New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry is aware that his team has a chance to make the playoffs in the NBA restart. He's also aware of Zion Williamson's oozing talent, and how they want the young gun to be healthy in the long run.
In Gentry's media availability on Tuesday, the head coach shared that they're not going to do anything extreme so as to qualify for the playoffs and make a deep run. After all, the Pelicans boast of young talents like Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, among others.
“Obviously when we got Zion (Williamson), he was a big lift for us from the standpoint of what he brings to the team and all of those things like that.
Our goal is to make the playoffs, but we're not going to do anything ridiculous. We're not going to make crazy decisions based on trying to make a playoff run. We're going to do it the best way we possibly can. We're going to manage our team the best way we possibly can. We know that we have a bright future, so we won't risk anything based on that.”
Gentry was asked if the team is ready to play with or without Zion Williamson in the squad. The coach noted that the team did play 44 games without the rookie and did alright. He also reiterated that the Duke standout's playing time will depend on what he's feeling at the moment and what the medical team says.
“Sometimes there are other situations where it doesn't involve an injury. It may be a matter like he had, a family matter. He gets back here, [and] you're not going to do anything crazy as far as pushing him over the edge, but you want to know that he feels good about it and your medical team feels good about it. Then we make decisions based on that.”
From the looks of it, Gentry has set his priorities straight. Yes, the Pelicans have all the talent in the world. But it still needs to be developed. And that process takes time.
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