The Pelicans went into the first day of free agency knowing they would make some kind of splash at the point guard position.
There was an outside chance Kyle Lowry would consider them. Some hoped Spencer Dinwiddie could be an option. Others were fine with the idea of bringing Lonzo Ball back on a lucrative deal, even if the price tag was a little high.
Then, negotiations officially started, and Ball, 23, came off the board immediately in a sign-and-trade with Chicago in exchange for Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple and a second-round pick. Lowry would soon follow in a sign-and-trade to Miami.
Hours later, the Pels finally landed their big acquisition of the day by sending a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick to Charlotte in a sign-and-trade for point guard Devonte’ Graham, per several league sources. Graham, 26, joined the Pelicans on a four-year, $47 million contract.
Ball agreed to a four-year, $85 million contract with Chicago.
By the end of the day, New Orleans agreed to send out Ball and a 2022 lottery-protected first and got in return Graham, Satoransky, Temple — who agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal with New Orleans, per several sources — and a future second.
It’s not the kind of moves you’d expect from a franchise that came into the offseason with massive pressure to build a winning roster around cornerstones Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Where was the aggression? Where was the sense of urgency? It didn’t look like there was much of either coming from David Griffin and his front office Monday. Then again, there’s a serious chance New Orleans has a few more tricks up its sleeve before the week is over. But we’ll get to that later.
Barring any blockbuster deals in the coming days, the Pelicans’ free-agency decisions from this pivotal offseason look like they’ll be judged by what the future looks like for Ball and Graham in their new homes.
That may not be entirely fair because the Pelicans didn’t just choose Graham over Ball — they chose Graham and his contract, which cost nearly $40 million less than the one Ball got from Chicago.
Instead of fully committing to Ball as a core member of the foundation, the Pels decided to go with a different option that may end up being just as productive at a fraction of the price. Along with that comes the flexibility to make additional moves without the burden of a Ball deal that costs more than $20 million per season on the books.
Ball’s ascension the past few seasons suggests he may be worth this kind of large contract down the line. But his inconsistency and inability to add other dimensions to his offensive repertoire outside of 3-point shooting led to the Pelicans wanting something different.
Giving up a 2022 first-round pick to get Graham stung a bit, considering New Orleans only got a second-rounder in return for Ball. That’s a lot to pay for a player Charlotte didn’t see as part of its future. But if Graham ends up looking like an above-average point guard next to Williamson and Ingram, the loss of that pick won’t sting nearly as much.
Still, giving out first-round picks for players of Graham’s caliber seems eerily familiar to the Dell Demps days, which eventually led to Anthony Davis bolting for the Lakers.
The Pelicans want to avoid that kind of history repeating itself, and their belief is Graham can help them do that.
But two questions need to be answered: How will Graham look as a full-time starter on a team hell-bent on getting back to the postseason? And more importantly, how is he going to fit next to the face of the franchise?
Ball’s on-court chemistry with Williamson was undeniable from the moment they started playing together. It was a major reason why I’ve been saying for the past few months that possibly overpaying Ball was worth the risk because you get to watch those two guys grow together.
In the end, what we learned once again is this will always be a results-based business. As much fun as it was to see those half-court lobs between Williamson and Ball, and the friendship they developed off the court, it’s tough to deny the lack of positive results they had in their two seasons together.
Despite Ball’s surreal development as a shooter and Williamson’s rise into stardom, the Pelicans were only 39-39 in the 68 games they shared the court. There were many highlight plays and dynamic offensive performances that made the Zo-to-Z connections special. Unfortunately, there were also too many nights when they squandered winnable games and could not close the way great players are supposed to.
That doesn’t simply fall on Ball’s shoulders. However, there was a clear desire from the Pelicans front office to add a ballhandler who could threaten defenses more when the ball is in his hands.
That’s where Graham comes in.
Offensive comparison
When you look at the past two seasons, there isn’t much of a gap between the numbers Graham put up and the numbers Ball put up.
Graham is a more prolific scorer, and Ball brings a little more versatility with his rebounding and defensive impact. But one thing they have in common is abundantly clear: They’re both highly dependent on their jump shooting to be successful offensively.
