Getty DeMarcus Cousins of the Golden State Warriors poses for a picture.
Signing a one year deal with the Lakers, DeMarcus Cousins is looking to prove to the NBA that he can still be one of the league’s best players even after his myriad of injuries. Cousins’ rehab year with the Warriors ended on an extremely unfortunate note as the big man fell victim to a torn quad – which he rushed back from to try and help in the Finals.
With a few months to get himself right and the opportunity to play alongside a familiar frontcourt-mate in Davis, the Lakers could be the perfect spot for Cousins to prove to the league he can still play.
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Lakers’ DeMarcus Cousins Reveals Change From No. 0
Boogie is returning to 1️⃣5️⃣, his old Kings number.
Lakers throwing it back this year.
Teasing his new number via an Instagram Story, DeMarcus Cousins seems to be going back to his roots as he plans to switch back to his old number on the Sacramento Kings – 15. Wearing 15, Cousins established himself as one of the league’s most dominant interior forces and a perennial All-Star and All-NBA candidate. While the Achilles’ injury no doubt robbed him of some explosiveness, Cousins was never an above the rim big man to begin with.
Instead, Cousins has always relied more on his strength and arsenal of post moves to get himself quality looks down low. What this means is that his game shouldn’t take as drastic of a dip compared to some other athletes that have suffered a ruptured Achilles’. His per-36 numbers for the Warriors last season were shockingly in line with his career averages and while Cousins will likely never be the exact same as he was before the injury, as long as he can stay healthy he should be able to get pretty close.
Boogie Cousins Lakers Fit
If he can stay healthy, Cousins looks to be an extremely interesting fit alongside the Lakers’ duo of superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Cousins and Davis played together for half a season in New Orleans before Cousins suffered his Achilles’ injury. Together, the two brutalized the interior of opposing defenses and played with natural chemistry rarely seen between two dominant big men.
With LeBron James added to the mix, defenses won’t be able to key in as much on Cousins and Davis – freeing them up to go one on one down low where they hold a significant advantage. Even when James isn’t on the floor, Cousins should have a familiar face in Rajon Rondo feeding him the basketball. The continuity with Rondo and Davis, in particular, should play a big role in helping Cousins not only adjust to the Lakers but get back closer to the player he was pre-injuries.
In short, Cousins has a familiar frontcourt-mate and two elite playmakers getting him the ball in what should be an expanded offensive role compared to last year on the Warriors. As long as he can stay healthy, don’t be surprised to see Cousins FAR outplay his meager contract.
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