Don’t look now, but the power balance in the Western Conference might shift considerably over the next weeks.
No one is going to move the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs from the top. And the Houston Rockets will likely finish in the Top 4 as well. But one team no one can sleep on are the New Orleans Pelicans, especially after they acquired DeMarcus Cousins.
There’s still a lot work to be one regarding the usage of Cousins and Anthony Davis together, that’s for sure. But suddently the franchise has two legitimate stars in which they can build their future. Davis isn’t going anywhere, and Cousins could re-sign as soon as next season. These two players could generate an interesting shift in the power balance in the West.
With Davis and Casspi on the roster, the Pelicans will improve on both ends of the floor. Casspi con open up spaces in the perimeter, and he’s a deadly three-point shooter. On the other hand, Cousins is a double-double machine that can get things done on both ends of the floor. As if that wasn’t enough, DMC has turned himself into a respectable long-distance threat, as evidenced by his 35,6% percentage from three-point range.
Cousins is 26 years old and averages 27.8 points with 10.6 rebounds per game. On the other hand, Davis is 23 and averages 27.7 points with 11.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest. The league hasn’t seen a pair of bigs that productive on a same team since Tim Duncan and David Robinson. And we all know how that partnership ended with the Spurs.
We are not saying that the Pelicans are contenders solely due to Cousins’ presence. But there’s no question they’ll be an improved team for the reminder of the season. They even have enough weapons to potentially generate an upset in the first round of the playoffs. No team in the West has the weapons to deal with Cousins and Davis at the same time.
We’ll see how the experiment works, and most importantly if Alvin Gentry can adjust his tactics. But both big men have the potential to be impressive and dominating. This might not result in a title for the Pelicans, but that is not their goal in the short term. What’s more important is that they’ve suddenly become a force in the West.
One that no one wants to face come playoff time.