Two weeks ago, the NBA world was taken by storm. In a five player blockbuster deal, the Sacramento Kings decided to trade their franchise superstar, Demarcus Cousins, to the the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and two 2017 draft picks (one first rounder and one second rounder).

At the time, the exchange seemed like a major steal for New Orleans. Anthony Davis would finally have another superstar caliber talent to absorb some of his offensive burden, and – on paper – the Pelicans would boast the league’s most formidable front court pairing since the Twin Towers of the late 90s. All for two role players and a couple of picks.

Yet, since his debut last week, Boogie’s arrival has done everything except live up to the hype. NOLA is 3-6 over their past nine games, including a loss to the lottery-bound Mavericks and a 30 point thrashing from the Rockets.

Granted, in that span, the Pelicans have faced a slew of tough Western Conference opponents, like the Thunder, Jazz, and Spurs. Nevertheless, there is a legitimate concern that the level of the Pelicans’ on-court play hasn’t improved – if not worsened – with Cousins on their roster.

So, what gives?

For starters, the Pelicans’ offense has sputtered in recent games. Following their acquisition of Cousins, the Pelicans have posted an NBA worst 96.1 offensive rating, failing to convert on transition opportunities and spur ball-movement. They’ve also accrued a 47.8 effective field goal percentage, which, again, ranks at the bottom of the league.

In their post All-Star break opener against the Rockets, the Pelicans looked completely lost. They turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 25 fast-break points. Even more troubling, per CBS reporter Matt Moore, “The Pelicans shot 14-of-47 on unguarded jumpers, and with Davis and Cousins on the floor, the Pelicans had a 76.6 offensive rating.”

Although Boogie and Davis – the self-proclaimed “fire and ice” duo – have continued to assert their statistical dominance on opponents, the rest of the Pelicans’ squad has played below-average. Outside Davis and Cousins, only one Pelicans player, Jrue Holiday, is averaging double-figure scoring. And, Holiday, who served as a strong second-option to Davis during the first half of the season, has noticeably regressed in February and March. His assist percentage has dropped from 36.7 to 26.6, and his shooting has suffered tremendous woes: in the past nine games, he’s shooting an a dreadful 38.9 percent from the field.

On defense, the Pelicans have showed some promise. They have the NBA’s seventh best defensive rating (103.2) following the break, and have limited opponents to 42 points in the paint, sixth best in the league. But given the pace that coach Alvin Gentry likes to play at, it might be difficult for New Orleans sustain its defensive performance. When fatigued, Cousins is often slow to get back on defense, which severely caps their post-defense upside.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Pelicans handle the rest of the reason. With only 17 games to go, New Orleans – which is 4.5 games outside the playoff picture – is unlikely to qualify for the eighth seed. Instead, the Pelicans should be more concerned with building for the future, and determining if Cousins is part of their long-term vision for the franchise.