Monty Williams

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flashback-2012-nba-draft-lottery

Flashback: 2012 NBA Draft Lottery

Jim Eichenhofer

1)      Basketball became secondary Wednesday night, when the Pelicans learned prior to tip-off of their win over Utah that Ingrid Williams, the wife of former head coach Monty Williams, had died after being involved in a car accident. The Willamses have five children. Coincidentally, New Orleans (20-32) visits Oklahoma City (39-14) tonight. Monty Williams is a first-year assistant coach for the Thunder. The game will be televised by TNT at 7 p.m. Central.

2)      Watch postgame reaction to the tragedy from Alvin Gentry and Jrue Holiday.

3)      Even before Monty Williams arrived to become head coach for New Orleans in 2010, it was well known that family was priority No. 1 for him (apologies for the quote marks and apostrophes missing throughout the article; that’s a technical issue which resulted from structural changes to NBA.com a few years ago).

4)      It’s always family-first for the Williamses. The first thing Monty did when he walked out onto the Smoothie King Center prior to every New Orleans home game was wave to Ingrid and their five children in the stands. The couple also often brought the entire family with them to work at community events, such as this one before Christmas 2012 at the local Salvation Army.

5)      Prior to Game 1 of last season’s playoffs at Golden State, family again was at the forefront of Monty Williams’ mind. He told reporters that his emotional reaction to clinching a playoff berth came partly from his youngest son’s presence at the Game 82 win over San Antonio. Micah went through a difficult delivery, with his father saying “he was close to losing his life.”

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Five things to know about the Pelicans on Feb. 11, 2016

Pelicans.com

NEW ORLEANS – The following statement was released on behalf of New Orleans Pelicans and Saints Owners Tom and Gayle Benson:

“The New Orleans Pelicans are devastated to hear the news of Ingrid Williams’ passing. Ingrid was beloved by the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community and will forever be remembered as one of the most generous, kind and humble individuals we’ve ever known. Our thoughts and prayers are with Monty Williams and his family during this difficult time.”

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Pelicans Statement on the Passing of Ingrid Williams

Pelicans Forward Anthony Davis spoke with the New Orleans media on Monday about his offseason workouts, the additions of Coach Gentry and signing a long-term extension with the team.

Walk us through your thought process surrounding your extension. What was said at that dinner table that made you feel comfortable and confident in the direction of this franchise?
“Well, a couple of things. I love living here in New Orleans. I love playing for the city. I love the city and I just felt comfortable here. I like the team. I like the direction we’re heading in. I like the guys playing by my side, so I felt very comfortable here. I have a lot of trust in our organization and in what they’re doing. I know they’re trying to do their best to put us in a situation to win. I thought that was the biggest thing for me. I decided I wanted to stay here and was able to get a contract extension which is amazing and a blessing. We had dinner, talked about the team a little bit. It was just trying to be as normal as possible in a situation like that, not try to make it awkward or weird. I felt very comfortable. I liked what Coach Gentry was saying, I liked what his plan was. A lot of our guys are coming back, so we really have the same team as last year. I think we did pretty well and with a few adjustments, I think we can be better. I felt very comfortable and confident in what Dell (Demps) and Coach Gentry were trying to do.”

How much did Coach Gentry factor into your decision to resign?
“I definitely love his playing style. I’ve seen him coach in Phoenix where he had Steve Nash and Amare (Stoudemire), the way he was a big part of Golden State and big part of the Clippers. He’s a great coach. He’s proven he can coach players, and from what I’ve heard everybody likes him. Everybody loves him and everybody thinks he’s going to help us out. Like I said, it’s all about the organization. I trust our organization, I trust what they’re trying to do. My teammates have a lot of confidence in Coach Gentry, and I think that’s why everybody’s coming back, because guys want in order for us to be that contender that we want to be, we have to have a lot of chemistry which we have over the past three years with the same team. Everybody is going to come back and we’re going to be able to have that chemistry going right into Coach Gentry’s system.”

How important is continuity/chemistry? Did Dell lay that out to you that his plan was to pretty much bring back this whole roster so that you can grow as a unit? What did you think when you saw all of these guys start to get signed again?
“Even before that, Coach Gentry after the Finals had called me and we were talking about the team, talking about my individual game and how he wants me to play, etc., etc. He said that we had a great team. He loved our team last year. Of course, guys were hurt so it was kind of tough, but he stated several times that he loves our team and we were going to try to get everybody back. Of course we had a lot of guys whose contracts were up, so it was tough but that’s the first thing he said and I couldn’t agree more. They really pushed to get everybody back and I think they were able to do so. We got Luke (Babbitt) back, Alexis (Ajinca), Omer (Asik), Dante (Cunningham). It’s good that we can get our same exact team instead of keep bringing in new guys and kind of messing up that chemistry. He and Dell want to bring that same unit back that we had last year. Like I said, we’ve got that chemistry so it’s going to be a lot easier going into the new system, especially knowing how a lot of us always play.”

