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Cousins finally picks up 1st win as a Pelican

Gary A. Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports

It took five tries, but two weeks to the night after DeMarcus Cousins' shocking trade from Sacramento to New Orleans, the All-Star big man picked up his first win as a Pelican.

New Orleans entered Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers 1-4 since trading for Cousins, but that lone win came with Boogie sitting out due to suspension. He made his presence felt in L.A., however, as despite fouling out late in the fourth quarter, Cousins finished with 26 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, two assists, and a block in 31 minutes of action.

Still, the final numbers will leave many scratching their heads, as Cousins shot 9-of-21 from the field, committed four turnovers, and was the only Pelicans starter to finish with a negative plus-minus (-8).

That kind of juxtaposition has become the norm through the first two weeks of the Bayou Boogie era.

In five games with his new team, Cousins is averaging 23 points, 15.2 rebounds, four assists, 1.6 steals, and a block, but he's also shooting 21 percent from deep while committing 3.8 turnovers and nearly five fouls per game. Not to mention, the Pelicans have performed 14.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Cousins on the floor rather than off since the blockbuster trade.

Pelicans last 6 games Off Rtg Def Rtg Net Rtg
Cousins on (162 mins.) 90.4 101.6 -11.2
Cousins off (131 mins.) 108.3 105.1 +3.2

Whether those numbers begin to regulate will likely play a large role in whether New Orleans is capable of chasing down the Western Conference's final playoff spot, as the 11th-place Pelicans are three games back of eighth-place Denver with 20 games remaining.

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