Following the NBA Draft Lottery, new General Manager for the New Orleans Pelicans, David Griffin pointed to the OKC Thunder as the team he hopes to emulate. Shortly after the lottery was complete Griffin was mobbed by media who were still reeling from how much shifting occurred within the new system.
No one anticipated the Pelicans or Memphis Grizzlies for that matter would leap ahead of the three teams (New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns) to take the top two picks this year. That is everyone except Griffin who told his peers the Pelicans were going to win the draft.