NBA Metrics 101: Grading Late-Season Additions Based on Impact – Bleacher Report

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Win Percentage Change: 3.6 percent better

TPA With New Orleans Pelicans: 57.42

DeMarcus Cousins' presencedidimprove the New Orleans Pelicans, even if he couldn't carry them into the playoffs. Don't be fooled by the losses that piled up at the beginning of his bayou-based tenure, since the big man eventually settled in and resumed playing like one of the league's best bigs.

All that should matter here is how he performed alongside Anthony Davisand, to a lesser extent, Jrue Holiday, who could and should be brought back in free agency to continue forming the third leg of the New Orleans triumvirate.

It's great that Cousins put up big numbers for the Pelicans, averaging 24.4 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from downtown and 77.7 percent on his free-throw attempts. It's encouraging that he was able to post 57.42 TPA with his new squad and finish the 2016-17 campaign with the No. 2 cumulative score among all players since 1973 who suited up for more than one team in a single season, trailing only 1994-95 Clyde Drexler.

But the best news of all is the 2.8 net rating New Orleans posted while both Cousins and Davis were the on the floor, which looks even better when compared to the season-long 1.7 net rating earned when Davis was playing. The offense needs significant work as both players learn how to move away from their favored left sides of the half-court set, but allowing just 99.6 points per 100 possessions already leaves them in elite territory. That mark, had it been maintained all year, would've paced the Association.

"I think we can build something special," Cousins said in late March, per NBA.com's Jim Eichenhofer. "Just stay positive, keep moving forward. At the end of the day, if we don't make the playoffs, we can still use this as an opportunity to learn one another and get better every game, to use this as a training camp before training camp."

This is a work in progress, but at least there are positive signs for the new era of New Orleans basketball.

Grade: A-

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NBA Metrics 101: Grading Late-Season Additions Based on Impact - Bleacher Report