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David Griffin’s New Orleans Pelicans Project: Reactions and Expectations

Christopher Dodson
Christopher Dodson

Pelica Debrief

David Griffin New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

The New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly decided to name David Griffin Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. What do Griffin’s past moves suggest for the Pelicans future?

Owner Gayle Benson hates that the New Orleans Pelicans are perceived as being a short changed franchise. She has been increasing her level of engagement in the basketball community and knew she needed a more accountable basketball front office operation in New Orleans. Facing a franchise altering decision, David Griffin was chosen to lead the new era of New Orleans hoops.

The New Orleans Pelicans are at a franchise crossroads. There were parallel problems over near Poydras Street. The Pelicans’ front office was in shambles and had a pending trade demand from Anthony Davis to figure out.

To solve the front office issue, Benson finally split the baby because she realized she had twin sporting behemoths on her hands, not one big sporting entity with two teams. Griffin is now the sole point man handling Benson’s basketball baby. Mickey Loomis can focus on the Saints.

Dealing with the Anthony Davis trade is paramount, but there are many other facets of building a contender that need addressed. What did Griffin ask for in negotiations? What did Benson and her trusted circle of executives offer? How will things change moving forward, and will what would success look like? We have an idea of how Griffin answered some of ownership’s questions.

Griffin is a very well respected, and very well compensated, NBA personality. He spent his longest stretch of time in the national spotlight as General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Find faults with his methods if you will, but Cleveland celebrated a championship with Griffin at the helm.

That ring came with LeBron. Griffin is being asked to trade away the team’s star, not appease him. Measuring team success, the Pelicans standard thus far is winning a playoff series. If Griffin can accomplish that in two years, he will have been worth the investment.

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.

David Griffin is an NBA lifer, having started working for the Suns as a college intern. He was with Phoenix 17 years before running LeBron’s second act in Cleveland.

Griffin got his start in Phoenix (2007-10), then moved on to Cleveland (2010-17). He went from assistant general manager of player personnel, director of player personnel, to assistant director of player personnel. He likes to get deep into the tape. Griffin is 45, still young in his front office NBA career. However, he has made enough moves with high level players to give a sense of his approach.

The caveat is Griffin never seemed to be the biggest voice in the room, despite his lofty presidential job titles. Even in his dual role with the Cavaliers, LeBron dictated most of the decisions.

Griffin also resigned from his vice president position around the same time Steve Kerr left and Rodger Sarver became owner. Your mileage may vary, but paired with his departure from Cleveland, it seems Griffin knows when he is being short changed either financially or with his job’s responsibilities.

Griffin tries to not only hold those below him accountable, but also aims to hold those above him to the same standards. That is a huge building block towards a positive culture.

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Benson’s new arrangement is simple. There are no ownership issues like Cleveland or Phoenix in New Orleans. Nor will there be a LeBron sized distraction dressed as Anthony Davis sub-tweeting fans with Looney Tunes shirt selections (not for too much longer, anyway).

The Pelicans have given Griffin free reign to build a world class organization to be admired. Small market teams have to face certain realities but can make up for those geographically shortcomings elsewhere. Training staffs and general player support and comforts have no salary caps.

There are not many knocks on Griffin’s splurge of a hire. Though he has been associated with winning times in both of his career stops, there were always extraordinary obstacles when Griffin took charge.

The Pelicans have cycled through two stars now, and Griffin has cycled through two teams.

There is a growth between high school sweetheart, first college fling, and then landing on the eventual hubby or wife for life. Griffin and the Pelicans are finally at their respective stages where they were seeking each other, and it’s the right time for both.

Working with GM Steve Kerr in Phoenix, Griffin inherited the end of the “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns. When Mike D’Antoni left for New York, Terry Porter was the initial hire. However, he was soon canned in favor of a young Alvin Gentry. Griffin worked to acquire young talent like Brook Lopez (draft) and Goran Dragic (draft day trade) while also working with older versions of Shaq and Grant Hill to fill out the roster.

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The seven years in Cleveland could raise questions about his draft scouting. As a VP, he must take partial blame for the Cavs drafting Anthony Bennett in 2013. As General Manager, Griffin drafted Andrew Wiggins in 2014. Of course, Wiggins was traded for “third star” Kevin Love. Griffin’s Plans A-K were shot to pieces once Plan “Get LeBron Home” became the NBA’s new reality.

The contracts James forced Cavs owner Dan Gilbert to give his friends should not detract from the trades that acquired those talented friends to begin with. Gilbert had to finesse trade parameters while LeBron demanded aggressively, ignoring the luxury tax implications of retaining  J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Channing Frye.

Smith and Shumpert were had for second round picks essentially. Kyle Korver helped win a playoff game or two. There is a shrewd nature to Griffin’s roster work when he is in a bind. In this report, Griffin was in pursuit of Jimmy Butler despite the Cavs’ cap restrictions. That report also notes that Cleveland players loved him.

Crescent City hoops fans know a good basketball product when they see it. Players notice the finer points that even the most ardent of fans miss.

Pelicans players will take to Griffin kindly if he can get them another playoff worthy roster. Griffin will step into a decent financial situation and will be the most dominant voice in the Pelicans’ basketball decisions. The Pelicans and Griffin both get what they wanted from the other.

By most all accounts, this was the best candidate available for any NBA job. Save for a few already employed executives, Griffin was arguably the best candidate available for any NBA job. Griffin knew what jobs were available and bet on the the Pelicans’ future having championship potential.

The Pelicans had to earn his signature almost as much as Griffin had to impress for the job in the interviews. In fact, according to ESPN’s report, Griffin had turned down other options since his Cleveland tenure.

"The hiring of Griffin, 46, is expected to come with an upgrade in staffing and resources committed to the franchise, sources said. Griffin has been particular in selecting his next job after leaving Cleveland, pulling out of searches in New York and Philadelphia when the circumstances didn’t feel like a fit."

In that same report, it mentions Alvin Gentry working with Griffin in Phoenix. It also reported that Gentry interviewed for the Cleveland job, but Griffin hired David Blatt instead. Lastly, that report stated Gentry, “a favorite of the organization,” was likely to be retained as head coach for next season.

New hires like to bring in their own coaches, among other changes. However, the Pelicans hiring Griffin helps boost their profile as well. Benson is aware of the organization’s reputation, and the importance stability plays in player’s decisions.

The reports devoting more resources into the behind the scenes staff are prevalent. Hitting on a multitude of draft picks is the quickest way to building a contender. Finding value at the end of the bench takes pressure off of the regular season grind and the salary cap.

The new G-League affiliate team will see the benefits from all of this as well, as Griffin will want the organization to be in peak condition from top to bottom.

One of the brightest NBA minds believes that it is better to be the team trading Anthony Davis, rather than the team trading for Davis. The minor details are the fun of the job. You’ve played NBA2K. New York and Philadelphia were both attractive options in some regards. but Griffin passed on those options, seeing them as flings. This should make Pelicans fans feel great about Griffin’s views on New Orleans.

The Anthony Davis trade is three years of “Trust the Process” hype wrapped into one single offseason transaction. Marriage is fraught with tension, only relieved by enjoying the fruits of succeeding together. Both the New Orleans Pelicans and David Griffin are betting they just married into a jackpot situation.

Christopher Dodson

Christopher Dodson

I have covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, my gumbo-stirring form matches my elbow jumper celebration. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. Have words, and will travel, just not on a basketball court.