Per Synergy, 66.9 percent of Graham’s field-goal attempts over the past two seasons have come on jump shots, while 65.9 percent of Ball’s attempts have been classified as jumpers during that same span.
Along with all those jump shots usually comes some inconsistency (i.e., both players having such low field-goal percentages).
With some teams, that may be a bigger issue. But Williamson and Ingram have no problem operating next to guards who love to shoot from a distance. Their ability to create off the dribble and demand so much attention from opposing defenses has allowed Ball to transform his game and become arguably the best spot-up shooter in New Orleans over the past two seasons.
In 2020-21, Ball shot 130-for-323 (40.2 percent) on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, according to NBA.com. Ball attempted 61 more catch-and-shoot 3s than he did the previous season and still managed to increase his efficiency.
Graham may be even more dangerous than Ball in these situations. The former Hornets guard went 124-for-293 (42.3 percent) on catch-and-shoot 3s last season. It was nearly 90 more attempts than he had the previous season, which shows how much his role shifted after the arrival of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward.
After spending much of the 2019-20 season as the primary shot creator in the Charlotte offense, Graham was asked to take more of a backseat role last year, and he still managed to excel.
Graham was one of seven players with at least 275 catch-and-shoot 3s who still managed to shoot at least 42 percent on those attempts. The other six included Bryn Forbes, Joe Harris, Michael Porter Jr., Reggie Bullock, Stephen Curry and Terry Rozier.
Graham will be a huge threat as a floor spacer next to Williamson, maybe even more than Ball, but what separates them even more is what Graham can do when he is called to attack off the dribble.
Graham’s numbers as a pick-and-roll ballhandler plummeted last year with LaMelo and Rozier running the offense more often. It took him some time to adjust to a different role. But in 2019-20, he ranked in the 64th percentile when it came to efficiency on pick-and-roll situations.
The numbers don’t necessarily indicate this, but it feels like Graham is much more trustworthy than Ball in situations where the offense breaks down and somebody has to make a play. As much skill as he brings, there are times when Lonzo can look stiff with his dribble and uncoordinated around the basket.
Graham maneuvers smoothly through pick-and-rolls with his dribble moves, and his stepback jumper can be devastating once he gets hot.
That added wiggle at the point of attack gives New Orleans some improvisational chops that were lacking once Jrue Holiday left the building. Too often in those situations, the Pels needed Williamson or Ingram to bail them out at the end of the shot clock. Now, Graham is a guy who can make some of those plays.
Clutch
Graham’s ability to make something out of nothing and hit tough shots will be helpful in some of the late-game situations that have haunted New Orleans the past two seasons.
While Ball was often an afterthought in late-game moments, Graham has proven he can be a cold-blooded shot maker when the clock is ticking down.
This isn’t necessarily fair to either player, but there’s a number that jumps off the page when you compare what these two guys have done in tight games.
Over the last two years, Ball was 20-39 in games he played where the score was within five points in the final five minutes. On the other hand, Graham was 31-28 in “clutch” games, and he played a crucial part in getting many of those wins.
Of course, Ball and Graham don’t get all of the credit (or blame) for the results of their respective teams. But the conversation about how Ball’s teams close games will follow him until he starts to have more consistent success. Point guards who get paid $20 million-plus per year should have a more significant imprint on the game in moments that matter.
In 2019-20, before LaMelo and Hayward came to town, Graham was legitimately one of the best end-of-game performers in the NBA. During that season, the 26-year-old was 13th in “clutch” points scored (101), second in 3s (15) and fourth in assists (27).
He finished with 66 field-goal attempts in the final five minutes of games within five points that season. Lonzo has attempted 67 such shots in the past two seasons combined.
Graham dragged a team that wasn’t exactly flooded with talent in 2019-20 to some huge wins because of daggers he hit at the end of close games.
The offense will still be running through Williamson and Ingram the vast majority of the time when things get tight, but having another option on the court who can make things happen will be a big change.
Concerns
I’ve laid out several reasons why the Graham acquisition may work, but I still have four major concerns that new Pelicans coach Willie Green will have to address with his new point guard:
• Graham is a decent one-on-one defender, but his size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) will make him a target in certain matchups. Ball’s one-on-one defense was a little overrated at times, but he’s one of the smartest players I’ve been around when it comes to sniffing out plays.
