New Orleans @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 13, 2017 ) New Orleans 101, Memphis 142

Star big men Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins begin a season together for the first time when they lead the New Orleans Pelicans into the opener Wednesday at the Memphis Grizzlies. The Pelicans were 11-14 after acquiring Cousins from Sacramento at the All-Star break last season while finishing short of the playoffs for the fifth time in six years, but with a clean slate the duo is primed to take a step forward together.

"Everybody wants to be the man, but just being the man by yourself is not going to help you win games in this league," Cousins recently told reporters. "The league is way too talented, way too competitive. Just having a talent like (Davis) on our side, it definitely helps with carrying the burden." New Orleans also hopes for big things from new point guard Rajon Rondo but he is sidelined four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a hernia. The Grizzlies have made the postseason seven straight times but were knocked out in the first round in each of their last two trips and said goodbye to stalwarts Zach Randolph and Tony Allen this offseason. Point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol remain to lead a squad that ranked as one of the top defensive teams in the NBA during its seven straight winning seasons and ended the preseason with a 41-point win over the Pelicans.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE PELICANS (2016-17: 34-48): Guard Jrue Holiday will take on a more crucial role with Rondo out, and figures to be the primary offensive complement to the big men all season. The 27-year-old saw his scoring average dip to 15.4 from 16.8 a season earlier but shot a career-high 45.4 percent from the floor in 2016-17. With Davis often dominating underneath, Cousins attempted nearly six 3-pointers a game after arriving in New Orleans and hit an impressive 37.5 percent of those tries.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (2016-17: 43-39): Without Randolph and Allen and with coach David Fizdale now in his second season and freed up to utilize some of the team's youth and athleticism, the style of play should look a bit different in Memphis. "Obviously, we have a different team now," Fizdale recently told reporters. "We have a team that I think has more skill and more speed, and that obviously is something that I've talked about that I'd like to have a team that can do that." Former Pelican Tyreke Evans adds a scoring option off the bench and the team is hoping that oft-injured, high-priced forward Chandler Parsons - who shot 33.8 percent from the field in 34 games last season - has a bounce-back effort.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Allen - who signed with the Pelicans in the offseason after seven seasons in Memphis - will eventually have his number retired, the Grizzlies announced last week.

2. Gasol made 104 3-pointers last season after hitting a total of 12 over his first eight campaigns.

3. Davis recorded career highs in scoring (28.0), rebounding (11.8) and games (75) last season.

PREDICTION: Grizzlies 104, Pelicans 102