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Biggest “What If” in Anthony Davis’ Career Snubbed Him From Forming Tim Duncan-David Robinson Level Duo, Claims Ex All-Star Teammate

Published 02/26/2024, 8:13 PM EST

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When Anthony Davis hangs his boots, LeBron James will arguably be considered his greatest ever teammate. The superstar duo has won a championship together and wreaked havoc on the league for the last five years. However, there was a duo in AD’s career that never got a chance to flourish and reach its true potential. Before AD got traded to the Lakers in 2019, he had a brief stint playing alongside 4-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins was arguably the best Center in the league, and AD was the biggest rising star when the duo joined forces in 2017. Cousins revealed his career’s biggest “What If” during his appearance on Podcast P with Paul George. Even though the duo did not last long, Cousins compared their potential to a legendary Spurs duo. “I definitely think we could have had like a Tim Duncan-David Robinson type pairing.” That is a massive claim, considering Robinson and Duncan were two of the greatest players in Spurs franchise history. The duo also led the Spurs to two Championships in 1999 and 2003.

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However, Cousins’ claim does not sound too unrealistic when you think about it. When Cousins got traded to the Pelicans in 2017, he initially believed Sacramento was trying to “kill him out” by teaming him up with Davis, who plays the same position as Cousins. DeMarcus later recognized that Davis was the “most talented guy” he had ever played with and decided to make the most of the opportunity. The duo dominated in their limited time together. Cousins averaged 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds in the 2017-18 season. Meanwhile, AD put up 28.1 points and 11.1 rebounds.

What led to Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins’ breakup?

AD and Cousins found their rhythm in the 2017-18 season and performed great together. Unfortunately, Cousins suffered a devastating Achilles injury in the middle of the season. That put an end to his 2017-18 campaign and also his time with Davis. Cousins spent the rest of the season recovering from his injury and joined the Golden State Warriors the following season.

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The 4-time All-Star believes he “did not get enough time” playing with Davis. The duo played less than one and a half seasons together.

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Ties With 3 Billion Co. Gives DeMarcus Cousins “Honor” in Struggling Post-NBA Life

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Davis and Cousins had the potential to achieve great things in New Orleans. They also had star teammates like Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo, who could have helped them win multiple championships. Even host Paul George couldn’t help but agree that the duo forming in New Orleans between Boogie and The Brow was a fearsome one. PG revealed that both players had to be double-teamed because of how dominant they were, and it was a nightmare for the opponents. Unfortunately, the NBA World never got to witness the true potential of the Davis-Cousins duo.

What do you make of Cousins’ claims? Do you think New Orleans would’ve won a few championships had the duo stayed healthy and together? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Rohan Bhaunt

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Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe