From the moment he took over last month as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for New Orleans, David Griffin has emphasized that the Pelicans want to build a team “organically” that can grow together, setting the foundation for future sustained success. When he recently decided to join Griffin in the Crescent City, that message resonated for Trajan Langdon – for multiple reasons.
“Organic growth” is a fitting way to describe how Langdon and Brooklyn’s front office transformed the Nets from one of the NBA’s worst teams into a 2019 playoff qualifier over a three-year period, despite being hamstrung without a first-round pick in several recent drafts.