Even with Zion Williamson leading the way, the New Orleans Pelicans have struggled to really make a mark in the Western Conference and make the postseason. Well, it appears a lot of their problems have been up top with executive vice president David Griffin.
There was a ton of optimism when Griffin came to the Pelicans in 2019 after just three years removed from guiding the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title. However, after a positive start to his time with New Orleans, things began to go downhill and he was even compared to Jerry Krause, the ex-Bulls executive who was heavily disliked. Via NOLA.com:
“Shortly into his tenure, Griffin gathered staffers inside a video room at the team’s practice facility and showed them a slideshow presentation. One of the slides was titled “Cultural Shift.” It included nine bullet points. The first one read, “Family.” The second one read, “Accountability.” The third: “Love.”
Then-coach Alvin Gentry told several people around him, “This is going to be great.” Within months, however, Griffin began blaming Gentry for the Pelicans' poor start. Once, on a road trip, Griffin was approached by someone he hadn’t spoken to in weeks. Unprompted, Griffin said: “I give Alvin all the answers to the test, and he still fails.” It's unclear whether Gentry knew of this exchange. He declined to comment.”
Per the report, certain Pelicans staffers began to refer to David Griffin as “Griff Krause” after the Last Dance documentary came out in April 2020. There were also many people unhappy with how Griffin handled the firing of Alvin Gentry, who was let go in August of 2020.
Clearly, the Pelicans' problems go much further than the court.
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