CHICAGO – There’s no objective way to measure this, but in David Griffin and Alvin Gentry, the New Orleans Pelicans might have the basketball executive-coach combination with the most positive attitudes in the NBA. Griffin has exuded optimism from Day 1 of his tenure in mid-April, while Gentry may be the league’s head coach most likely to smile or laugh, even while facing major adversity.
Griffin and Gentry had plenty more reason than usual to grin and share laughs Tuesday night at the Chicago Hilton, when they learned that the Pelicans had won the most anticipated NBA draft lottery in several years.