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After immense hype and mammoth buildup, the New Orleans Pelicans were crowned winners of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery.
Of course, all teams with a chance at the number one overall pick were clamoring for the opportunity to draft Zion Williamson out of Duke University – a slam-dunk prospect that will likely light the league aflame as soon as next season.
The Pels have experienced tremendous upheaval over the past season with Anthony Davis requested a trade, and then a deal being unable to be completed due to what was likely Los Angeles Lakers’ front office issues.
Now, with new General Manager (and canny operator) David Griffin representing the team in the Draft Lottery, the Pels will get a chance to hit the reset button with the best prospects in recent memory.
One person who was in the lottery room to see the good news announced was Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry. He succinctly summed up his thoughts with a rather salty statement, via Marc Spears of ESPN:
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry was in the lottery room. His reaction: “F@@@ yeah.”
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 15, 2019
Clearly, Gentry was excited, as he will get a chance to coach one of the best college freshman of all time. Ben Golliver of The Washington Post provided a little more context on the quote from Gentry, which moves beyond just elated profanity:
Before drawing, Alvin Gentry wrote on a sheet of paper, "This is our moment." David Griffin had predicted victory & gave him lucky Zegna tie from Cleveland. Gentry's reaction to win: "F— yeah!" Later said of Griffin's luck: "That's worth the hire. Ms. B knows what she's doing."
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 15, 2019
Indeed, it seems that the Pelicans are turning a corner after some of the mismanagement of recent years in terms of bloated contracts, traded draft picks and little playoff success.
With Griffin, Zion and Gentry the Pelicans’ future might be quite bright.
