Why Pelicans must not be fooled by James Borrego’s recent push for full-time head coaching job

The NBA head coaching market is thinning out before the regular season even ends, and the Zion Williamson-led New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a precarious position. With Michael Malone following Bill Belichick to North Carolina and Taylor Jenkins drawing significant interest from deep-pocketed suitors, EVP Joe Dumars and GM Troy Weaver may find their options limited if ownership is not prepared for a bidding war.

However, the Pelicans must resist the temptation to settle. While James Borrego provided a steady hand after replacing Willie Green, his audition for the full-time role has been far from a slam dunk. Given the overall results over the past two seasons, something must be done to shake up the message.

Supporters can point to a 10-5 surge following the All-Star break; the schedule suggests that success was more a product of timing than a systemic breakthrough. The Pelicans have beaten only three teams in line to finish in a top-six spot since Thanksgiving. Borrego’s bunch also beat the Philadelphia 76ers (7th) once and the LA Clippers (8th) twice.

Any momentum vanished during a recent eight-game losing streak, punctuated by a 112-108 home loss to the Orlando Magic on April 5. Losing the home finale to the Utah Jazz is just a rotten cherry on top of a sour sundae. The ineffectiveness against top teams, paired with the stats, points the front office in an obvious direction.

Pelicans need points

The Pelicans cannot let a few weeks of feel-good basketball overwrite five months of a damning statistical record. Despite Borrego’s reputation as an offensive specialist, the numbers show a unit struggling for consistency. Scoring spiked in December but plummeted in the following months, even as key players returned from injury.

• November 2025: 112.2 (23rd)
• December 2025: 122.2 (3rd)
• January 2026: 111.8 (21st)
• February 2026: 118.3 (8th)
• March 2026: 115.2 (15th)

Offensive production has clearly fluctuated without establishing a sustainable identity, something Borrego was brought in to fix last season. Second-chance points send an equally troubling signal. Rather than fighting for extra possessions, the Pelicans appear content to bail out early.

• November 2025: 15.9 (12th)
• December 2025: 16.1 (10th)
• January 2026: 15.7 (13th)
• February 2026: 13.4 (22nd)
• March: 14.1 (17th)

Effort-based indicators are one factor to consider. So is the actual volume in the pace-and-space era.

• November 2025: 90.1 (11th)
• December 2025: 93.1 (4th)
• January 2026: 91.2 (7th)
• February 2026: 87.9 (24th)
• March 2026: 88.6 (15th)

The math will never add up to wins for Zion Williamson’s paint-based Pelicans without higher-quality, higher-quantity three-point shooting. Unfortunately, those numbers are down under Borrego as well.

• November 2025: 33.3 (26th)
• December 2025: 28.7 (29th)
• January 2026: 33.0 (25th)
• February 2026: 36.1 (19th)
• March 2026: 31.3 (27th)

The Pelicans needed a respected offensive mind capable of developing young talent and steadying a sinking ship. What they got was an interim solution. Now, with the season all but over, New Orleans owes it to the fanbase to conduct a thorough head coaching search rather than simply handing Borrego the job by default.

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