Yahoo Sports put together a ranking of every NBA executive currently running a franchise, but did David Griffin deserve to not make the Top 10?
New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin can cue up the Rodney Dangerfield ‘No Respect’ clips. Sure, the organization has health with frustrating injury woes the past few years, but there is a top-seeded team in that locker room (at least according to Larry Nance Jr.).
Still, some of the work that went toward turning around this franchise went underappreciated in a recent ranking of current NBA executives. For reference, the Ben Rohrbach Methodology used a Danny Ainge System to guide a baseball-themed breakdown. Here is the bare bones version of how the Ainge System works:
HR: Bona fide All-Stars
3B: Top-flight performers
2B: Front-end rotation players
1B: Other noteworthy contributors
BB: Lateral and inconclusive moves
K: Diminished returns
The Pelicans can argue Griffin should have made the top 5 based on the draft assets accumulation and trades. The hauls from the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades alone should have gotten in him into the conversation. Add on that these rankings go back to include Giffin’s day in charge of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the championship ring carries plenty of weight, or it should. Was trading away Anthony Bennett really a deal breaker?
Overall, Griffin landed 12th in the rankings. Here, the drafting of Williamson wasn’t deemed to be a home run selection. Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones are counted as doubles, but I feel that a look at some Team USA tips would make evaluators reconsider this appraisal. Murphy III is a borderline All-Star in the making, and the man gifted the nickname “Not on Herb” will not be denied All-Defensive Team honors for long.
The rankings also consider Kira Lewis Jr. and E.J. Liddell as strikeouts. However, neither player has had a chance to show what they can bring to the rotation, but they are on team-friendly deals. New Orleans got nothing in return for Jaxson Hayes, sure, but the fans will always have those dunks and playoff minutes to remember.
Lastly, and what looks the worst, is that Jrue Holiday does not even appear on the trade sheet provided. Griffin did not get credit for that move, the return, or the changing of the narrative around the franchise. One healthy season with no Play-In Tournament worries will change all of that, but not as much as a second championship ring in a second city.