For the first time in his career, New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis was playing with a teammate in the NBA All-Star game. The twin towers pair consisting of him and DeMarcus Cousins would terrorize Team Curry. But as we all know, Cousins suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles injury. He would not only miss the All-Star game but also the Pelicans' push for the playoffs after the All-Star break. Since Cousins went down, the team has gone a respectable 4-5 record. Anthony Davis has looked like a dominant monster and Jrue Holiday has been forced to elevate his level of play.

Six games after Cousins went down, the Pelicans had lost five of them. They bounced back with three wins over lottery teams, but that is not too much of an encouraging sight. It is clear everybody needs to figure out their new role. Or as Davis said, the team needs to find their “groove”. Speaking to Michael Lee from Yahoo! Sports, Davis said:

“We’re trying to find our groove again. A lot of guys are playing out of position. I’m playing a lot more five now. We’re asking a lot from everybody and we just have to step up as a team and find a way to win.”

Article Continues Below
More Pelicans News
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts after a dunk against the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center.
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson hit with ‘focal point’ label by Joe DumarsZachary Weinberger ·
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center.
Pelicans owner Gayle Benson breaks silence on Zion Williamson rape lawsuitBenedetto Vitale ·
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts during the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Smoothie King Center.
Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson trade offers to feature ‘bad contracts, no picks’Zachary Weinberger ·
Jordan Zion 4, Zion Williamson, Jordan Brand
Zion Williamson releases new Jordan Zion 4 ‘Iridescence’Dominik Zawartko ·
knicks, knicks trade, giannis
3 trades New York Knicks must make to win 2026 NBA FinalsGarrett Kerman ·
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) in the second half at Target Center.
Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III no longer untouchableDavid Yapkowitz ·

Cousins' exit left the Pelicans short-handed at the center position. With the team acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, Davis has been playing most of his time at center, with Mirotic getting his heavy load at power forward. But the now five-time All-Star does nothing but encourage his team to keep fighting:

“I just tell them, ‘Keep playing. Keep fighting. Keep believing in each other. Right now is not the time to separate. We’ve got to stay together.’ We’ve got a lot of games left. Nobody is really taking off, fourth [seed] through 10th. We’re going to always stay in the fight, as long as we keep giving ourselves a chance. We’ve got to play hard and keep having fun.”