The day after you signed your contract, we saw you working in the gym with Kevin Hanson. What things have you guys spoke about regarding taking your game to the next level? What are you working on this Summer to improve your game?
“I work on everything. You’ve seen the threes. Me and Coach have been on the phone a lot. I still work on everything: shooting midrange jumpers, post moves, defense. I think Coach (Darren) Erman is one of the best in the league if not the best at defense. Every day when I’m on the floor I work on fifteen or twenty minutes of defense. I’m working on everything and I think it’s going to help us when we have team practices. We’re going to do the same things. I think it’s going to be beneficial to get the ball off of the boards and just push it and kind of make a play. Coach Gentry used the example that it’s kind of like what Draymond (Green) did for Golden State, similar to that. I’m definitely excited.”

You along with other players opted to not sign with big market teams. What is the overriding factor for players like you deciding on a longtime commitment?
“I think it’s different for each player, especially for their situations. I was restricted and other guys were unrestricted. That plays a part. Whether it’s early in their career or later in their career, some people do it for money, some people think, ‘I got my money in my younger years, now I’m trying to get rings so I’m going to a championship caliber team.’ It’s a lot of different reasons and each player is different. Like I said for me, I was more focused on wanting to stay here. I love my team, they told me everybody was coming back. I’m excited about what Coach Gentry was talking about as far as our playbook and our scheme, bringing in all the coaches and working on defense, all that stuff and how we’re going to play. I was definitely excited. I loved it here. My first three years here were amazing. We got better every year, went to the playoffs last year. The city was so amped up and there was so much excitement around the city last year. It’s crazy and we can be better. We know that guys were hurt, and we could be way better than we were last year, and that’s the scary thing about our team. Everybody talks about it. Everybody talks about the Pelicans. Just seeing how we went from not making the playoffs – not even close to making the playoffs my first two years – then actually making the playoffs last year, it was just so exciting. I love doing it with this team; that was the biggest factor for me. Every other player is different. I can’t tell you what went into their decisions, but every player is different based on their situations.”

We haven’t had a chance to catch up with you since the decision was made to move on from Monty Williams. Can you reflect on how you handled that conversation with Dell that there was going to be a coaching change?
“Dell told me when it happened. Coach Monty was my first coach in the NBA, so we kind of had that connection. It was tough. We’ve been through a lot together from my rookie year, second year, going to the World Cup, winning a gold medal. We’ve been through a lot. He helped me through a lot, taught me a lot. When it happened, he definitely called me and said, ‘Don’t worry about me. I’m going to be fine. You go out there and be great.’ Right there I knew his character. That shows what type of guy he is. He never talked bad or down on the organization. Even in the interview I’m sure you’ve seen outside, he really hyped up the organization because it’s a wonderful organization. That shows a lot about him. It’s funny because the video came out about the threes and he still (said), ‘You’re turning your body a little too much on the left side of your three.’ He’s still there helping me, coaching me. Like I said, it was tough, but at the end of the day we both know it’s a business and things happen and you never know what’s going to happen. I’m happy that he found a job in OKC, a great organization and great team. He sounded like he was real happy about it, about going there and I wish him the best. I’m excited about what Coach Gentry can bring as well, but right now I’m focused on trying to prepare on what Coach Gentry needs and what we can bring for this upcoming season.”

What are you doing from a training perspective as far as the change in system with the tempo? Do you have to change the way you’re preparing in any way?
“Not really. We know the tempo is going to be faster, but we haven’t done anything with Coach Gentry as a team or even me individually to know how we’re going to play or what we’re going to do. We haven’t gotten to play as a team, so we can play fast but I really don’t know how we’re going to do it. We’ve got preseason where we’re going to try to work on things, but we haven’t done anything as a unit or even sat down and talked as a team to figure out, ‘Alright, this is what we’re going to do, how we’re going to do it, why we’re going to do it.’ I know it’s going to be an up-tempo pace and I think everybody on the team knows that as well. I’ve been doing a little more conditioning, but as far as on the court, I’ve actually been doing the same stuff, but adding a little more agility. That’s just for me, personally, doing agility stuff trying to work on my body. A little more conditioning stuff, knowing that the tempo is going to be fast, but that’s really it. We haven’t had a chance to really do anything on the court to actually see what we would like to do.”

