Cousins: Small-ball teams give me and Davis an advantage
The whole league is trending toward small ball - except the New Orleans Pelicans.
Between DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, the Pelicans have assembled the most talented frontcourt in the NBA. Though that team-building strategy goes against modern convention, and they didn't find much success together in limited run last season, Cousins is confident they'll eventually thrive.
"I think the game is actually playing into our hands," Cousins recently told Chris Mannix of The Vertical. "I think me and A.D. have a skill set that a lot of bigs don't have in this league, or the league hasn't seen in some bigs throughout the history of the game.
"I think it actually plays into our hands, and we're just rolling with the punches. I don't think (a smaller game) will affect me or A.D. at all."
Davis and Cousins posted phenomenal individual numbers, but the Pelicans compiled a losing record (7-10) after adding Cousins over All-Star weekend. New Orleans ranked 13th in defense and 18th in offensive efficiency despite Cousins and Davis averaging over 50 points and 20 rebounds between them.
Cousins attributes those modest returns to an awkward transition in which the Pelicans lost six of their first eight games after his trade. New Orleans was more successful once Davis and Cousins learned how to coexist.
"I actually went in trying to change my game, and A.D. got on me a little bit and the coaches got on me and told me to just come out and be myself," Cousins said. "As I made that adjustment we actually started clicking a lot better and the team as a whole started playing a lot better."
Davis and Cousins should be skilled enough to meet the strict spacing demands of the modern game. Both bigs are mobile, can step beyond the 3-point line, and are tremendous passers. They both influence the defense with their movement and they're undeniable scorers in the paint.
Though twin tower frontcourts are quickly going extinct, if any combination can buck the trend of small ball, it should be the All-Star duo in New Orleans.