With the NBA All-Star break done and the playoff push in full swing, Demarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis look to dominate Bourbon Street.
After the Sacramento Kings drafted Cousins fifth overall in 2010, General Manager Vlade Divac finally pulled the trigger and sent the big man east to the New Orleans Pelicans. The complicated and sometimes petty relationship between Kings management and their star player finally hit a boiling point where the it could no longer continue.
Six-and-a-half years with Cousins roaming the paint led to zero playoff appearances and just one 30-plus win season. Cryptic tweets, poor drafting choices and six head coaches in seven years perfectly summarize the turmoil in Sac-town.
The departure from Cousins was expected as he and the Kings mixed as well as oil and water. But what the Kings received in return for Cousins’ services is distressing. Former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, bench player Langston Galloway, rookie Buddy Hield, and a first and second round draft pick were exchanged for the best center in the NBA.
Sports outlets ridiculed the poorly-run Kings for the hasty move, but Cousins has his problems. He is one of the league’s best players, but his temper and poor attitude stifled interest from other clubs. He leads the league with 17 technical fouls and has disrupted locker rooms with poor teammate chemistry throughout his young career.
The Kings end up with sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein and Hield to lead the way. With two first round picks and a deep draft this June, Sacramento hopes this rebuild proves more fruitful.
The Pelicans on the other hand got a major upgrade and can seize the final playoff spot with 24 games to go. Currently three games out of postseason contention, the frontcourt duo of the best big men in basketball is terrifying the Western Conference.
Despite being synonymous with the title of best power forward, Davis guided the Pelicans to only one postseason; a brief yet competitive sweep by the Golden State Warriors.
With two amazing Kentucky University talents and zero playoff success between them, the dynamic duo makes an intriguing style of play in the modern NBA. Similar to the grit and grind style of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Pelicans look to counter the high flying finesse teams of Golden State, Houston and Cleveland. If you cannot outshoot them from deep, counter them with strong defense and interior scoring. The new brand Pelicans only have three games together in the books: all losses. But if they can find unity, this team will be tough come playoff time.
The Big Three of Jrue Holiday, Davis and Cousins is not enough to be a serious contender this year, but it is a move in the right direction. It’s up to Boogie and the Brow to bring New Orleans back into the spotlight.