How big was it for Coach Gentry to bring back Kevin Hanson, who you work so closely with?
“Kevin has been with me all three years and he’s been very helpful even now. Playing basketball before, he kind of understands, he has kind of played my position. He and I watch a lot of film. Having Gentry bring him back was huge because he’s seen that I’ve gotten better each year and was working with Kev. I don’t think he wants to take that away. Not just me, I think a lot of guys have a lot of chemistry with Kev and have been getting better working with Kev. Instead of bringing in a new coach and him having to learn your game all over and see what you’ve got to work on and kind of build that chemistry when that chemistry has already been built with a lot of guys. That’s Freddie V (Fred Vinson) as well. I think that was huge, especially for our guys who have been working very hard with some of these guys for a number of years. I think it’s going to help our chemistry as well as our player development.”

When Alvin Gentry went on the camera after winning the championship and said that this could be you, how much did that impact you and what makes you excited about playing for this guy?
“That right there. That’s the biggest thing that really got me excited because he wasn’t just saying that to say it. He really believes that, and that’s the good thing about it. Knowing that he’s coming in to work because he really feels that could be us next year, especially with the team that we have, makes me get excited. Knowing that coming into training camp, he feels like we could definitely do that. Saying it right after they won was another thing. It was like, ‘Man, you’re thinking about the Pelicans winning next year when you could be enjoying your time with Golden State.’ That makes me very excited and in our initial conversation he definitely said that. He’s always so hyped up and so happy to coach basketball. He always brings that great energy to a phone conversation, to the court, to dinner, to whatever. He always brings that positive vibe and that good energy, it kind of gets you excited. It kind of gets you to have goose bumps, so I’m definitely excited to play for him. Everybody on the team is excited to play for him. We really can’t wait until we all get together as a team and really get this thing going.”

How will getting the ball early in the shot clock affect your responsibility to distribute the ball and how will your background as a guard help with that?
“I’m not sure as far as early in the shot clock. I mean I know he wants to get me the ball a lot more, whether it’s early in the shot clock, later in the shot clock, I’m not sure. Whenever I get it. I’ve definitely been working on passing, reading defenses better. It’s tough because when I was working on it last year, I knew our plays from the year before and where everybody was going to be. Like I said, it’s tough to work on your game when you really don’t know any plays or what the system is going to be. Even though I’m working on passing, I try to incorporate our plays where guys are going to be so I can make the right pass. I’ve kind of just been doing some basic drills out of the post, playing against double-teams. Being a guard, that helps a lot, just being able to dribble out of a double-team and make reads, make the correct pass. That’s definitely going to be helpful once I figure out what plays we’re going to run, what sets we’re going to run, and try to incorporate my passing out of double-teams and dribbling out of double-teams a lot easier.”

Do you think this roster is well-suited for the pace you’re going to play at this season? It seems like Alvin has mentioned that there’s a good meshing of what this roster has on it and what he’s trying to do. Do you feel the same way?
“Yeah. I feel like we’ve got a little bit of everything. I think the biggest thing that will help us, honestly, is just playing healthy. Guys have just got to stay healthy, and I think that will be huge for us. If guys stay healthy, then we can compete with any team in the league. I think our pace is going to be unbelievable. We’re going to be scoring a lot, but at the same time we’ve got to defend. I think that’s why Coach Erm is one of the best in the league, because the stuff he was telling me and showing me on film, I feel like I’ve gotten better at defense already. The team that we have, I think our pace is going to be unbelievable now that he wants me to get the ball off the rebound and just go, have our guards run the floor, get the ball on the wings and they attack. There’s a lot we can do with our team. Like I said, I think we have a little bit of everything. We have guys that can score, we have guys who can shoot, guys who can handle the ball, guys who can defend. I think adding Kendrick Perkins is going to help us a lot, being that veteran leader (who) won championships, been to Finals, seen the entire game, played with the best players, played on some of the best teams, played with Hall of Famers. He’s seen so much and (is) able to help even me out and a lot of guys on the team out with certain situations is going to be vital. I think that was a great pick-up for us. Like I said, I think our team is capable of doing anything. I think we have a little bit of everything.”

Coach Gentry has discussed how impressed he is with New Orleans, the facility, and how this is a place that players would like to play. Team USA is meeting up in a couple of weeks and some of the best players on the planet will be there. Do you feel now that it’s an obligation to plant a seed in the mind of those players to possibly come join you here?
“No, I’m not going to do that. I love our team, and if guys want to come to New Orleans that’s their decision. I’m just going to go out there and play. I’m not going to call anybody like, ‘Y’all should come here,’ whatever. I think if they want to come to New Orleans and they see what we’re doing, they see that we’re winning and they see that we can be a championship caliber team, then the decision is going to be (on) them. Then from there, they’re probably going to call me or text me or whatever and say, ‘AD I want to come there,’ or Coach Gentry or Dell or whoever and go from there. I don’t predict the future, but as of right now I haven’t done that once or even thought about it.”

