The New Orleans Pelicans were preparing to usher in a new era before winning this year's draft lottery. Following the Anthony Davis trade fiasco, the team fired Dell Demps and hired former Cavaliers vice president David Griffin as their new General Manager. Now, they'll likely also get Zion Williamson.
Although New Orleans is a small market franchise, league commissioner Adam Silver thinks Williamson will be surprised by Griffin and the franchise. During the latest episode of the Associated Press' Sports Now podcast, Silver talked about the advice he gave the future star after meeting him at the lottery.
"My counsel was, focus on your game first and foremost. The other stuff will come after it," Silver said at the episode's 14:53-mark. "'But, this is a special moment in your life...to the extent you can remain in the moment.... There's so much attention focused on you and at the end of the day this is a game and you now have the opportunity to play it at the highest level. There's tremendous resources available to you no matter what team drafts you.'"
There's been speculation about how the Pelicans will leverage this blessing when dealing with a disgruntled Anthony Davis. In response, Silver tells Reynolds that he won't add to Williamson's already full plate with his predictions on how the situation will play out.
"I'm very confident in the management and the ownership of Gayle Benson," Silver continued. "Obviously hiring David Griffin is a real important move for that franchise, and my sense is Griff is the right guy at the right time to right the ship."
