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As expected, the New Orleans Pelicans will interview Tyronn Lue for their head coaching vacancy in the near future.
Houston and New Orleans are among teams planning to interview Clippers assistant Ty Lue in near future, sources tell ESPN. The Clippers are expected to begin meeting with coaching candidates soon -- and Lue will be prominent in that search to replace Doc Rivers. https://t.co/PmyL4QfxPd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 2, 2020
Lue’s name was immediately linked to the Pelicans once Alvin Gentry was dismissed, and with Doc Rivers agreeing to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers yesterday, he might be the current favorite to fill the post. Don’t overlook the Los Angeles Clippers’ interest, however.
Despite a second round playoff exit out of the bubble, the Clippers remain a strong championship contender with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They should present a more inviting opportunity for Lue than the younger core of the Pelicans.
Adrian Wojnarowski also announced that Chris Finch, the Pelicans associate head coach, has already met with the Indiana Pacers for their open head coaching position.
Pacers are meeting candidates this week and next, a roster of interviews that so far has included former Grizzlies/Kings coach Dave Joerger and Pelicans assistant Chris Finch, sources tell ESPN. Joerger is a strong contender in process. Chauncey Billups gets a sit-down soon too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 2, 2020
In other news, George Karl, a former head coach in the league, stated on Twitter last night that Jrue Holiday is a coveted name around the league, specifically mentioning the Clippers and Pacers as potential landing spots.
There is talk of Jrue Holiday landing with the Clippers, Pacers and other contenders. But I told @Adam_Mares recently the Nuggets want this guy next to Jamal Murray!
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) October 2, 2020
Even if they need to be bold and throw a MPJ into a trade to make it happen!! pic.twitter.com/eRMumC3yml
In his appearance on the Keeping it 1000 podcast, Karl opined the Nuggets have a championship window that will probably remain open for the next three years — a shorter time frame than most other pundits, and Denver needs to add another playmaker to take some pressure off of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.
“I think Jrue Holiday would be great with Jamal Murray,” Karl said. “I think that, but there is a window it might not work. But I think you have to be bold now and go get the best chance you think is going to work.”
Karl goes on to say he has a preference for Holiday over Bradley Beal because of his defensive ability, tough-minded attitude and is better apt to handle point guard duties.
Interestingly, host Adam Mares and Karl briefly also tossed around Lonzo Ball’s name, with the former coach giving the Pelicans point guard a nice review.
“You know, I’ve talked to everybody that’s coached him, all the way back to his college coach. They swear by him. They swear that he’s really good. And it looked like he was starting to make his shot at the end. He’s a better defender than people think he is. He’s a really good rebounder. His length is something I like. I like longer. But I’ll tell you what, a lot more people swear by him than I think his career has shown.”
UPDATE: Ty Lue is in New Orleans today to interview for the Pelicans head coaching vacancy.
Clippers assistant Ty Lue is meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans today regarding their head coaching job, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 2, 2020
For more Pelicans talk, subscribe to The Bird Calls podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow this author on Twitter at @OlehKosel.