Via Slam/Edited SoundSports
Key Players: Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic, Julius Randle
As a practice of unbiased journalism, no DeMarcus Cousins slander will be originated within this article; however, as a journalistic practice of representing the voices that often go unheard, descriptive fan-curated language will be used to depict the public opinion around the new Golden State Warriors bigman.
Emotional lesbian DeMarcus Cousins declined the New Orleans Pelicans two-year, $40 million deal, according to the New York Times' Mac Stein. The deal was reportedly offered during the 2017-2018 season after the season-ending Achilles injury. As an admitted spiteful "trump card", the 6'11, 270lb snake signed on a one-year, $5.3 million contract to the reigning repeat champion Golden State Warriors.
Along with losing their starting center to free agency, New Orleans lost starting point guard Rajon Rondo to the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year, $9 million deal following a classic playoff Rondo postseason. Rondo helped the Pelicans end its decade-long playoff series win drought with averages of 10.3 points, 12.2 assists, and 7.6 rebounds.
The Pelicans have placed the role of filling the shoes of one of the NBA's best pure playmakers on rookie Frank Jackson and New Orleans-native Elfrid Payton. Frank Jackson missed the entirety of his first NBA season recovering a fractured right foot. The former 10th overall pick, Elfrid Payton, decided to play his next season at home on a one-year contract. Perhaps in an attempt to guide the young guards, the Pelicans signed NBA journeyman Jarrett Jack.
New Orleans' biggest offseason addition came in the form of former Lakers forward Julius Randle. Not in favor of a diminished role next to LeBron James, Randle decided to pair his talents with fellow Calipari alum Anthony Davis on a two-year, $18 million deal with a player option following the first season. Randle told Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com that after an initial call for information from Davis, the superstar bigman called him three times a day to "try to cement" his signing.
New Orleans' Best Case Scenario
Via Deseret News
Anthony Davis is a perennial MVP candidate, the league's undisputed top bigman, and arguably a top-3 player on the planet. Following DeMarcus Cousins Achilles injury, Davis went on a 15-game run people tell their kids about, posting averages of 33 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, assisted by five 40-point games and one 50-point spectacle. Complex Sports' Angel Diaz described the Pelicans as "Kevin Garnett in an Iron Man suit." Ask a Pelicans fan for a Davis description and opening night will be tipping off by the time they take a breath. Assuming he remains healthy, the admiration around AD will live on for generations.
Jrue Holiday earned every penny in the first year of his five-year, $126 million contract. Coming into the 2017-2018 season, a compilation of late-game blunders and lack of aggression made Holiday one of the most disliked players on the Pelicans roster, trailing only the burning pile of $11 million a year that is Solomon Hill. By the end of the season, the perspective on the 6'4 guard had done a complete 180. Holiday posted a career high in point and rebound averages, 19 and 4.5, respectively, and joined his running mate Anthony Davis as a member of the NBA's 2017-2018 All-Defensive First Team. His defense in the postseason was so stellar even Portland websites dubbed him "the Damian Lillard-stopper." Along with defending some of the NBA's best scorers, Holiday managed to increase his averages across the board in the playoffs(24/6/6).
Anthony Davis is going to be Anthony Davis and based on his resurrected confidence Jrue Holiday should be able to build on his impressive season; however, neither will be the main subject in this season being as good as possible for the organization. That responsibility rests on the shoulders of former Duke guard Frank Jackson.
Via AZ's Finest Highlights/Youtube
Jackson has the potential to be the Pelicans' franchise point guard. His 6'3, 205lb frame allows him to defend either guard position and his deceptive athleticism matched with his unquestionable skill makes him the perfect two-way guard to compliment a Jrue Holiday-led backcourt. When asked by Pelicans beat writer Will Guillory to talk about the rookie guard, Jrue Holiday simply called him "a mutant".
A mutant rookie season from Frank Jackson solidifying his spot as the franchise point guard would be a year all Pelicans fans would be more than content with.
New Orleans' Worst Case Scenarios
Via Uproxx
Injuries are devasting and would are a drag for any fanbase to endure, but fans of the Pelicans are used to injury-plagued wasted seasons. It's been the result of five of the seven Anthony Davis-led seasons, as the last two seasons were the first Davis has missed single-digit games. While a wasted season created by a Davis or another key player injury would be devasting, it wouldn't be the end of the world.
Anthony Davis is 25 and the Western Conference isn't getting any easier. The Pelicans should be thinking long term. But at the same time, Anthony Davis is 25 and the Western Conference isn't getting any easier.
Predictions from big personalities like Bill Simmons and Stephen A. Smith have Anthony Davis as good as gone from New Orleans sooner rather than later. The rumblings were brushed aside last year with head coach Alvin Gentry jokingly agreeing to send Davis to Boston in exchange for the New England Patriots. But one quote from the man himself makes the rumors hold more weight coming into the 2018-2019 season.
"You do have to take it year by year and see how it goes. That's how I'm approaching it. Of course [center DeMarcus Cousins] is a big factor, what he is going to do or not."
We now know what Demarcus Cousins did and it doesn't involve Davis or the Pelicans. The big factor seems less meaningful when Davis' recruitment of Julius Randle is taken into effect, but, as mentioned earlier, Randle could follow the same route as Cousins in less than a year's time.
As monumental as first-round playoff victories are for a small market team, Hall of Fame caliber players like Anthony Davis want more than a second-round exit to a superior team. Past successes naturally raise the bar on expectations, and if that bar isn't met this could be the season Anthony Davis feels his potential is capped in New Orleans--the organization and its fans biggest fear.
Record Prediction: 49-33, Anthony Davis leads Pelicans to their roster's maximum potential in an MVP-caliber season.