What's your reaction to this?

Higher?

Well, you know, I'm a big fan of Stan Van Gundy.

Do I love the hired?

No, but I do like the higher.

And here's why.

I believe that stand that Stan Van Gundy is a true definition of culture, and that's what these young guys need.

I watched what Stan did for Dwight Howard when he first got to the Orlando Magic.

Dwight Howard had something in his best years.

He was a guy that was, Ah, public.

I can't figure at the time, and this is the same situation with Zion Williamson.

I think that stand would be the best would do right by him.

Put him in position to be successful with the pelicans contend for a title.

I don't believe so, but I do believe that this is a nice starting point to develop culture and foundation.

George, this is such an important higher with where Zion Williamson is, and this organization is they really needed an experience steadying hand.

David Griffin really wanted to hire Tyler, but Tyler was in demand when the Clippers job came open.

He just wasn't gonna leave that opportunity to go to New Orleans right after that with Stan Van Gundy.

And to be honest with you, after stand, it was a lot of guys who'd be first time head coaches.

So David Griffin had to execute this higher from what I am told, he actually offered him the job over the weekend on.

But it took several days of negotiating not only the contract, but how everything would work with his staff to get stand comfortable with taking it.

And JJ Reddick, I have been told, played a big role here.

JJ played for him in New Orleans, was a big part of the background and recruiting process, and so I don't know if it's gonna work out.

But I know that Stan Van Gundy is an excellent coach, and I suspect the pelicans will get better with this higher.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of stand as everyone is here, certainly, and Brian, I want to get to the Zion stuff specifically in a second, but perk.

You said you liked it but didn't love it.

Is there a specific reason why you don't necessarily love it?

Well, here's why I thought that they were going to go younger.

I thought a former player in that position, especially with their young nucleus, that they have Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.

I thought that they needed to bring a guy in there that was gonna be ableto have a great positive impact on Lonzo Ball.

I thought, a guy like maybe Mark Jackson Ah, guy like J.

Kidd.

They played the point guard position.

If you look at what Mark Jackson did for the foundation in the in the culture and what he did for Steph Curry, Hey, he took the Golden State Warriors from Mirella from being the relevant to being relevant, and then Steve Kerr came on in.

If you look at what J.

Kidd did for Johannes in Milwaukee, when he got there, he helped Johannes game tremendously.

And I thought that those two guys could have a real positive impact on Lonzo ball, and that will take the Pelicans to New Heights and Brian Perk.

I don't think you're wrong in saying I don't think perk is wrong in saying that.

I just think that perk There's just no room for gambling here.

And Mark Jackson and Jason Kidd's resumes are a little shaky compared to Stan Van Gundy's, and so it may not end up working out.

But this was the safest bet that they could make on a guy who they feel could get this turned in the right direction.

Because, to be honest with you, with a young player even going into a second year, it gets late fast.

This higher was so valuable, so important.

Yeah, I'm with you, Brian.

In that regard, I'm not trying to disparage Mark or Jason Kidd.

I do think both guys deserve another opportunity.

I don't think there's any question about that.

But you know what you've got in Stan Van Gundy and a guy who brings defense to the table eight of his 10 seasons that he's coached previously.

They've been a top defensive team, and we'll get into that aspect of it in a little bit, too.

And again, he's coached to an MBA Finals before on an MBA Finals team in the Eastern Conference with Dwight Howard, but Bryant the Zion part of it, as you kind of alluded to, It's so important.

How much did that factor into this specific equation and what do you expect from this particular relationship?

Well, you know, standing Gundy is not a guy who plays favorites or panders to players.

He's a guy who is not afraid to get into his players.

Face is not afraid to have friction.

This is not gonna be a relationship to make Zion Williams and comfortable and happy.

It's gonna be a relationship made the push, Zion and we one of the things that needs to happen.

Zion needs to bond with the organization.

I'm not so sure how well it happened in the first year there.

There's a little bit of a distance there on, and I don't know if stands the perfect choice.

But stand definitely will elevate their level of play.

And it's probably the type of disciplinarian that Zion could use.

Let me let me let me find that that goes back to my point that this is I don't strongly believe that's what Zion need at this point of time in his career.

He don't need a guy that's gonna jump into his face.

He need a guy that's gonna be able to guide him on and off the court.

And that's why I said a player, coach Ah, guy that played in the league will be the best fit for Zion on, so he could show him the ropes, not only on the court but off the court.

Accountability is one thing.

Excellent, excellent owes or another thing.

But but being able to relate, that's a whole different thing.

This is not back in the day.

This is a new era.

This is a new generation of players, and you have to find ways to relate to get the best out of them.

So that one, they could trust you to, that they're going to go to war for you.

And three, that they know that you have their best interests at heart.

But perk.

Let me ask you this.

How do you establish that culture and also, you know, try to relate, Like I think that's a hard line to tow in some situations.

What What this is This is a prime example off.

What just happened with the Los Angeles Clippers?

This is why Tie Lewis the This is why the Clipper team?

Not just not just the front office, not just Steve Balmer, not just, uh, Lawrence, Frank wanted, and Jerry West wanted doc out, but the players wanted t loo.

The players wanted T.

Liu because he was young.

He could relate to them.

He know what's going on.

They have.

They could have a better relationship and be able to coexist better.

It's a way that behind the scenes, ah, younger coach could go toe a player and talk to them, and they could relate because of the culture status.

This is why there was like, you know, maybe Doc is not that guy.

He's a lot older.

He can't relate to the new to the new world of the MBA.

So we won't tie Lou.

And this is the same situation is what I'm talking about right now for the New Orleans Pelicans.

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