When New Orleans officially announced the hiring of Stan Van Gundy as head coach last week, one immediate question NBA media and fans debated was: Does this signal that the Pelicans are more focused on the present or the future? During Van Gundy’s introductory press conference Tuesday, the answer from David Griffin to that query was “both.”
Entering his second season as the franchise’s top basketball executive, Griffin explained why Van Gundy is ideally suited for a role as a win-now sideline leader, as well as one who can help develop a roster laden with young talent.
“In the interview process, we discovered that Coach Van Gundy gave us the best optionality,” Griffin said.