David Griffin’s New Orleans Pelicans Project: Reactions and Expectations
How the New Orleans Pelicans measure success as an organization will determine Griffin’s long term future, not merely just the Pelicans’ win-loss record.
Just a playoff series you ask? Yup, to equal the Davis-era accomplishments, that’s all folks! Winning two series in the same year, or even winning at least one series while making the NBA Playoffs in consecutive years, would be worthy of an immediate contract extension.
(It would also likely mean Jrue Holiday would be guaranteed ALL-NBA recognition.)
Griffin’s title is Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. It is unknown whether he will hire a traditional general manager to negotiate the Anthony Davis trade. The Pelicans’ following transactions after AD is moved are arguably just as important, and none of these decisions should be delegated to a less experienced individual.
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Griffin signed up to trade Davis. Winning that trade is the short term priority. Keeping Jrue Holiday happy is the longer goal, and it starts with the other offseason moves. The Davis trade is the bomb, keeping Holiday satisfied in New Orleans is the start of building a new infrastructure that can last longer than a Corps of Engineers levee.
Dealer Dell Demps scoured the fringes of rosters and the European continent for the Luke Babbitt’s of the world. He then used those players to earn his aforementioned nickname.
Griffin will have to think bigger, just based on the Davis’ trade demands. Future trade partners were hoping for leverage lost some when the Pelicans won the 7th pick odds instead of the 9th. That’s at least a start of good luck to the Griffin era.