I am one of the bigger Bender fans around here, but it's worth asking if it's Bender himself that's making the difference or if it's just having another seven-footer out there. Same applies to Johnson- is it him, or is it just the fact that there is a competent player playing PG. I am not arguing one way or the other, but it is something that I've thought about.
Oubre and Johnson are NBA players, which is something we didn't have before they came aboard. Ariza is done, and Oko/Melton aren't ready/contributors.
Bender adds some needed height to this team, we are undersize when Ayton is not out there, even Holmes is smaller and can get abused at times by taller centers despite his great hops.