When the New Orleans Pelicans acquired DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings last season, they bucked an obvious trend in the NBA by pairing him with Anthony Davis.While the rest of the league decided to go small, the Pelicans chose to go big and did so with the best in the business.Davis and Cousins are arguably the most dominant big men in the game today and despite the doubts of many, they've formed a lethal frontcourt partnership in New Orleans and seem to be getting better alongside one another.

Dominance

The duo are relied on heavily to put up big numbers for the Pels and they haven't disappointed in the early part of the season.

Cousins currently leads the team with 28.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game and is followed closely by AD who is averaging 28.4 points and 12.8 rebounds.

In their most recent win over the Indiana Pacers, the pair produced a combined 69 points, 27 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks.

It marked the second time this season that they posted 30 or more points while notching at least a dozen boards in the same game, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

They also did it against the Golden State Warriors last month. The last pair of teammates with multiple games of that kind in a single season was Charles Barkley and Moses Malone for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1985-86.

Their numbers are not in vain either as they've led the Pelicans to a 6-5 record. It's the first time New Orleans has owned a record better than .500 since they last made the playoffs in the 2014-15 season.

Their performances are even more impressive given the fact that they haven't been surrounded by the most talented roster.

The team lacks shooters on the perimeter which is forcing the All-Star bigs to put up huge stat lines on a nightly basis to give themselves a chance of winning.

They’re playing a two-man game few combos can match. Both Davis and Cousins can play inside or out and are a matchup problem for opposing frontcourts every time they step onto the floor.

“I think our talent is different than a lot of bigs — there’s so many ways we can dominate a game,” Cousins said after the 117-112 win over the Pacers, via the Associated Press. “And I think we’re just scratching the surface right now. We can get so much better.”

Different

With the 'small ball' phenomenon in the NBA, most teams are moving away from using traditional bigs and are leaning towards using stretch fours and fives who can space the floor.

Even though they have become adept at shooting the ball from distance, 'Boogie' and 'The Brow' do their best work on the block and are proving that bigs are not dead yet.

Cousins believes they can set a new trend and zig while the rest of the league zags.

"I was always a guy that tried to do things a different way," said Cousins. "I think we can surprise a lot of people. I think we can set a new trend in the league; it's exciting. It kind of takes us back to the old style of basketball that a lot of us are accustomed to.

"Of course, it's going to come off as a weird thing with the whole 'small-ball' era, but I think we have a chance to make some noise with it."

In the opening 11 games of the campaign, their performances on the court have been loud and clear.

They are certainly making a case for being the best and most talented frontcourt in NBA history.

But their partnership will be in jeopardy in the summer when Cousins hits free agency. It'll be interesting to see if he commits to playing with Davis long-term or if he seeks pastures new.

The success of the Louisiana-based franchise will have a huge bearing on his decision, but for now, fans in the Big Easy can continue to enjoy watching the superstar tandem bully opponents.