Pelicans should be no threat to Golden State Warriors

The New Orleans Pelicans just acquired DeMarcus Cousins but the move should not pose a threat to the Golden State Warriors.

The landscape of the Western Conference changed dramatically during All-Star Weekend. In a shocking move, the Sacramento Kings dealt their superstar, DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings received Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and its 2017 first round and second round picks. This is a great deal for the Pelicans, who are fighting for that final playoff spot in the West. This would give them the opportunity to face the Golden State Warriors.

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This move gives them the best power forward and center combo in the game with Cousins and All-Star game MVP, Anthony Davis. Both can shoot from the outside, be dominant in the paint and pose problems for the Warriors frontcourt. The problem with this deal is the lack of perimeter shooting and depth, making the Pelicans no threat to the Warriors.

Along with Cousins and Davis, the Pelicans are projected to start Jrue Holiday, E’Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill. While all three shoot over 35% from three-point range, they only combine to hit four threes per game. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant all shoot higher percentages and combine to hit nine threes per game. Plus, the Warriors are the best team in the NBA defending the three, allowing their opponents to shoot 32 percent.

In the prior three games against the Warriors, the Pelicans’ trio combined to shoot just 20% from three point range, hitting just four threes. With much of the attention devoted to Davis and Cousins, the Pelicans’ perimeter players will need to shoot much better to pose any threat to the Warriors. That trio will shoot a higher percentage with the addition of Cousins but while the starting five is decent, the bench is a disaster.

With this deal, the Pelicans lost Evans, Galloway and Moore (potential starter) from their bench and replaced them with Casspi. Casspi has been injured for the last month with a calf strain but is likely to return soon. He would give the Pelicans another three-point shooter and a player that loves to play against the Warriors.

But other than Casspi, the Pelicans do not have anyone on their bench that is a consistent scoring threat. Their best reserve is Tim Frazier, a solid backup point guard with great court vision but struggles from the field. He is also a candidate to start in Hield’s place if the Pelicans do not go with Moore. Terrence Jones has also stepped up this season, especially when Davis has been out due to injuries. But like Evans and Galloway, Jones will mostly likely be dealt before the trade deadline on Thursday.

Other candidates off the Pelicans bench are Dante Cunningham, Donatas Motiejunas and Alexis Ajinca. Cunningham can provide some outside shooting and toughness to the squad but will not provide much impact. Motiejunas is coming off a back injury and has been inconsistent since the Pelicans signed him in the beginning of 2017. Ajinca provides the Pelicans with shot blocking and nothing else. He is a liability on offense and poses no threat to the Warriors.

The lack of frontcourt depth is concerning for the Pelicans even making the postseason because of Cousins’ technical foul issues. The Pelicans are 2.5 games back of the the eighth seed, occupied by the Denver Nuggets. Cousins has accumulated 17 technicals, meaning the next one will get him suspended for a game. The suspensions will most likely not stop there because for every two additional technicals Cousins receives will result in an one-game suspension. So Cousins’ behavior will have a lot to do with the Pelicans making the postseason.

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Overall, the Pelicans have one of the worst benches in the NBA that lacks outside shooting and consistent scoring. Cousins and Davis may combine to average 60 points per game against the Warriors in a potential playoff series but the Pelicans will not have enough firepower or depth to keep up with the most prolific offense in the NBA. Unless the Pelicans acquire another scorer/shooter before Thursday’s trade deadline, the Warriors should sweep the Pelicans in a potential first round matchup.