His combination of length and speed allows him to always stay involved in plays, and he’s got an incredible knack for reading the passer’s eyes like a ball-hawking safety. He’s never out of a play.
Ball and Nickeil Alexander-Walker had the potential to terrorize opposing offenses with the way they play in passing lanes and defend multiple positions. Graham is more like a player you try to hide on defense rather than someone you can use as a weapon.
• I’d love to know what this deal means for Kira Lewis Jr. and his future. The Pelicans have been adamant about their delight over the play of last year’s 13th overall pick, and many people in the organization see him as someone who can make a massive impact once he starts to fill out physically.
But with Graham, another smaller guard, likely to play a significant role, where does that leave Lewis? Lineups with Graham and Lewis playing together will likely have a hard time containing some prolific scorers around the league at the guard position.
New Orleans surrendered nine 40-plus-point performances last season, and all nine came at the hands of ballhandling guards. Alexander-Walker has the potential to be someone who consistently has a positive impact on the defensive side, and I see him stepping the role of stopper more often than he has in the past two years. But as of now, I find it hard to believe anyone can feel comfortable saying this backcourt will be able to secure consistent stops when they need to.
They’ll need some major growth from their young guards to feel like they can get to that point next season.
And remember, people within the front office adore their trio of young wings — Trey Murphy III, Didi Louzada and Naji Marshall. If the defensive struggles continue, Green will have to find more time to play his defensive wings, which ultimately may take away from Lewis getting the playing time he needs to grow.
If Lewis improves in some key areas, all of this may be a moot point. But it’s easy to see a scenario next season where fans are complaining for the second year in a row about the lack of minutes Lewis is getting off the bench. That’ll be something to keep an eye on.
• These two quotes will continue to be highly relevant until we hear something different from Williamson and Ingram:
“It’d be dope. Me, Brandon and Zo, the three of us have a great relationship,” Williamson said in April when asked about Ball’s impending free agency. “I really would want Zo to come back. He knows that. But you know, like I said, the reality of the situation is Zo is a grown man, so he’ll make the decision that’s best for him. The only thing I can say is, I hope he stays.”
“In my exit meeting, I talked a lot about (Ball and Hart), especially Zo. I think he’s a generational talent in his passing ability,” Ingram also said in April. “The things he sees on the basketball floor that nobody else sees, how he can manipulate the game and on the defensive end, his anticipation.”
No team needs to worry about the happiness of its stars more than New Orleans. And based on our reporting over the past few months, the Pelicans have some work to do to mend fences with Williamson and his family over the way the last two years have gone.
Ball leaving doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee Williamson will be upset, or that he will use this saga to hold resentment against the organization. However, it does put even more pressure on the front office to make sure these kinds of moves pan out.
Ball was a well-liked figure in the locker room, and seeing him get shipped out of town will raise some eyebrows. As long as the wins start rolling in, there’s not much Griffin or Green should be worrying about. But if not, these are the decisions that could draw resentment from Williamson and Ingram if they have to go through yet another losing season.
What’s next
The Pelicans are currently set to have 12 players under guaranteed contract along with second-round pick Herb Jones and Didi Louzada’s cap hold. That’s before they address anything going on with restricted free agent Josh Hart or sign a third-string center, which will happen at some point.
There’s not much room left on the roster, but New Orleans has enough flexibility to shake things up if it wanted to. After the Ball and Graham moves, the Pelicans should be able to operate as an “over the cap” team if they do some cap gymnastics.
This means they’ll still have access to the $9.5 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception and a hefty $18.1 million trade exception they got from the Steven Adams/Eric Bledsoe trade.
If Griffin wanted to make things interesting, he could move some things around and make a move for someone like Buddy Hield or Joe Ingles to shake up his roster even more. After all the complaints from fans and media alike about what New Orleans did on Day 1 of free agency, making a splash like that would probably shut everyone up rather quickly.
Either way, a decision has to be made on what happens with Hart’s future in New Orleans and how that will impact everyone else on the roster.
New Orleans wanted to gain some flexibility to strike a big deal no one sees coming once it’s available. Now it’s time to deliver on those promises and prove to the fan base that the same mistakes from the Dell Demps era aren’t happening all over again.
