Pelicans think big with Davis, Cousins
Front-court duo can play any way the game dictates — advantage New Orleans
NBA teams spend hundreds of hours and countless thousands of dollars trying to unearth the desired big man of the era, someone who can shoot and handle the ball, effective outside and in the post, a tenacious rebounder and someone comfortable everywhere on the court.
The New Orleans Pelicans are saving themselves a lot of money and time these days because they’ve already got two of them, an embarrassment of big-man riches.
In Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the Pelicans have two of the premier multi-faceted bigs in the game and they are finally figuring out how to mesh their impressive talents.
Cousins and Davis, who have the Pelicans at 6-5 after Thursday night’s 122-118 loss to the Raptors, had combined for an average of 57.3 points and 26.4 rebounds per game before totaling 38 at the ACC. They shoot from outside and hammer the boards. They handle the ball and share it. They are the envy of many a team.
“They have a lot of similar skills, so that helps the situation because both of them are capable of playing on the inside or the outside,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said Thursday morning. “Because of that, we can alternate what they’re trying to do. Paired together, I don’t think they have a weakness.
“Both of them are very good rebounders, very smart players. Both of them are willing passers. I think they can make it easier for everyone else on the floor.”
It’s taken a while for the two to figure it out. They didn’t have a smooth transition at the end of last season, when New Orleans acquired Cousins from the Sacramento Kings, and there were doubts they would ever really figure it out. But they have been outstanding together for most of this season, with New Orleans carrying a four-game winning streak into the ACC.
“Just watching them play, going over film, you see both guys can bring down the ball, handle the ball, shoot threes. Sometimes they even set screen-and-rolls for each other. DeMarcus throwing Anthony lobs,” Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan said. “So it’s definitely one of those duos that’s dominant at both positions that you’ve never really seen before.”
Cousins, at six-foot-11, is the bigger long-distance shooting threat of the two, averaging 7.5 three-point attempts per game. But he’s also averaging 13.6 rebounds and shooting 55 per cent from two-point range.
“I think our talent is different than a lot of bigs — there’s so many ways we can dominate a game,” Cousins said after the Pelicans beat the Pacers on Tuesday. “And I think we’re just scratching the surface right now. We can get so much better.”
How far Cousins and Davis can carry the Pelicans remains to be seen, and the early-season sample size is small. New Orleans hasn’t made the playoffs in four seasons, the injuryplagued Davis averages almost 20 games missed per season because he’s hurt, and New Orleans is in the deep and talented Western Conference. But whatever happens, they know they are on the cutting edge.
“You get to do a little bit of everything — shoot the ball, dribble, pass, get screens set for you — so it’s fun to play in this era,” the six-foot-10 Davis said. “The game has definitely evolved. And it’s fun for me especially because I used to play this way in high school as a guard, so it’s a little reminiscent for me and it’s fun.
“To see some of these guys do the things they do. Some do it better than guards. It’s a great opportunity for me to play in this era, especially alongside another guy who can do the same thing.”