Dell Demps had a fabulous offseason despite losing an All-NBA center and an All-NBA point guard — who orchestrated the offense to near perfection. The splashes were a hometown reclamation project of a point guard and a criminally undervalued 4/5 hybrid that plays like tumbleweed made from chainsaws propelled by a jet engine.
The early goings have indicated that these moves were masterful, especially now that Julius Randle is no longer hampered by the scalding fireplace poker to the foot that is plantar fasciitis. Then there’s the currently raved over addition of Wesley Johnson — a starter’s house of a wing — that isn’t a game changer, but whose fit, role and average NBA abilities are a boost to the team’s defense, allowing Alvin Gentry to keep Solomon Hill stapled to the bench.