Pelicans losing despite Cousins and Davis. What’s wrong?

The New Orleans Pelicans have two of the top five scorers in the league in former Kentucky stars Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, but New Orleans is off to a 3-5 start after Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota.

Why can’t a team with two of the most versatile and dominant big men in the league close out games?

Cousins averages 30.1 points per game, second only to Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s sixth in the league in rebounds with 13 per game and stretches the defense with 2.8 three-point makes per game which puts him in the company of some of the best shooting guards in the league. He also ranks in the top 25 in assists with 5.9 per game, an average better than many point guards, including Boston’s Kyrie Irving.

Davis missed nearly two games with an injury scare, but averages 27.1 points (fifth in the league), 12.1 rebounds (seventh) and 2.6 assists per game.

Beat writer William Guillory of Nola.com points to self-inflicted mistakes and lack of supporting players in his game report from the 104-98 loss to the Timberwolves and says the team’s over-reliance on Davis and Cousins is part of the problem.

“On Wednesday night, the duo accounted for more than 60 percent of the team’s scoring. The Pelicans won’t start showing sustainable progress until they get more production from their perimeter players on a regular basis,” Guillory wrote.

Guillory noted that when Davis and Cousins account for more than 50 percent of the offense, the Pelicans are 0-4.

Tom Ziller of SBNation.com said the Pelicans’ general manager, Dell Demps, has put the Pelicans in the predicament they’re in despite the success of the Cousins trade.

“Through seven games this season, the Pelicans are plus-44 in 147 minutes Cousins and Davis have shared on the floor. In 55 minutes with Davis on the floor and Cousins off, the Pelicans are minus-38. In 113 minutes with Cousins on the floor and Davis off, the Pelicans are minus-3. In the 21 minutes with neither on the floor, the Pelicans are minus-12,” Ziller wrote, pointing out the NBA plus/minus disparities that show whether a team is leading or trailing with that particular player(s) on the floor.

“In other words, the Pelicans are plus-14 per 48 minutes — something like a 60-win team — with Cousins and Davis on the floor together. They’re a minus-13 per 48 minutes — something like a 20-win team — when one or both sits,” Ziller wrote.

“This is a failure of team-building.”

Oleh Kosel of Thebirdwrites.com also pointed to the Pelicans’ lack of depth and to New Orleans’ injuries, most notably to point guard Rajon Rondo, another former UK player.

“The Pelicans starting lineup ranks as one of the most potent groups in the NBA,” Kosel wrote. “Through Tuesday’s action, the New Orleans starting five is second in points scored (84.9), first in rebounds (37.0), ninth in assists (16.3), second in free throw attempts (20.4) and sixth in three-point attempts (20.7).

“Conversely, the total output from Pelicans reserves sits on the other side of the spectrum. A group primarily consisting of Jameer Nelson, Ian Clark, (former UK player) Darius Miller, Cheick Diallo and Tony Allen is dead last in points (23.6), free throw attempts (2.6) and rebounds (9.1).”

This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Pelicans losing despite Cousins and Davis. What’s wrong?."