New Orleans Pelicans: 2017-18 player grades for DeMarcus Cousins

It was an interesting 2017-18 season for DeMarcus Cousins, to say the least, one that will no doubt affect his future in the NBA.

The 2017-18 NBA season was a roller coaster for DeMarcus Cousins.

After being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans last February, many were excited to see how he and Anthony Davis would mesh for a full 82-game season, not to mention curious to see what type of threat these two dominant big men could be come playoff time.

The team started off well, going 27-21, good for sixth place in the Western Conference.

Then, on Jan. 26, disaster struck.

In the closing seconds of a 115-113 win against the Houston Rockets, Cousins attempted to recover his own missed free throw, tearing his left Achilles tendon in the process and ending his season after just 48 games.

Despite a season cut short due to injury, Cousins still managed to play at an All-Star level before he went down, averaging a monstrous 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

With all the hype surrounding centers such as Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, it was easy to forget just how dominant Cousins can be when healthy. Hopefully he makes a full recovery and gets back to owning the paint on a nightly basis.