What Can DeMarcus Cousins Bring To The Pelicans Offense?
In the NBA small ball era, can the New Orleans Pelicans reverse the trend via the modern day version of Duncan & Robinson?
Small ball has become the new norm in terms of building a successful team in the NBA. Yet, the New Orleans Pelicans have taken a completely different approach. With their recent acquisition of talented big man DeMarcus Cousins to pair with superstar power forward Anthony Davis, the Pelicans have become the NBA’s antithesis to the small ball trend.
This pairing of two of the best big men in the NBA certainly sets up an interesting situation in New Orleans. Opposing defenses will have to worry about trying to stop the talented duo from torching them, which is much easier said than done. New Orleans now has two players who rank fourth (Davis) and sixth (Cousins) in points per game respectively. Given both of their talents on the offensive end especially, trading for Cousins gives the Pelicans a lot of options to work with.
Both Davis and Cousins are versatile scorers. They can hit shots from anywhere on the court and defenses have to stay focused on them at all times. This is especially true of Davis, who can step out and knock down shots more efficiently than his new front court mate. On shots from 10 to 16 feet from the rim Davis shoots 46%, which is a lot better than Cousins who shoots 30.9% from the same distance. This difference does have its advantages though, as it allows Cousins to work in the post where he is one of most efficient players in the NBA.
On the Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins was the go-to man with most of his possessions drawn up for him in the post. While with the Kings this season Cousins posted up at a frequency rate of 20.9 percent, (the highest on the team) scoring 0.94 points per possession on post-ups (PPP). With his brute strength and sneaky athleticism paired with his big frame, Cousins has become one of the toughest big men to stop in the paint.
An example of his post prowess was the game versus Golden State. When the Warriors went to their famed “Death Star” lineup, (when Draymond Green primarily guard fives) it gave Cousins a favorable matchup when it came to size. With approximately 12 seconds left on the shot clock, Sacramento decides to get the ball into the post where Cousins backs down Green. All it took was one dribble and a quick spin to his right for Cousins to get inside position. Giving him unfettered access to the basket to lay it in with his left hand, while shielding himself from getting blocked by the Warriors forward.
Cousins ability to play inside and out, opens up Alvin Gentry’s playbook on how he can use the big man. Especially using him and Davis together to help free up open shots in the offense.
Given Cousins scoring ability in the paint, the Pelicans should be able to use high-low feeds involving Davis and DMC to get the ball to each other in the post. Another positive in having a post player like Cousins is he will command double teams when he gets going offensively.
In Sacramento, teams were willing to double on Boogie knowing there weren’t many scoring options on the floor and they were content with letting the “other guys” beat them. But, this time it’s different because the “other guys” now include a top ten scorer. Davis’ ability to score on his own and hit jumpers will make teams less willing to send a secondary defender to double Cousins. Especially since it potentially leaves Davis open, or allows him an easier path to get open.
Cousins doesn’t even have to be in a post-up to be an offensive threat. DMC has the ability to take the ball on his own and finish near the hoop. While with the Kings this year, Cousins averaged a team high 7.6 drives per game and shot 48.8% on that specific type of play.
It was a common practice by the Kings to have Cousins dribble the ball up court and essentially act like a point guard. Here he is being guarded by rookie Ivica Zubac, who Cousins decides to take one on one. With Zubac trying to protect the drive, it opened space between the two players. Boogie uses a series of crossovers in an attempt to lose the rookie. After a crossover to his right, Cousins took an explosive step to the left, beating Zubac. It was a simple lay in for Cousins, who is extremely good at scoring at the basket with either hand.
Cousin’s ball handling ability also sets up New Orleans for running a 5–4 pick and roll game which, given Davis’s elite ability as a roll man, is sure to cause problems for defenses.
Getting DeMarcus Cousins in theory makes a lot of sense for the Pelicans. Especially when it comes to getting Davis help offensively. Even with the likes of Buddy Hield and Jrue Holiday on the court along with AD, he still had to carry a heavy offensive load. The lack of scoring from the Pelicans cast was glaring before the trade. Getting a scorer like Cousins opens up Davis to not have to score 35 plus points every night just to give his team a chance to win.
So far, the two big men have had a tough time meshing in terms of on court results. New Orleans is 2–5 since the trade and one of those wins came with Cousins suspended.
Factor in it’s a two sided coin with DeMarcus Cousins. You get the good with the bad and it shows in most games. Mostly, the good outweighs the bad, but there are times where he can make ill-advised plays. For example, against San Antonio last Friday when he missed a highly contested three in an effort to tie the game at the end of overtime. It wasn’t a bad game from Cousins (he scored 19 points and grabbed 23 rebounds), but the ending displayed the hit or miss you sort of get with Boogie.
Following New Orleans win Sunday, they sit three games back of the Denver Nuggets for the 8th seed. And the move for Cousins certainly puts them in the mix for getting that final playoff spot. Despite an 8th seed meaning a likely matchup with the Warriors or San Antonio Spurs, a playoff berth would still be a step in the right direction for New Orleans.
But, the Pelicans will have to overcome the growing pains they are experiencing right now. That said, New Orleans certainly have the talent to get there with two of the best big men in the NBA on their team. Moreover, as the pair find their chemistry the future brightens for the Pelicans and their dynamic duo.
