New Orleans Pelicans Willie Green Believes One Player Could Become Future Coach

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green believes one of his players will be a coach in the future.

Oct 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green reacts against the Orlando Magic during the first half at Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of talented young players on their roster that head coach Willie Green is excited for.

Given their upside, some people believe with a few breaks, the Pelicans can be among the best teams in the Western Conference. Green has a lot of weapons at his disposal as the team’s depth will be a strength, especially in the backcourt and on the wing.

But, at the end of the bench, Green has some veterans who are competing for a role. One of those players is point guard Elfrid Payton.

The two have a unique relationship compared to anyone else on the roster as they were teammates during Green’s playing days. During the 2014-15 season, Payton’s first in the NBA, the Orlando Magic claimed the head coach and he appeared in 52 games before retiring.

Reuniting down the road as a player and coach is not something the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft thought would happen.

“I didn’t think he (Green) would be a coach, but I’m not surprised if that makes sense,” Payton said via Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “A lot of the team didn’t know we played together.”

That speaks to just how young some of the players who the Louisiana product now calls teammates. Eight players were born in 2000 or later and all but four or five of them were in grade school still.

While Payton didn’t believe that Green would ever be a coach, the Pelicans head man has a different feeling about the veteran point guard.

“He was a leader from the very start,” Green said. “Still is. He picked things up quick. He played with toughness. He got his teammates involved. He’s a really good defender. A lot of future coaching qualities in him.”

Well-traveled in his NBA career, Payton has played for four different franchises. Along with the Magic and Pelicans, he has also suited up for the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns.

Point guards seemingly always make for good coaches down the road. While he didn’t say coaching wasn’t in his future, right now he is focused on continuing his playing days for as long as possible.

“I think it’s something I can do,” Payton said of coaching. “A lot of people tell me that. I’m not really focused on that right now. I’m where my feet are at right now. That’s being a player.”

Payton didn’t make the training camp roster with the Pelicans but signed a deal a few days ago to return to the team. It is anyone’s guess if he will make the regular season roster, but he will do everything he can to keep his playing career alive before transitioning to the bench as a coach.