METAIRIE, La. (AP) Whether the Pelicans are better off with Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton than they were with DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo remains to be seen.

All general manager Dell Demps could do on Friday, as he sat between his two new players, was offer assurances that New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis was an ardent advocate for signing Randle and suggest that the "two-way" abilities of Payton and Randle give the Pelicans a promising opportunity to build on a formula that served them well late last season.

"When we finished the season last year, we felt like found a rhythm, found an identity," Demps said, alluding to the playoff push and first-round sweep of Portland that the Pelicans pulled off without Cousins, who was rehabilitating his torn left Achilles tendon.