NBA Draft 2019: 3 reasons Zion Williamson should be happy with New Orleans
By Dakota Cox
1. New Orleans has a smart front office
You can debate New Orleans vs. New York vs. Los Angeles all you want. The city of New Orleans is great, but there were plenty of other quality options in the lottery in terms of location. However, there weren’t a ton of great front offices, and that can be just as valuable.
The Knicks have been inept in the front office since Phil Jackson took over. The only thing they have going for them besides the location is the potential of getting a couple of highly-touted free agents. Outside of that, you need a GM that is capable of making smart decisions for the team in terms of trades, drafts, and signing free agents.
Pelicans general manager David Griffin has proven himself as the GM of the Cavs. He surrounded a star with the pieces he needed for the team to succeed when he had LeBron James. He wasn’t afraid to sign big contracts and make tough trades for his team.
Compare this to the Lakers, one of the most poorly run organizations in the NBA. Outside of signing LeBron, they haven’t been able to handle trades, free agency, or coaching hires well. Magic Johnson is no longer there, and everyone left hasn’t done anything to put faith in the organization.
In fact, New Orleans proved that they were a stronger front office than Los Angeles by the way they have handled the Anthony Davis trade talk. Since they can’t seem to convince Anthony Davis to stay, they have handled everything else with the trade very well. Most front offices end up trading a player too early for a bad deal, but they have taken their time.
They aren’t perfect, but the New Orleans Pelicans have a quality front office that could build around Zion.