Rajon Rondo breaks down how the Pelicans would've beaten the Warriors in 2018 with a healthy DeMarcus Cousins: 'We just didn't have enough'

The New Orleans Pelicans signed Rajon Rondo as a free agent in 2018 to organize a talented core that needed veteran guidance and direction. Rondo's arrival meant that Jrue Holiday no longer had to play point guard duties, enabling Holiday to be more of himself and do other things on the court. Rajon running the show also helped the Pelicans' twin tower tandem of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis to complement each other on the basketball court rather than compete for points and rebounds.

It was tough at first, but winning became easy when they got the hang of things on the court.

"Them learning to play three-man together," said Rondo on 'The Draymond Green Show'. "It manipulated the game, and we were on a roll."

Boogie suffers Achilles injury

Davis and Cousins were playing so well that they both averaged 25+ points and 10+ rebounds per game that year and became the first NBA duo to do so. Meanwhile, Holiday averaged a then-career-high 19.0 points per game that season.

But just as the Pels were starting to hit their stride, Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on January 16, 2018. Despite Boogie sitting out the rest of the year, the Pelicans still finished strong, with a 20-8 record in their finals 28 games, to make the playoffs for the first time in three years.

"Before the playoffs started, Jrue and I, like 'Who you want?' It was either Dame and CJ or James and Chris Paul. We were like we didn't really care what the smoke was but it was smoke either way. We went to Portland, obviously took care of business and then we ran into them boys and just didn't have enough man," added Rondo.

AD also said the Pelicans would've won it all in 2018 if Boogie was healthy

Rondo isn't alone in his claim. Earlier this year, AD also said during his appearance on D'Angelo Russell's podcast that the Pelicans would have won it all in 2018 if Cousins had not gotten injured because they would've been too big for the eventual champs, the Golden State Warriors.

"We sweep Portland first round and we go second round, lose 4-1 to Golden State but it was like…you say that what if and I know for a fu**** fact that we're winning a chip that year. Nobody could fu** with us. Golden State was too small. Draymond could only guard one of us." said AD.

Even if they defeated Golden State that year, the road to the championship wouldn't be easy. That season was Harden's MVP year, and they took the Dubs to their limit in the WCF. In the Finals, the Pelicans would have faced 2018 LeBron as well which was no easy task either. But considering that AD, Boogie, and Jrue were all having career years that season, you can't blame the Pelicans for believing they could've won it all in 2018.