Every relationship whether personal or professional goes through ebbs and flows. Honest analysis and compromising when necessary are just two elements to those partnerships surviving the toughest times. Even when things are going well, one party might be more internally motivated or influenced by outside factors than the other. There's always a give and take and within organizations, people come and go. However, it is exactly that situation that has David Griffin's New Orleans Pelicans facing a crucial stress test going into next season.
There seems to be no even keel in the Crescent City these days unless you're a boat being piloted on the Mississippi River. Well, unless you count the steady increase in television money boosting the Pelicans. Everything else has experienced a fair bit of turbulence. There is plenty to celebrate, sure, but it's a hard sell while watching these NBA Finals unfold. New Orleans just seems to need to do so much in so little time and the team is losing the talent that built the current squad.
Pelicans execs getting poached
David Griffin emphasized building a ‘sustainable championship culture' where everyone is ‘all the way in or all the way out' when taking the job in 2019. Griffin, EVP Swin Cash, EVP Aaron Nelson, and GM Trajan Langdon came in preaching the power of the collective thought process. Now half of that brain trust has moved on to different positions less than a year after the organization's lead executive signed a contract extension.
New Orleans bid adieu to former General Manager Trajan Langdon, now the President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons. Bryson Graham now has the Vice President – Assistant General Manager designation on the team's staff listing page. Amy Atmore is now the Director of Rehabilitation while Nelson is now listed as a Special Advisor to the Medical and Performance Team. This move was reportedly in response to a falling out Nelson had with Zion Williamson.
Michael Hartman (Director of Basketball Administration) has left the organization for an expanded role with the Washington Wizards. Michael Blackstone (VP of Basketball Administration) was with Griffin in Cleveland but followed Langdon to Detroit. Blackstone will hold the title of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Pistons.
Well-traveled veterans Alvin Gentry and Stan Van Gundy were forced to leave the building before Willie Green was hired as a first-time head coach. Green is now reportedly under pressure to perform next season, though the Detroit Mercy alum also received a contract extension last spring. Associate HC James Borrego was brought in to steward a new offensive approach but now looks poised to take a leading position with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
David Griffin in line for more credit and blame
Griffin will get plenty of credit for the Pelicans making three consecutive postseason appearances. That was a franchise first. He will also be in line to shoulder more of the blame going forward after having passed off scouting and player relationship duties to Langdon last summer.
The ‘David Griffin Era in the Big Easy' has definitely had a wide variance between highs and lows. First, it was all smiles holding a placard showing the team had won the Zion Williamson 2019 NBA Draft Lottery in July. Williamson was out with a torn meniscus less than four months later after just a couple of preseason games.
Three months and one week later, the first overall pick logged 18 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs. Williamson wrapped up a win with 22 points and seven rebounds, including 17 consecutive points in the fourth quarter. His multiple three-pointers had the Smoothie King believing in better days.
It's been a rollercoaster ever since. The draft classes and targets in free agency have been hit-and-miss at best. The Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday packages were decent but the sour Lonzo Ball deal still lingers among other questionable decisions. Herb Jones was a second-round steal but Kira Lewis Jr. is likely to be a lottery pick that's out of the league within four years.
How Griffin regroups after what is shaping up to be a whirlwind summer under a new CBA will go a long way in determining the team's long-term contending status. Surviving this crucible, and building a team capable of advancing in the NBA Playoffs, will take a few savvy moves that show fans an ambition to win. That'll buy Griffin a few more years, at least until Williamson is eligible for another contract extension.
Having a young, relatively inexperienced roster is a precarious position though. The Pelicans were pushing for a top-four seed for most of the year and were in line for a top-six seed until the last week of last season. Getting over that hurdle next season would give Griffin all the political capital needed to command a Mardi Gras parade, if not the keys to the city.
A few lateral moves and pinning one's hopes on Williamson to having the best of injury luck will not be enough to escape this summer's somewhat predictable predicament unscathed. Not in the gauntlet that is today's Western Conference. Going that route would likely have a few of the most loyal fans asking for Griffin to tap out and let someone else take over.
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