Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins didn’t spend much time together at the New Orleans Pelicans. But, when they did, the pair dominated opposing frontcourts. Cousins believes that he and AD would have been remembered amongst the top big men duos in basketball had injuries not derailed his career.
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On FanDuel TV’s Run it Back, Lou Williams asked Cousins if he thought he and Davis could have been the greatest frontcourt tandem in NBA history. The 34-year-old quickly downplayed that notion, narrating the league’s history of big men. But he conceded that the short-lived Pelicans duo could have been in the discussion.
“That’s tough to say when you got guys like Tim Duncan and David Robinson as teammates and everything they’ve accomplished. But I think we could have been in the conversation,” Cousins said.
While the pair would have had to achieve much more together to be named alongside the Spurs legends, Cousins’ sentiment does have some merit.
Following a blockbuster trade that shipped the longtime Sacramento King to the Big Easy, the Pelicans transformed into bonafide playoff contenders. It was too late for Cousins to help salvage the team’s 2016-17 campaign in just 17 games, but Boogie and The Brow showcased their full potential after an offseason together.
“That’s tough to say when you got guys like Tim Duncan and David Robinson as teammates.”@BoogieCousins thinks he and Anthony Davis had the talent to be one of the best duos in NBA history
Do you agree?
WE’RE LIVE ⬇️https://t.co/CfAwAvgFYZ pic.twitter.com/2tqpbx1qus
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 18, 2024
Cousins played, arguably, the best stretch of his entire career during the first half of his final All-Star season in 2017-18. Even as a second option, the bruising big man was feasting on defenses with averages of 25.5 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. The new NOLA duo had an impressive 28-14 record while sharing the court prior to DMC’s Achilles tear in January 2018.
That injury would eventually lead to the end of the four-time All-Star’s time in New Orleans. It also instantly dismantled any momentum the team had built over the course of the season. The sudden end is the main reason it’s so hard to calculate what the duo could have achieved.
But Cousins still underlined his belief that he and Davis boasted the talent to be the best, even if they didn’t have an opportunity to prove it.
Cousins and Davis didn’t achieve anything despite early dominance
The Pelicans were able to return to the postseason following Cousins’ injury, even managing to knock off the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round in 2018. But outside of a spirited series win spearheaded by Davis and Jrue Holiday, Boogie wasn’t able to accomplish anything of note playing alongside AD.
Bringing Duncan and Robinson into the conversation feels almost disrespectful to the Spurs greats when the accolades are compared. Timmy and ‘The Admiral’ earned two NBA titles together in 1999 and 2003 with Duncan even winning two league MVPs alongside Robinson. That’s the reason why Boogie was hesitant to entertain the ‘greatest frontcourt duo notion’ in the first place.
Cousins undoubtedly had several more All-Star seasons in the tank had he avoided the gruesome Achilles tear, which happened when he was just 27. New Orleans would have had more time to establish their core around the superstar big men. If The Brow had also remained with the franchise rather than forcing his way to Los Angeles that is.