization through the 2020-2021 season since the Pelicans already the team option on the 2018-19 season before the start of 2018 NBA postseason. According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the extension will give Gentry a salary raise for the next season and a guaranteed contract for 2019-2020 while the terms for 2020-2021 will be performance-based.

After making a blockbuster trade in 2017 by acquiring center DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans had big plans for this season. After a good start of the season, the team found itself in a big trouble since Cousins was ruled out for the season. Pelicans managed to bounce back from this setback and finished the season as the sixth seed in the stacked Western Conference. They managed to sweep the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round before being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors.

Alvin Gentry started his NBA coaching career with the San Antonio Spurs in 1989, serving as an assistant under Larry Brown. He later had the same role with several other NBA teams including the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons, where he would later go on to become the head coach. Gentry was named New Orleans Pelicans head coach in 2015.

The post New Orleans Pelicans and Coach Alvin Gentry Agree to a Two-Year Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Days after being selected as an NBA All-Star Game starter, New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the 2017-18 NBA season.

Cousins suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 115-113 win over the Houston Rockets. With 14 seconds left in the game, the 27-year-old landed hard on his left leg after attempting a rebound after missing a free throw.

“We were starting to play damn good basketball,” – said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry to ESPN after the game. “DeMarcus has been great.“

“I feel horrible for him,” – Gentry added. “Everything that he’s done, and what he’s tried to do for us this year, and what he’s made himself, and the improvements in all areas that he’s made on and off the court, has just been great. I don’t want that to happen to a guy that’s trying to better himself.“

Before the injury, DeMarcus Cousins just posted his second triple-double in three games and ended the game with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. He has been pivotal to the Pelicans’ good run in this part of the season and has been averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He and power forward Anthony Davis were on track to be the first pair of teammates to average at least 25 points per game and 10 rebounds in a season.

“We were just getting it,” – said Davis. “We were just figuring everything out. That’s the tough part. We’ve just got to keep going. We’ve got to keep going and keep finding a way to win.“

DeMarcus Cousins was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2017 from the Sacramento Kings. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

The post Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins Suffers a Season Ending Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans are adding shooting guard DeAndre Liggins to their roster according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski. Liggins will first sign a 10-day deal with the Pelicans, who will then decide whether they will keep him on a long-term basis. In order to sign the guard, Pelicans are using an injury exception, awarded to them by the NBA.

The New Orleans Pelicans were set back by injury problems for the better part of the season, with their star forward Anthony Davis being in and out of the lineup. The team’s backcourt, however, is hurting the most with players like Solomon Hill, Frank Jackson, and Tony Allen sitting more on the sidelines than actually playing. The acquisition of Liggins, who was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, will bring depth to the Pelicans’ line-up and should make them better at defense. Also, Liggins is a quality 3-point shooter, which can be crucial if the team intends to make a playoff run. The Pelicans are currently just above .500 with a 20-19 record and sitting at the 8th spot in the Western Conference. They are one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers on the 7th and two games above the Los Angeles Clippers.

Considered a basketball journeyman, DeAndre Liggins first got the taste of NBA when the Orlando Magic took him 53rd overall in 2011 NBA Draft. He failed to make an impact in Orlando and was released after playing 17 games. In 2012 he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, having multiple assignments in the NBA Development League with the Tulsa 66ers. He then briefly played for the Miami Heat, before heading to Europe in 2014. In 2016 he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers and played 61 (19 as a starter) before being released once again. After a brief spell with the Dallas Mavericks, he joined the Bucks, for which he played 31 games, averaging 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 points per game.

The post DeAndre Liggins Joins the Injury-Plagued New Orleans Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.