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Wow. While I definitely thought Portland overachieved this year in claiming a 3 seed, I didn't expect them to lose two at home to the Pels. In fact, I like most thought that after losing Cousins for the year the Pels were likely to slide out of the playoffs entirely. But Anthony Davis has really stepped up and showed what a dominant MVP-level player he can be. There are legitimate arguments - unlikely to be successful - that the Brow should win the MVP award over the Beard and the King. Obviously it doesn't help that Portland has generally weak frontcourt talent to match up, but this series is the eye opener of the playoffs in the early going for me.
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It seems possible that the lasting seismic impact of the Pelicans' first round sweep could be that they lose interest in signing DeMarcus Cousins to a max deal, which could leave him on the open market this off season. I wonder who will take the chance on him coming off of an Achilles' tear.
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I still like Cousins, and think he could be useful for the Pelicans. Before he got injured, the Pelicans had won 7 out of their last 8, and seemed to be figuring out how to play with two bigs.
I don't think they should offer him the max, but if he's willing to come back at a slightly lower level, I think the Pelicans should do it. Two great players (Davis, Holiday) can get you a round or two in the playoffs, but I think you need three to get to the Finals. If they let Cousins go, they still won't have enough cap space to bring in another star, so he might be their best option.Comment
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Maybe the Pels can work out a sign-and-trade/extend-and-trade with the Spurs featuring Cousins and Kawhi. Davis, Kawhi and Holiday would be a tremendous top three and if anyone could maximize Cousins as a player and a teammate, it would presumably be Popovich.Comment
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