OKC Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 2019-20 team preview

Culture change:

For year’s the Pelicans franchise has been noted as one of the undesirable destinations for free agents. Ownership used the same training and medical facilities for their NFL Saints as they did the Pelicans and this became an issue. Simply put, the organization didn’t have a great reputation for developing its assets or addressing their daily needs.

That all changed with the hiring of Griffin who has already put his fingerprints all over the organization. Aside from all his offseason roster reconstruction, he made a savvy move regarding the new star. Griffin made a point of tapping Jrue Holiday as the leader and face of the current roster. Some saw this as a P.R. move to remove the pressures from Zion. Hindsight is 20-20 given Zion’s injury. Yet, the decision makes sense on a deeper level.

Pelicans captain:

Holiday is a quality starter and among the very best defenders in the NBA. If the last few championship teams have taught us anything it’s that having a captain is essential. A player who instills the principles of the organization leads by example and can take over a game to set the tone.

We can debate whether that person on the Warriors is Stephen Curry or Draymond Green. Perhaps it’s a shared responsibility but I’d argue Curry keeps things light with his carefree attitude and joy of the game whereas Green is the guy who drives the defense, ensures the offense is moving and is the defacto player’s voice and leader on and off the court.

Likewise, there is no argument Kawhi Leonard was the Raptors star. But there is also no denying Kyle Lowry is the heart and soul of the team. Glance back at the postseason and witness most of the pivotal games in each series had Lowry’s fingerprints all over them. In the title game, Lowry set the tone immediately scoring 15 points in the first quarter alone.