David Griffin is the Real MVP and the Pelicans Are Awesome

When David Griffin became the New Orleans Pelicans general manager two short months ago, he joined a franchise in turmoil. Since then, he's completely turned around the team's future.

With the help of some NBA Draft lottery luck, Griffin has turned the Pelicans into a playoff contender in 2019 and perhaps much more moving forward.

Admittedly, this synthesis of Griffin's moves should include the loss of Anthony Davis, the asset that helped the Pelicans accumulate the majority of their recent additions. Griffin managed to attain a huge haul for AD despite the rest of the NBA knowing he essentially had no choice but to trade the star big man.

Now, the Pelicans have Zion Williamson, a potential perennial all-pro, Jaxon Hayes, a supremely athletic center, as well as two other rookies. To build on that, Griffin added JJ Redick, a guard whose shooting ability will make him a valuable asset as long as he chooses to stay in the league. Plus, he added underrated big man Derrick Favors to hold down the center position this season.

The Pelicans now have one of the most promising young nuclei in the NBA, and they'll be able to keep adding talent with a wealth of draft picks and cap space in the near future.

David Griffin deserves all the recognition he's getting as a star GM in the NBA. In just two months, he's brought exciting basketball back to New Orleans –– and it should be here to stay for a long time to come.