The Pelicans went into the first day of free agency knowing they would make some kind of splash at the point guard position.
There was an outside chance Kyle Lowry would consider them. Some hoped Spencer Dinwiddie could be an option. Others were fine with the idea of bringing Lonzo Ball back on a lucrative deal, even if the price tag was a little high.
Then, negotiations officially started, and Ball, 23, came off the board immediately in a sign-and-trade with Chicago in exchange for Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple and a second-round pick. Lowry would soon follow in a sign-and-trade to Miami.
Hours later, the Pels finally landed their big acquisition of the day by sending a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick to Charlotte in a sign-and-trade for point guard Devonte’ Graham, per several league sources. Graham, 26, joined the Pelicans on a four-year, $47 million contract.
Ball agreed to a four-year, $85 million contract with Chicago.
By the end of the day, New Orleans agreed to send out Ball and a 2022 lottery-protected first and got in return Graham, Satoransky, Temple — who agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal with New Orleans, per several sources — and a future second.
It’s not the kind of moves you’d expect from a franchise that came into the offseason with massive pressure to build a winning roster around cornerstones Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Where was the aggression? Where was the sense of urgency? It didn’t look like there was much of either coming from David Griffin and his front office Monday. Then again, there’s a serious chance New Orleans has a few more tricks up its sleeve before the week is over. But we’ll get to that later.
Barring any blockbuster deals in the coming days, the Pelicans’ free-agency decisions from this pivotal offseason look like they’ll be judged by what the future looks like for Ball and Graham in their new homes.
That may not be entirely fair because the Pelicans didn’t just choose Graham over Ball — they chose Graham and his contract, which cost nearly $40 million less than the one Ball got from Chicago.
Instead of fully committing to Ball as a core member of the foundation, the Pels decided to go with a different option that may end up being just as productive at a fraction of the price. Along with that comes the flexibility to make additional moves without the burden of a Ball deal that costs more than $20 million per season on the books.
Ball’s ascension the past few seasons suggests he may be worth this kind of large contract down the line. But his inconsistency and inability to add other dimensions to his offensive repertoire outside of 3-point shooting led to the Pelicans wanting something different.
Giving up a 2022 first-round pick to get Graham stung a bit, considering New Orleans only got a second-rounder in return for Ball. That’s a lot to pay for a player Charlotte didn’t see as part of its future. But if Graham ends up looking like an above-average point guard next to Williamson and Ingram, the loss of that pick won’t sting nearly as much.
Still, giving out first-round picks for players of Graham’s caliber seems eerily familiar to the Dell Demps days, which eventually led to Anthony Davis bolting for the Lakers.
The Pelicans want to avoid that kind of history repeating itself, and their belief is Graham can help them do that.
But two questions need to be answered: How will Graham look as a full-time starter on a team hell-bent on getting back to the postseason? And more importantly, how is he going to fit next to the face of the franchise?
Ball’s on-court chemistry with Williamson was undeniable from the moment they started playing together. It was a major reason why I’ve been saying for the past few months that possibly overpaying Ball was worth the risk because you get to watch those two guys grow together.
In the end, what we learned once again is this will always be a results-based business. As much fun as it was to see those half-court lobs between Williamson and Ball, and the friendship they developed off the court, it’s tough to deny the lack of positive results they had in their two seasons together.
Despite Ball’s surreal development as a shooter and Williamson’s rise into stardom, the Pelicans were only 39-39 in the 68 games they shared the court. There were many highlight plays and dynamic offensive performances that made the Zo-to-Z connections special. Unfortunately, there were also too many nights when they squandered winnable games and could not close the way great players are supposed to.
That doesn’t simply fall on Ball’s shoulders. However, there was a clear desire from the Pelicans front office to add a ballhandler who could threaten defenses more when the ball is in his hands.
That’s where Graham comes in.
Offensive comparison
When you look at the past two seasons, there isn’t much of a gap between the numbers Graham put up and the numbers Ball put up.
Graham is a more prolific scorer, and Ball brings a little more versatility with his rebounding and defensive impact. But one thing they have in common is abundantly clear: They’re both highly dependent on their jump shooting to be successful offensively.
