Anthony Davis, Pelicans Clinch Playoff Berth with Win vs. Clippers

The New Orleans Pelicans are back in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2014-15 following Monday's 113-100 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

There's no question qualifying for the postseason is a nice achievement for the Pelicans. They've made just one playoff appearance since trading Chris Paul in December 2011.

More importantly, the Pelicans need to be a mainstay in the postseason if they want to have any hope of re-signing Anthony Davis when he becomes a free agent in 2021. That day remains a few years down the road, yet it hasn't stopped the questions about Davis' future in New Orleans.

But simply getting into the playoffs may not be enough to qualify the 2017-18 season as a success. If the Pelicans lose in the first round, then that wouldn't necessarily represent a ton of progress.

Then there's the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins, which casts a big shadow over this year regardless of the outcome.

Cousins was averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds prior to rupturing his Achilles. Through Jan. 26—Cousins' last game—the Pelicans were 10th in the league in net rating (1.4), per NBA.com, and Davis contended New Orleans was in the NBA title discussion with a healthy Cousins on the floor.

"We could have gone through the playoffs. No one could really stop us as bigs," Davis said in a February interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "We go to the Finals if we went. [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.'"

While the Pelicans would be obvious underdogs against the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets even assuming they had Cousins, Davis' confidence wasn't entirely misplaced. The duo of Davis and Cousins was unlike anything else in the NBA, and those two could cause problems for any opponents in a seven-game series.

Remove Cousins from the equation, and the Pelicans are forced to rely on Davis to an unhealthy degree.

Anthony Davis Game Highlights

Since the Cousins injury, Davis was averaging 30.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in 36.5 minutes per game entering play Monday. When Davis has left the floor over that stretch, New Orleans' net rating has been minus-4.1, compared to 4.4 when he's on the court, per NBA.com.

The fact the Pelicans still made the playoffs after losing Cousins is a testament to the immense talent Davis possesses. Were it not for James Harden playing at an otherworldly level, Davis might have had a serious chance at winning Most Valuable Player.

Perhaps Davis and the Pelicans can continue defying the skeptics by making a deep postseason run.