"That's something we are most proud of, the resources, the time and commitment we have put into development for this very reason. If we get it right we don't have any big holes in the team when someone leaves."
Replacing Penney is just one aspect of a significant gap-plugging exercise undertaken during the off-season. Corey Webster's demise over a positive test for synthetic cannabis stripped the club of another shooting guard, while the retirement of Paul Henare and the decision not to re-sign the injured Kevin Braswell took both point guards out of the picture.
That left CJ Bruton as pretty much the last man standing in a devastated guard line. Classy American Cedric Jackson was recruited to run the point and veteran Australian Daryl Corletto bolsters the perimeter shooting but the other replacements have come largely from the club's development system.
"It is evolution, people go and that is just the way the world works," Lemanis said. "We have done our job and have young guys coming through."
While Josh Bloxham, Dion Prewster and Isaac Fotu can expect to occupy the far end of the bench, BJ Anthony, Alex Pledger and Tom Abercrombie will be expected to take on more senior roles.
Abercrombie may be the reigning finals MVP, but he is free to develop to his full potential now Penney has left.
"It is an exciting time for Tom, who perhaps stood in the shadows for the last 12 months or so when he could have taken more of the limelight," Lemanis said. "It is a good opportunity for him to come through and take that responsibility of having to deliver game-in and game-out."
No longer reliant on an outstanding perimeter shooting quartet of Penney, Bruton, Gary Wilkinson and - in the clutch at least - Braswell, the offence appears better balanced.
Jackson can shoot the three but is a more accomplished penetrator on the dribble. He is also a considerable defensive upgrade on Braswell, which should help firm up a soft underbelly that was exposed at times last season.
"Defensively I think we have got a pretty good team this year," Lemanis said. "We've seen some really good signs of that in the first four games."
The offence, on the other hand, is still a work in progress.
"We're a new group. It's one thing to know the offence, another to feel completely comfortable. So there's plenty of growth at that end of the floor for us."
Lemanis is keen to play down the strong start, but in a league where the Breakers were the lone team to record more road wins than losses last season, every away win is a vital acquisition.
"You play 14 at home and 14 away so I think sometimes people make more of it than what it is," Lemanis said. "But the last three years we have been a good road team and we expect to be a good road team again."
With their next three games at home (tonight at Vector Arena against the Kings followed by matches against the 36ers and Hawks at the NSEC) the Breakers now have a fine chance to cement their place at the top end of the ladder - which is exactly where they expected to be.
