The early release of Kenny Kadji did not surprise any of the Hapoel Holon fans.
The Cameroonian midfielder among the 34 had difficulty integrating professionally into Guy Goodes' lineup and the rumors surrounding his future in the team already began in the Winner Cup tournament, long before he ended his career with the team at the beginning of November.
After many weeks of intensive and extensive searches throughout the player market, the champion managed to get her hands on the player she wanted - Javin Delaurier.
All along, the professional team, as a lesson from Kadji's lack of suitability, was looking for a player who could play in positions 4 and 5, next to Marvin Jones in a high five or as his replacement in position 5 as the main center, combinations that did not work at the beginning of the season.
The second thing they were looking for in Holonia is a player with an identity and defensive characteristics who can cover the lineups that also include Eric Green or Joe Ragland, who are not known as exceptional bodyguards.
The champions really wanted Chris Horton, whose situation in Hapoel Tel Aviv in those days was precarious, and were ready to offer him a very generous contract in their size.
However, Horton's financial demands alongside the Russian Kuban's offer were too great and tipped the scales against Holon.
Goods.
He knew what he was looking for, photo: Alan Shiver
The club hoped that after the return from the national team break at the end of November and before the fateful meeting against Galatasaray in Turkey, a player would already be landed, but the talks with the candidates did not mature at that time for signing.
"The market is not easy," said Goodes about three weeks ago, "there were several candidates, but in the end it didn't work out, each for their own reasons. The market is difficult and you may have to wait for players who are released from another team. Also from a budgetary point of view, you need a player on your scale, we We hope we will find it as soon as possible."
We did not succumb to the pressure of time
After the weeks that have passed, the leaders of the group felt the rumblings of the crowd but insisted on continuing to wait for the right opportunity and not to rush.
"We knew in advance that the market situation is not easy with our amounts. If you want to find cheap players there are plenty, but we didn't want to find a player who wouldn't fit and would be released after a week. We are not serious about signing to say we signed," said the team.
"We are looking for candles, we have to be patient. We are working around the clock to bring in a quality player," Goodes shared about a week and a half ago.
The thin market led the leaders of the champion to consider signing a player on a temporary contract for only two or three months, and going over all the teams of the European leagues in an attempt to find a player in a situation where they can try to get us out of it, whether due to poor payment ethics in his team or professional dissatisfaction.
In the end, the Purples, who have already demonstrated a good and accurate response to situations during the season, managed to attract Javin Delaurier from the ranks of the Greek Makarditza, where he averaged 10.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
The American infielder had an exit clause at the end of the month, and the champions paid his team to release him early.
Professionally, DeLaurier's signing meets all the requirements that were sought in the Toto Hall.
Goodes gets into his ranks a versatile and diverse interior player who can bring the ball down the floor and produce points from isolation moves, as well as serve as a blocker in the pick and roll game and produce easy points in the paint after rolling inside.
DeLaurier, a graduate of Duke University (the "Blue Devil"), also served as the team's captain, with a battery of stars playing alongside him in the form of Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum and RJ Barrett.
After graduating from college, the forward/center joined Greensboro of the G-League, from where he moved to the Niagara River Lions of the Canadian League, where he averaged 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.2 steals and was selected for the top five of the season.
In addition, he also played in the Wisconsin uniform from the development league through which he received a 10-day contract with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
The center is recognized most of all for playing wonderful defense and a proven defender with a developed sense for blocks and interceptions, and also one who can also deal great in the situation where he receives the opposing guard after a substitution, this is due to the impressive athleticism and agility of his legs in relation to his height, and thus actually maintain all the positions on the field.
Johnson.
A powerful combination with Delaurier, photo: Oded Karni
High formations that will combine Chris Johnson alongside Marvin Jones and DeLaurier will provide Guy Goodes with physicality and toughness under the baskets in the 3-5 positions that have not been enough until now.
"This is a committed player, with a defensive orientation, who runs the field and plays first of all for the team. He is intelligent, with the ability to pass and rebound and he will give us the option to play in high formations next to Marvin as well," Goodes noted.
The only two shortcomings that can bother Goodes professionally are the outside shooting of the new acquisition which was not one of his strengths throughout his career, something that could pose a few problems in the lineup next to Jones, whose shooting is also not automatic.
This season in the Greek league, Delaurier averaged only 22.2% from beyond the arc.
Alongside this there is also the lack of experience in the European arena or in teams with pressure or ambitions in the professional career like Holon.
If everything goes well, the champions' fans will have a young, athletic and exciting player who fits exactly the character and the attacking and exciting style of play of the Purples.
If Duke's former captain adapts quickly to the champion's purple uniform, another championship in Israel looks more realistic than ever, and for him it will only be an intermediate step on the way to the next soar.
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