Was it an easy decision for you to accept a five-year contract? Were you weighing three years or four? Was that an easy decision for you?
“Kind of. It was fairly easy. I knew I wanted to stay here. I knew I wanted to be here. I like the direction the team is going. I like all the players who were coming back. I was definitely excited about what Coach Gentry could bring to the table. I knew it was kind of easy. I like our chemistry, I like our team. They made it very comfortable for me here. I love the city. I was definitely eager to sign that contract. Like I said, I kind of knew I was staying for the long haul.”

You said you’ve spoke to teammates about the hiring of Coach Gentry. What teammates have you specifically talked to, and have you been communicating with Norris Cole at all?
“I talked to a lot of our core players: Ryan, Jrue, Tyreke, Quincy, Eric. Everybody’s excited. I talked to Omer on the phone and he’s excited. A lot of our guys are excited. They like the coaching staff, they like to play fast, up and down. He has all of that and I think we’re going to be even better defensively by bringing Coach Erm along. I think we’re going to be a good team. As far as Norris, I haven’t really talked to him. I’m kind of out of that situation, I don’t know. I’ll let Dell and Coach Gentry and everybody do what they do. I know they’re going to make the right decision, ultimately it’s up to Norris. We definitely hope that he can come back because he was a huge part for us. He did a wonderful job for us in the playoffs and in the regular season when we brought him along, Quincy and Dante. We kind of went to a new level defensively, and he brought a lot to the table for us. We would definitely love to have him back for sure, no question. I’m not sure what’s going on, but our front office, knowing that they’re doing their best to bring everybody back, and that he’s one of those guys who we want to bring back.”

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Conference Call with Anthony Davis

Monty Williams answered scores of questions Tuesday morning at his season-ending press conference, but the essence of his message about the recent past and the 2015 offseason was delivered before any queries were offered.

“We’re not done,” the five-year New Orleans Pelicans head coach said. “We have a lot to do, a lot of work to do this summer, so that we can be even better next year. The last thing I want is for us to get intoxicated off of what we’ve done, because it’s nowhere near enough. We have to continue to plod and work and explore and discover what we can be. There’s a lot of examination from the team standpoint, from an individual standpoint, from a scheme standpoint. All those things have to be addressed over the next few months.”

With a roster that entered the 2014-15 regular season tied for the NBA’s fourth-youngest (average age 24.9), perhaps the Pelicans’ biggest reason for optimism is that many of their core players are still progressing. New Orleans may not have anyone in the running for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, but the competition for team MIP was chalk full of candidates, a big factor behind the transformation from a 34-48 record to 45-37 and a Western Conference playoff berth. Among the contenders:

New Orleans won’t have a first-round draft pick in June, but heading into the 2015-16 season, similar jumps in in-house performance could result in the Pelicans increasing their win total for a fourth season in a row. After playing well for portions of a first-round series vs. Golden State, but ultimately falling 4-0 to the high-powered Warriors, the difficulty of advancing in the West as a No. 8 seed seems evident.

The Pelicans also would benefit greatly from improved health – a problem that has severely hampered them over the past two seasons – along with more roster stability. After the in-season additions of Pondexter, Dante Cunningham and Norris Cole were all in place, New Orleans made a range of tangible team-wide statistical improvements. Williams cited the Pelicans’ post-All-Star break rankings as No. 1 in three-point percentage and three-pointers made, along with No. 14 in defensive rating. Although 14th is still near the middle of the pack in the NBA, during the first half of the season, New Orleans ranked in the upper 20s.

“We’ve always been a team that got better as the year wore on, because basically we’ve had a different team for the past three or four years,” Williams said. “Early on (in 2014-15), it didn’t look like (we were improved defensively), and I’ll be the first to admit that. But it just takes time to figure out scheme. The other thing, early in the year, we had the toughest schedule in the league.”

The Pelicans have a handful of free agents, including one starter in Omer Asik and several other rotation players, but Williams is hopeful to foster more continuity, a rarity since he took over as coach in 2010-11. At the same time, NBA teams enter every summer knowing that some changes may be unavoidable, either by necessity due to the unpredictability of the free-agent market, or as a path to get better.

“No team, when you have that many free agents, it’s hard to stay the same,” Williams said. “That’s just a reality… Corporate equity is a huge thing, so I would love to be able to have most of our core guys back, which I feel like we will. But I’m not opposed to making the right change that is going to make our team better.

“The best thing we have going for us is we have young guys who’ve gotten better every year. I could list all of them, from AD to Alexis to Luke to Eric, even at this point in his career. All those things are important. We know that we can help guys improve in their games. At the same time, if you can improve your team with a move or a trade or a signing, I’m not opposed to that.”

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Young core gives Monty Williams and Pelicans optimism about additional improvement

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Pelicans Practice: Monty Williams (2-1-2015)

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Pelicans Postgame vs. Clippers: Monty Williams (1-30-2015)

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Pelicans Pregame: Monty Williams (1-30-2015)

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