Per Synergy, 66.9 percent of Graham’s field-goal attempts over the past two seasons have come on jump shots, while 65.9 percent of Ball’s attempts have been classified as jumpers during that same span.
Along with all those jump shots usually comes some inconsistency (i.e., both players having such low field-goal percentages).
With some teams, that may be a bigger issue. But Williamson and Ingram have no problem operating next to guards who love to shoot from a distance. Their ability to create off the dribble and demand so much attention from opposing defenses has allowed Ball to transform his game and become arguably the best spot-up shooter in New Orleans over the past two seasons.
In 2020-21, Ball shot 130-for-323 (40.2 percent) on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, according to NBA.com. Ball attempted 61 more catch-and-shoot 3s than he did the previous season and still managed to increase his efficiency.
Graham may be even more dangerous than Ball in these situations. The former Hornets guard went 124-for-293 (42.3 percent) on catch-and-shoot 3s last season. It was nearly 90 more attempts than he had the previous season, which shows how much his role shifted after the arrival of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward.
After spending much of the 2019-20 season as the primary shot creator in the Charlotte offense, Graham was asked to take more of a backseat role last year, and he still managed to excel.
Graham was one of seven players with at least 275 catch-and-shoot 3s who still managed to shoot at least 42 percent on those attempts. The other six included Bryn Forbes, Joe Harris, Michael Porter Jr., Reggie Bullock, Stephen Curry and Terry Rozier.
Graham will be a huge threat as a floor spacer next to Williamson, maybe even more than Ball, but what separates them even more is what Graham can do when he is called to attack off the dribble.
Graham’s numbers as a pick-and-roll ballhandler plummeted last year with LaMelo and Rozier running the offense more often. It took him some time to adjust to a different role. But in 2019-20, he ranked in the 64th percentile when it came to efficiency on pick-and-roll situations.
The numbers don’t necessarily indicate this, but it feels like Graham is much more trustworthy than Ball in situations where the offense breaks down and somebody has to make a play. As much skill as he brings, there are times when Lonzo can look stiff with his dribble and uncoordinated around the basket.
Graham maneuvers smoothly through pick-and-rolls with his dribble moves, and his stepback jumper can be devastating once he gets hot.
That added wiggle at the point of attack gives New Orleans some improvisational chops that were lacking once Jrue Holiday left the building. Too often in those situations, the Pels needed Williamson or Ingram to bail them out at the end of the shot clock. Now, Graham is a guy who can make some of those plays.
Clutch
Graham’s ability to make something out of nothing and hit tough shots will be helpful in some of the late-game situations that have haunted New Orleans the past two seasons.
While Ball was often an afterthought in late-game moments, Graham has proven he can be a cold-blooded shot maker when the clock is ticking down.
This isn’t necessarily fair to either player, but there’s a number that jumps off the page when you compare what these two guys have done in tight games.
Over the last two years, Ball was 20-39 in games he played where the score was within five points in the final five minutes. On the other hand, Graham was 31-28 in “clutch” games, and he played a crucial part in getting many of those wins.
Of course, Ball and Graham don’t get all of the credit (or blame) for the results of their respective teams. But the conversation about how Ball’s teams close games will follow him until he starts to have more consistent success. Point guards who get paid $20 million-plus per year should have a more significant imprint on the game in moments that matter.
In 2019-20, before LaMelo and Hayward came to town, Graham was legitimately one of the best end-of-game performers in the NBA. During that season, the 26-year-old was 13th in “clutch” points scored (101), second in 3s (15) and fourth in assists (27).
He finished with 66 field-goal attempts in the final five minutes of games within five points that season. Lonzo has attempted 67 such shots in the past two seasons combined.
Graham dragged a team that wasn’t exactly flooded with talent in 2019-20 to some huge wins because of daggers he hit at the end of close games.
The offense will still be running through Williamson and Ingram the vast majority of the time when things get tight, but having another option on the court who can make things happen will be a big change.
Concerns
I’ve laid out several reasons why the Graham acquisition may work, but I still have four major concerns that new Pelicans coach Willie Green will have to address with his new point guard:
• Graham is a decent one-on-one defender, but his size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) will make him a target in certain matchups. Ball’s one-on-one defense was a little overrated at times, but he’s one of the smartest players I’ve been around when it comes to sniffing out plays.
