Five conclusions from the opening press conference by David Griffin

The New Orleans pelicans introduced David Griffin as the team's new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations on Wednesday (April 17).

1. The infrastructure will develop

Griffin said Pelicans owner Gayle Benson was committed to creating a winner in New Orleans. He talked about talking with Benson in the interview process and going away impressed.

"And believe me," said Griffin, "I have made outrageous demands in this conversation, I am very comfortable that she is 100% committed."

Benson was equally impressed by Griffin throughout the interview process.

"He was amazing," said Benson. "It was just the ideal solution for us. We had a punch list of what we wanted and he checked all the boxes. Some of the other candidates checked some of the boxes but he ticked them all. All that he represents, everything he believes in.

"He was our first candidate and, from the outset, I said," I really like this guy. "But I knew that I needed to hear everyone, but I kept consulting him and coming back to him.We are very lucky to have him.This is a real Thanksgiving for us. "

Part of Benson's commitment to Griffin will be increasing the size of the front office. Griffin did not explain in detail the positions he is about to hire, but said that support would support him.

"I have people in mind, but I have not asked for a name," Griffin said. "There were types of people, people involved, who were absolutely not beginners to me. But I do not think it was a situation in which the owner had to tell me that yes, you had to hire that person. They just needed to tell me we had the bandwidth to hire the right people. "

Griffin also stated that he did not have specific titles in mind for anyone, but specifically for the position of General Manager, would give him the title of General Manager, if that's what it takes to do it.

2. Jrue Holiday is not going anywhere

Griffin spoke at length about Anthony Davis and his desire to sit with the Pelican superstar on his desire to stay in New Orleans. But he also talked about Jrue Holiday and the fact that he thinks that Holiday can be part of what will be built in New Orleans.

"I think he's excited about the direction," said Holiday's Griffin. "He wants to compete. I have every reason to believe that he will want to do that with us. Jrue was a guy who is frankly a competitor. It's what you want your franchise to represent. It is very significant. "

Holiday has just completed its 10th NBA season and is missing a year of first place in the NBA's first defensive team. This year, Holiday played 67 games before it closed after a basic muscle operation.

He averaged 21.2 points per game, a career high, 5 rebounds (a career record) and 7.7 assists per night.

As long as Holiday wants to be in New Orleans, it seems that Griffin will be happy to keep him there.

3. Griffin and Gentry will push each other

Although a sector of Pelican fans wanted the team to start from scratch, Alvin Gentry will remain in the place of the head coach of the Pelicans and that's partly because of Griffin's relationship with him.

Griffin and Gentry worked together in Phoenix, where Griffin climbed the ladder when Gentry became an assistant coach in 2004. Griffin interviewed Gentry for the Cleveland Head Coach position in 2014.

This relationship they established could lead to control in New Orleans.

"We can fight each other," Griffin said.

Gentry was all smiles at the press conference. He was sitting next to Meredith, Griffin's wife, and even joked with Griffin on stage. While Benson and Saints / Pelicans president Dennis Lauscha handed Griffin a jersey bearing his name, he held it in front, with the front of the jersey and New Orleans ahead.

Gentry called from the front row to get Griffin to knock him down, which prompted Griffin to say, "You can say I'm not used to wearing a jersey."

If Gentry can not do the job, Griffin will always be quick to make a move. He sacked David Blatt midway through the 2015-16 season and installed Ty Lue as head coach … and Lue led Cleveland to a championship a few months later.

4. He wants to win titles

Speaking of championships, it will be a bad word around pelicans facilities.

"Make no mistake, we're competing for the championships," Griffin said. "This is also the last day that basketball team members use this word. This is not a word you simply use.

Wait what?

"If others want to use it, agree," he continued. "But everyone here, they understand, you do not say the word" championship. "You earn the right for others to say it about you by the actions you do every day."

Griffin was also pretty clear on the fact that he wants to change the culture in New Orleans and that Benson will help him in his commitment to the team.

5. Do not tell Griffin that you can not win in small markets

Griffin had very strong feelings to be told that you can not win in the small markets of the NBA.

"This appeared in the interview process," Griffin said. "The idea that small markets can not win without reason. We won in Cleveland. We organized a parade and there were 1.6 million people there.

Things were different for Griffin in Cleveland. There was pressure to win a championship right away because LeBron James was part of the team. Nobody wanted to waste time with James.

Things are different in New Orleans.

"We won very inorganically (in Cleveland)," Griffin said. "It's a situation where we play the long game and have the spirit to maintain success. It's different.

"For this city and this community, it's really significant. It's not easy to reverse the switch and win a championship tomorrow. But if you start to comply with the city's ethic, you can build something that attracts the right people. We want to build something that will last. This city gives us the chance to do it. "

Griffin said he was really upset by the idea that small markets can not win. In fact, he used strong language to do it.

"They are bulls," he says. "Tell it to all the little markets that have already done it. How big is San Antonio? "