DeMarcus Cousins has returned to the New Orleans Pelicans this season with much more composure while continuing to remain dominant on the court. However, now he’s been able to expand his talents from knocking down mid-rangers and posterizing defenders on the block to becoming more of a weapon beyond the arc.
So far this season, Boogie Cousins is averaging 27.1 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists. With this stat line, he leads the league with the most double-doubles this season as well as marking his fifth consecutive season averaging a double-double with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds.
But, it isn’t always about filling up the stat sheet. Cousins has grown into a driver who isn’t afraid to truck anyone in their lane by using his size and length to his advantage.
The Pelicans have a special advantage with Boogie and partner-in-crime Anthony Davis who are able to have some sort of connection with one another, which results in successful pick-and-rolls or setting each other up for great shot opportunities. Though New Orleans is just 8-8, the Twin Towers have been combining to score 50 points or more, as well as double-digit rebounds, in almost every game.
Yet, people still tend to overlook Cousins’s talents.
“You’re talking about a guy who’s averaging 28, 14, 6 assists, 1.6 blocks, 1.6 steals,” Paul Pierce, NBA halftime reporter and former NBA champion, said after New Orleans’ loss against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. “Why is no one talking about him in the MVP race?”
Boogie has already reached 400 points and 200 rebounds in his first 15 games of the season, according to ESPN Stats & Info. He ranks in a list that’s only been accomplished by NBA greats Moses Malone (1979-82) and Shaquille O’Neal (1999-00).
Furthermore, Cousins is performing at peak Shaq-level, which was during O’Neal’s 1999-00 season, where he averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He also beats dominant big-man Kevin Durant in offensive RPMs, trailing behind James Harden, Stephen Curry and LeBron James--the real and most elite players in the league today.
Now, of course, everyone talks about Harden, Curry, Durant and James, but where’s Cousins’s acknowledgement?
