The New Orleans Pelicans had a (very) interesting offseason in that, well, there wasn’t much going on for the team. Aside from the controversial addition of Rajon Rondo and the selection of Frank Jackson in the NBA Draft, the Pelicans chose to bring the band back together with their collective fingers crossed about the expansion of the DeMarcus Cousins-Anthony Davis relationship and the mega-contract handed out to point guard Jrue Holiday.
With that as the backdrop, there has been some skepticism about the Pelicans and their chances to reach the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference. There is no denying the talent of Cousins and Davis in the frontcourt and Holiday is a solid, if not slightly overpaid, option at the point guard spot. However, there are rumblings (or full-fledged declarations) that the Pelicans could deploy Rondo in the starting lineup and New Orleans’ roster features very little effective depth on the wing in a league that increasingly demands more and more from that position.
Boogie Cousins isn’t worried about that, though, as he recently told Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated that the team will “shock a lot of people” on the floor this season.
“We see that we can do something special regardless of the reports or what the so-called experts think about our team. We’re very confident. We think we have a chance to shock a lot of people. I’m excited. I wish it was starting tomorrow. I’m excited about this season.”
This isn’t a stunning sentiment from a top-tier player in that, well, Cousins is never going to say anything that isn’t overtly positive before the start of the season. In the same breath, it will almost certainly take a herculean effort from both Cousins and his younger counterpart in Davis for the Pelicans to win more games than they lose and he shed light on their burgeoning relationship both on and off the floor.
“A.D. is like a little brother to me. Of course, we got that Kentucky connection. Of course, our relationship has grown since we’ve become teammates. We’re working our tails off. His mindset is to win. My mindset is to win. Whatever it takes. We’re doing defensive slides in the summer right now. We’re all in. Like I said, y’all keep counting us out and we’re going to shock a lot of people.”
As usual, Cousins put forth incredible numbers (27 points and 11 rebounds per game) a season ago but, in the same breath, he received flack for his defensive effort throughout the campaign and that likely contributed to his eventual move from Sacramento to New Orleans. Some of that could, at least in theory, be tied to issues with weight and conditioning but Cousins also indicated that he “lost a lot of weight” in the offseason and that he feels “lighter on (his) feet” on the heels of an offseason training regimen that took place in Los Angeles.
Until the Pelicans get something out of their wings or acquire one (or two) that can fix that problem, skepticism will exist, even with potentially dominant showings from their dynamic frontcourt. Cousins seems quite confident, though, and a step forward from the enigmatic big man on the defensive end of the floor next to the freakishly long Davis could mask a lot of problems in New Orleans.