His combination of length and speed allows him to always stay involved in plays, and he’s got an incredible knack for reading the passer’s eyes like a ball-hawking safety. He’s never out of a play.
Ball and Nickeil Alexander-Walker had the potential to terrorize opposing offenses with the way they play in passing lanes and defend multiple positions. Graham is more like a player you try to hide on defense rather than someone you can use as a weapon.
• I’d love to know what this deal means for Kira Lewis Jr. and his future. The Pelicans have been adamant about their delight over the play of last year’s 13th overall pick, and many people in the organization see him as someone who can make a massive impact once he starts to fill out physically.
But with Graham, another smaller guard, likely to play a significant role, where does that leave Lewis? Lineups with Graham and Lewis playing together will likely have a hard time containing some prolific scorers around the league at the guard position.
New Orleans surrendered nine 40-plus-point performances last season, and all nine came at the hands of ballhandling guards. Alexander-Walker has the potential to be someone who consistently has a positive impact on the defensive side, and I see him stepping the role of stopper more often than he has in the past two years. But as of now, I find it hard to believe anyone can feel comfortable saying this backcourt will be able to secure consistent stops when they need to.
They’ll need some major growth from their young guards to feel like they can get to that point next season.
And remember, people within the front office adore their trio of young wings — Trey Murphy III, Didi Louzada and Naji Marshall. If the defensive struggles continue, Green will have to find more time to play his defensive wings, which ultimately may take away from Lewis getting the playing time he needs to grow.
If Lewis improves in some key areas, all of this may be a moot point. But it’s easy to see a scenario next season where fans are complaining for the second year in a row about the lack of minutes Lewis is getting off the bench. That’ll be something to keep an eye on.
• These two quotes will continue to be highly relevant until we hear something different from Williamson and Ingram:
“It’d be dope. Me, Brandon and Zo, the three of us have a great relationship,” Williamson said in April when asked about Ball’s impending free agency. “I really would want Zo to come back. He knows that. But you know, like I said, the reality of the situation is Zo is a grown man, so he’ll make the decision that’s best for him. The only thing I can say is, I hope he stays.”
“In my exit meeting, I talked a lot about (Ball and Hart), especially Zo. I think he’s a generational talent in his passing ability,” Ingram also said in April. “The things he sees on the basketball floor that nobody else sees, how he can manipulate the game and on the defensive end, his anticipation.”
No team needs to worry about the happiness of its stars more than New Orleans. And based on our reporting over the past few months, the Pelicans have some work to do to mend fences with Williamson and his family over the way the last two years have gone.
Ball leaving doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee Williamson will be upset, or that he will use this saga to hold resentment against the organization. However, it does put even more pressure on the front office to make sure these kinds of moves pan out.
Ball was a well-liked figure in the locker room, and seeing him get shipped out of town will raise some eyebrows. As long as the wins start rolling in, there’s not much Griffin or Green should be worrying about. But if not, these are the decisions that could draw resentment from Williamson and Ingram if they have to go through yet another losing season.
What’s next
The Pelicans are currently set to have 12 players under guaranteed contract along with second-round pick Herb Jones and Didi Louzada’s cap hold. That’s before they address anything going on with restricted free agent Josh Hart or sign a third-string center, which will happen at some point.
There’s not much room left on the roster, but New Orleans has enough flexibility to shake things up if it wanted to. After the Ball and Graham moves, the Pelicans should be able to operate as an “over the cap” team if they do some cap gymnastics.
This means they’ll still have access to the $9.5 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception and a hefty $18.1 million trade exception they got from the Steven Adams/Eric Bledsoe trade.
If Griffin wanted to make things interesting, he could move some things around and make a move for someone like Buddy Hield or Joe Ingles to shake up his roster even more. After all the complaints from fans and media alike about what New Orleans did on Day 1 of free agency, making a splash like that would probably shut everyone up rather quickly.
Either way, a decision has to be made on what happens with Hart’s future in New Orleans and how that will impact everyone else on the roster.
New Orleans wanted to gain some flexibility to strike a big deal no one sees coming once it’s available. Now it’s time to deliver on those promises and prove to the fan base that the same mistakes from the Dell Demps era aren’t happening all over again.
