The Pelicans have a decision to make on Cousins

Don’t look now, but the New Orleans Pelicans are firmly in the playoff picture.

I know, I know, I know. I told everyone all season that the Pelicans would be mediocre and that this wouldn’t be part of their future.

For that, I’ll eat the crow. I was wrong.

But I’m here to tell you that I wasn’t wrong all the way because my logic in being pessimistic about the Pelicans was spot on.

This basketball team doesn’t need Boogie Cousins in its future to become a Western Conference power. Not even remotely.

I will not say that the Pelicans are better without Cousins because it’s always better to have good players than to not have good players.

But I will say this: I do think the team could find better ways to spend the money they’re paying Cousins to better build a roster around Anthony Davis.

Now, let me explain.

The NBA is no longer a big man’s game.

Cousins is an elite, all-world center. There is no question about that. Any reporter who denies that is just making a point to be a hater.

But today’s NBA has shifted against the center being a high volume player and that doesn’t mesh well with Cousins’ style.

Diehard Pelicans fans, be honest with yourselves. How many times did you watch games over the past two years and holler at your TV for Cousins to stop settling for so many outside shots? He shoots 6 per game. Also be honest: How many times did Cousins start his “point Boogie” routine, force a pass for a turnover and it irritated you so bad that you wanted to toss the TV remote out the window? Cousins averaged 5 turnovers per game before his injury.

It just doesn’t work.

Cousins is a dynamite offensive player, but having that much usage out of him limits the ability of the team’s role players to make plays and get rhythm.

On the flip side, it also limits Cousins’ energy and desire to play on the defensive side of the floor. When committed, Cousins could be a great defender. But he simply takes too many possessions off, jogging back during transition or walking down the court on offense to preserve energy.

The Pelicans’ defense got better as soon as he left the lineup and it’s not a secret nor an accident. It’s because he’s simply trying to do too much and doesn’t have the energy in the tank to play that way for 48 minutes.

Now, for the strongest piece of my argument – less Cousins means more Anthony Davis. And more Anthony Davis is the right answer to a lot of questions when trying to succeed in the NBA.

Cousins shoots 18 times a game. Davis shoots 19. That’s a ratio I don’t like. Those two guys are not apples to apples.

Since Cousins went down with his Achilles injury, the Pelicans have completely revamped the way that they play. Instead of Boogie ball, they’re playing a more up-tempo, frantic pace that, quite frankly, is overwhelming opponents.

New Orleans leads the NBA in offensive pace since the injury and they’re near the top of the NBA in almost every, single offensive stat, as well.

Since that transition, Davis has taken over and has emerged as a monster (not that he wasn’t one before). He’s getting up and down the floor like a gazelle and he’s dominating as an up-tempo, offensive-minded athletic power forward who also plays a lot of minutes at the five.

And it works.

When Cousins got hurt, the Pelicans were 27-21 – six games above .500.

Since that time, they’ve improved their record and sit at 38-27. My math tells me that they’re 11-6 without the big man in the lineup. And even those numbers are skewed because some of the losses were in the immediate aftermath of Cousins’ injury when the team was learning its new style of play. Others came this past week when Davis turned his ankle and had to miss some time.

That’s an awfully good record without a player who is supposedly as valuable as Cousins is. Or, we can just call a spade a spade and admit that the guy has never been part of a strong playoff contender before for a reason – because he, alone, is not all that valuable to have.

It hurts for fans to hear it, but the numbers don’t lie.

It is what it is.

This is Anthony Davis’ team and the Pelicans’ brass should build it for how best to showcase Davis’ talents for the future.

I get that he and Cousins’ are close and he wants Cousins’ back in the future. I fully understand.

But I also understand that the NBA is a business and the proof is pretty firmly in the pudding.

This team is best when Davis and the Pelicans try and play with pace and tempo and with Davis as the head of the snake.

We tried the two-headed snake and it doesn’t work

Use the money from Cousins’ salary to sign some Indians. This team has a chief. It doesn’t need another.

Boogie Cousins

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