Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

Your Game of Thrones guide to the 2017-18 NBA season

By Jonathan Macri

SHANGHAI, CHINA - OCTOBER 08: Kevin Durant #35, Stephen Curry #30, Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors as part of 2017 NBA Global Games China at Mercedes-Benz Arena on October 8, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)
SHANGHAI, CHINA - OCTOBER 08: Kevin Durant #35, Stephen Curry #30, Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors as part of 2017 NBA Global Games China at Mercedes-Benz Arena on October 8, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images) /
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GREENBURGH, NY – AUGUST 11: De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
GREENBURGH, NY – AUGUST 11: De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

"“If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.”"

– the Sacramento Kings to the New Orleans Pelicans

By the time Ramsay Bolton got done with Theon Greyjoy, he was a withering shell of a man, afraid his own shadow was going to pop up and beat him over the head.

Kings fans can sympathize. Half a decade’s worth of Boogie will do that to you.

Unlike poor Leon, the Kings appear to be finding their way out of the darkness rather quickly. The Pelicans, on the other hand, have only had the introductory lesson in what life is like with a guy for whom the phrase “mercurial talent” should be trademarked. The full tutorial is on the way.

The problem for New Orleans is that the stakes are much higher than they ever were for Sacramento. How often does a team get lucky enough to land a talent like Anthony Davis? There are at least a dozen franchises that have never been so fortunate. And they put their final eggs in the basket of a guy who did this and said this.

(By the way, do you know how complicated it was to find those? Google “Crazy DeMarcus Cousins” and enjoy the ride to looneytown)

The Pelicans are hoping the net rating of 2.8 in the roughly 400 minutes Davis and Cousins shared together over 17 games last season is a sign of things to come. Such a figure would have been 9th in the league, so that’s something.

But what about the minutes they don’t share the court? Or the fact that the Pelicans went 7-10 after bringing Cousins aboard even though they had zero incentive to tank?

The Trojan Horse has only started to unload. The city will be burning by February.

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