When Jrue Holiday and the New Orleans Pelicans renewed their partnership in the offseason, the directive for all under executive Vice President David Griffin was that they would do everything to be competitive and compete for a playoff berth in the very tough Western Conference. A post-Anthony Davis world opened the door for Holiday to become a leader for these Pelicans, a guide into the new future alongside bright young talents Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.



Fast forward over three months into the season, and the Pelicans are 9-23 and have fallen well behind in the competitive race for playoff contention in the West. Williamson has yet to play a regular season game after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus in October. While Ingram has taken a major step forward in the fourth season of his career, Ball has stagnated and several young players are still finding their footing in the NBA.



For now, Griffin has given the same message across the league: He...