If someone gave you $100 every time David Griffin uttered the word “sustainability", you’d be almost as rich as Gayle Benson.
It’s been Griffin’s buzzword ever since he stepped foot on Airline Drive five years ago as the executive vice president of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Griffin's message is simple: He doesn’t want the Pelicans to be some flash in the pan NBA franchise.
He wants to build something that will last, meshing the perfect blend of seasoned veterans and young talent that can someday become a perennial power in the rugged Western Conference.
The win totals over the last few years suggest he has things pointed in the right direction.
The Pels won 30 games in Griffin’s first season in charge and have increased the win total in each of the following years (31, 36, 42 and 49). The 49 victories last season tied the 2008-09 squad for the second most in franchise history.
But in the NBA, you’re inevitability judged by what you do in the postseason.
Yeah, the victories from October-April are fine and dandy, but it’s what you do in May and June that makes the rest of the NBA take notice.
So for the Pelicans, the next step is to become a consistent playoff team.
They have yet to be able to do that since NBA basketball returned to New Orleans back in 2002. They’ve only made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons twice in franchise history. The last time they went to the playoffs in consecutive years was the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons in the Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic years.
Since then, the playoffs have been hit or miss, with far more misses than hits. They’ve made the playoffs just three times in the past nine seasons, including last season when they were swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. They’ve only reached the second round twice in franchise history, with the most recent one being seven years ago when they swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
So this season is a chance to show some of that sustainability and do two things:
1. Make the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2009.
2. Advance past the first round for just the third time ever.
“It’s unlimited possibilities with the amount of talent these guys have,” said Willie Green, entering his fourth season as head coach.
Most of those possibilities, of course, reside on the broad shoulders of Zion Williamson. He's the cornerstone, now surrounded by more playmakers than he's ever had.
There's a strong veteran presence in CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. There is an elite defender in Herb Jones. A proven closer in Dejounte Murray, acquired in a trade this offseason. Elite shooting with Trey Murphy and Jordan Hawkins. More depth with guys such as Jose Alvarado. Williamson, Murray, Jones and Murphy are now all under contract for the next three seasons.
But as Williamson goes, so do the Pelicans. That was evident last season when he played a career-high 70 games. It’s a big reason the Pelicans reached such a lofty win total. And if Williamson hadn’t injured his hamstring in the first play-in tournament game against the Los Angeles Lakers, perhaps the Pelicans’ season could’ve lasted a game or two longer.
That’s been Williamson’s motivation in an offseason that has seen him get in the best shape of his NBA career.
“I’ve gotta win,” Williamson said. “When you win, it cures all. Everybody aspires for the same thing. At the end of the season, you want your team to be crowned champions.”
But first things first.
The Pelicans need to somehow make their way into the upper echelon of the Western Conference. That’s no easy task, as last season reminded us.
The Pelicans, despite winning 49 games, finished as the No. 7 team in the regular season and dropped to the No. 8 seed after losing to the Lakers.
The key to doing that is beating the teams you’re supposed to beat and taking care of business at home. The Pels went just 21-19 in the Smoothie King Center last season despite going 28-14 on the road. They lost eight of their last nine games at home, including two in the playoff series against OKC.
"When you have more talent than the other team, you’ve got to win those games,” McCollum said. “We’ve got a really good roster, good players, good staff and great fan support. Now it’s about putting together a full season. We’ve been great in spurts. But we’ve also been not so great in spurts.”
The Pelicans traded with the Atlanta Hawks for Murray in the offseason to help with some of that inconsistency. Murray, named to the NBA All-Star Game in 2022, can help the Pels win some of those close games that slipped away last season. More importantly, he can bring some of the type of attitude and leadership the team hasn't had since Rajon Rondo.
Bryson Graham, who replaced Trajan Langdon as general manager this offseason and has been with the team since 2010, said this is the most talented Pelicans' roster he’s seen.
Green is optimistic about the lineup flexibility.
“I think it’s going to be difficult to stop this team,” he said.
The next 82 games will determine that. There will be plenty of questions that have to be answered along the way.
Can the Pelicans, particularly Williamson, stay healthy?
Will the Pels be OK in the middle now that always reliable center Jonas Valaciunas is playing for the Washington Wizards?
Will Green be able to balance the minutes enough to make everyone on this roster happy?
If so, it can be a special season and another step toward that sustainability Griffin is chasing.
“We’ve continued to build year after year in a way that’s been mindful and meaningful,” Griffin said. “… Everybody in that locker room knows we have a chance to do something pretty significant. We’ve got more talent than we’ve ever had. We’ve got far more depth of tenacity and want-to on this group. I think we’ve got a real grit to us with this group.”
Now it’s time to prove it.