Around this time last season, the New Orleans Pelicans made the blockbuster trade for star center DeMarcus Cousins. The Pelicans' experiment of combining two of the NBA's most dominant big men came under much scrutiny.

However, both have maintained their status amongst the league's elite players after being selected to start in the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. Star big man Anthony Davis addressed the doubts about whether or not he and Cousins would be able to make it work, according to Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com:

“The biggest question was, was it going to work? I think we just proved that it is and it can work. But it’s a testament to our hard work. We like each other, we complement each other.”

The Pelicans made a bold decision to go all in on possessing the most dominant frontcourt in the league. Needless to say, it has paid off from an individual standpoint for these two players.

Davis is averaging 26.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game this season. Furthermore, he has largely managed to stay healthy all year, playing 36.1 minutes per game in 38 contests.

Meanwhile, Cousins has surprisingly been perhaps the Pelicans ‘best overall contributor this year. “Boogie” is currently registering 25.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, and a career-high 5.1 assists per game. He has been formidable on the defensive end with 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals per game as well.

Despite the dynamic play of their two star big men, New Orleans is still hovering around the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture. That said, the Pelicans will need to show some major signs of improvement if they plan on re-signing Cousins in the offseason.