Dell Demps has a history of dealing with point guard controversies. He recently helped with the George Hill/Tony Parker situation. He knows that there’s a good part and a bad part to having two extremely talented point guards. This is a good thing, since he’ll be stepping into the exact same situation in New Orleans.
The Hornets are set to hire Demps for GM of New Orleans, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. The Hornets needed a stable voice among the chaos of their offseason which has seen turnover in their general manager after the draft, a new coach brought in, and the impending sale of the team. Demps provides that, along with Monty Williams, their new head coach. Both Demps and Williams are products of the Spurs’ system in San Antonio, and Demps had experience with development as manager of the D-League affiliate Austin Toros (owned by the Spurs).
Demps’ development skills are going to be crucial for the team as it looks to build a roster for the future, with Peja Stojakovic and others’ long-term contracts going the way of the dodo. He also has experience in dealing with roster logjams, like that of the Hill-Parker conundrum, and trying to find minutes for Marcus Thornton. Finally, Demps brings a strong business background he’s worked to cultivate, alongside experience as a former player. It’s hard to argue it’s a bad choice, though some will question his pedigree.
Still, it means the Hornet’s front office has stabilized, and can now turn its attentions to the only question anyone wants to ask and that Demps may need to get used to.
“Can they keep Chris Paul?”