Anthony Davis: Pelicans would have contended for title if DeMarcus Cousins not hurt

As New Orleans star Anthony Davis prepares for the second half of the season with the Pelicans holding on to the eighth seed in the Western Conference, he still thinks about what could have been this year had teammate DeMarcus Cousins not ruptured his Achilles.

"We could have gone through the playoffs. No one could really stop us as bigs. We go to the Finals if we went," Davis told ESPN's Rachel Nichols in an interview over All-Star weekend.

"[Teammate Rajon Rondo] reminds us of it: 'You guys are the two best bigs. I know what it takes to win championships; we got it.'"

Davis and Cousins were on pace to become the first teammates ever to each average 25 points and 10 rebounds per game when Cousins went down with the season-ending injury on Jan. 26. The Pelicans were sixth in the West at that point and climbing in the standings. Cousins was averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. According to ESPN Stats & Information, over the past 50 seasons, only four players averaged those numbers for an entire season -- and all four were named MVP.

With Cousins' injury, the burden shifted back to Davis.

"When he goes down, it's, all right, it goes back to AD before DeMarcus, a lot of minutes, weight of the world on your shoulders," Davis said. "You know, you gotta carry the team on your back, you gotta almost get 40 every night for us -- to give us a chance to win."

Davis said he has been mirroring Russell Westbrook's approach to keep the Pelicans in the playoff picture. They are 4-5 since Cousins' injury, compared to 27-21 before that.

"You kind of have that Russell Westbrook mentality when [Kevin Durant] went out," Davis said. "Russ just went out there and played, and he shot 40 shots sometimes, you know, whatever it takes to help your team win, and I'm kind of taking that approach.

"I think it's 3 through 10 is all right there [in the West], so we want to make sure we're in the mix. We can't let this thing go away."

Davis said the Pelicans have been playing for one another -- "playing with a lot more energy, a sense of urgency" -- but that simply making the playoffs isn't good enough.