New Orleans Pelicans head coach James Borrego yells from the sidelines to players during the first half of a basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER
Baby steps.
James Borrego knew that's what it was going to take to get the New Orleans Pelicans pointed in the right direction.
Entering Saturday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors, the Pelicans had won just one of its first seven games since Borrego took over after Willie Green was fired on Nov. 15.
“It’s not going to happen overnight,” Borrego said the day he got the interim tag. “There’s not going to be some magic wand I wave and we have this magic identity. It’s a process, day by day. It starts with me having clarity and giving directions.”
The wins haven’t come, but there has been some progress. And yes, winning is the only thing that matters, but the losses for the most part haven’t been quite as bad. The Pelicans lost four of the 12 games under Green by at least 20 points. Three of those losses were by 30 or more. Under Borrego, there haven’t been any 20-point losses in his first seven games.
“We are playing with a little more fire right now,” said Trey Murphy. “As a team, we are starting to realize a sense of urgency and we can’t keep losing games. Play with a lot of energy and give yourselves a chance to win.”
It helps that the schedule has lightened up some, especially after Borrego’s first three games against the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. But there have still been some bad losses. Games the Pelicans let slip away. Particularly the 118-115 loss to the Dallas Mavericks and Wednesday’s 133-128 loss to a Memphis Grizzlies team playing without Ja Morant. But even in the loss to Memphis, there was a different energy in the Smoothie King Center. Two days before that, the Pelicans had given Borrego his first win, a 143-130 victory over the Chicago Bulls that snapped the Pels’ 9-game losing skid.
It was a much- needed win for a team that has won just three of its last 26 games dating back to last season.
“It’s tough to win in this league,” Borrego said after Wednesday’s win. “The losses pile up and it weighs on you. It wears on you. Mentally and physically, you could feel the weight on our team. I’m just happy for the guys. They’ve been working. They’ve been wanting this. They’ve been playing their tails off.”
Borrego has tried to do his part, too. He hasn’t been afraid to make a change or two when things aren’t going well. One of the first tweaks he made as head coach was inserting rookie Derik Queen into the starting lineup. If Queen - or anyone else for that matter - isn’t getting the job done, Borrego hasn’t hesitated to put them on the bench.
“There is no entitlement in this league,” Borrego said. “You’re not gifted minutes, whether you’re the first pick, 21st pick, second round pick. There's no gifting of minutes. Players have to go earn that. I think this young group has shown they are willing to go there. But when they don’t, it’s my job to hold them accountable.”
That was the case in the win over the Bulls. The Pelicans have struggled in the third quarter all season long. So to start the third quarter against Chicago, Borrego went with Jose Alvarado and Yves Missi instead of starters Jeremiah Fears and Queen. He wanted to keep the juice going that Alvarado and Missi had provided in the first half. Trying something new is something Borrego says he won’t hesitate to do.
“My nature is more to deal with stuff rather than let it linger,” Borrego said. “If the game requires action from me, I’m going to take some action. Sometimes it’s risky. Sometimes you’ve got to let a group go and see. This group, I’m not sure if I’m going to wait around too long to see if they figure it out. I’m going to try to something new.”
Borrego used those same principles during his time as a head coach in Charlotte when the Hornets also had a young roster.
“The sooner I pivoted and tried something else, the better results I found,” Borrego said. “Or at least making a statement to our guys that this ain’t working and we’ve got to try something different. Whether it’s strategic or its rotational, I’m ready to (make a) move when it’s called for.”
Players like what they have seen.
“I know he’s in a tough spot with everything that went on,” said forward Zion Williamson. “He’s been doing a great job finding our identity for the team. The guys are behind him. The staff is behind him. We’re with him.”
The victories have been few and far between, but Borrego appreciates it when he does get one like he did Wednesday.
“These are challenging moments for us as a group,” Borrego said. “This group has been through a lot over the last 12-plus months. Losing last year took a toll on any of us, mostly the players. It’s tough to get off to the start we did this year. It’s a mental challenge. A spiritual challenge more than anything. You just want some validation that ‘Guys you’re doing great, you’re making progress.’ It’s hard to say that when you’re not getting wins. You need some validation as a human being.”
Because of the schedule, the Pelicans haven’t had much actual practice time with their interim coach. Borrego is having to adjust on the fly as he makes up for all the missed time he would have had in training camp and the preseason. It’s why he’s not just focusing just on the results, but the process to get to those desired results.
“As a competitor, I want us to win and I want us to make every shot,” Borrego said. “The results can overwhelm you at times. The best organizations I’ve been a part of are process driven. They have an identity and they know what they believe in. They know what shots they are trying to create, whether they go in or not. Trust that this is where we need to go and the results will take care of themselves. We are getting closer to that. We are not near where we need to be, but we are getting close.”