Getty DeMarcus Cousins, formerly of the Golden State Warriors, reacts after being called for an offensive foul.
Brought in for barely above the league minimum, the free agency market for DeMarcus Cousins was nearly non-existent. A first-team All-NBA superstar just two seasons ago, an Achilles’ injury followed by a torn quad during his rehab year scared off a number of teams from taking a flier on the talented big man.
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Lakers’ DeMarcus Cousins Leaves Court With Apparent Knee Injury [Report]
Unfortunately, it seems the injury bug may have reared its head again with DeMarcus Cousins. Being taken off the court during an offseason workout is never a good sign and one can only hope that further testing doesn’t reveal any major damage. Cousins has dealt with more than his fair share of setbacks over the past few years and the last thing the basketball world needs is to lose one of their most talented stars due to injury in the middle of his athletic prime.
Cousins reportedly bumped knees with another player, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and reportedly occurred on Monday – though details of both the injury and workout only went public today. Cousins is set to undergo further testing back in Los Angeles and the world eagerly awaits a shred of good news from an incredibly sad situation.
Without Cousins in the lineup, the Lakers are exceptionally thin at the center position and would likely be forced to slide Anthony Davis out of his preferred role as a power forward. If Cousins is forced to miss extended time with his knee injury, expect the Lakers to try and find a suitable backup to JaVale McGee in order to help keep some semblance of continuity with their lineup and rotation.
DeMarcus Cousins Still Looks to be Lakers’ X-Factor
Despite suffering an apparent knee injury, the (healthy) return of DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers’ lineup looks to be the key to unlocking an entirely different version of this team. With Cousins’ scoring and playmaking ability from the post, the Lakers are exponentially deadlier – especially considering that defenses have to stay on and account for Anthony Davis and LeBron James at all times.
In a league filled with superstar duos, Cousins’ re-emergence as one of the league’s best interior forces gives the Lakers something nobody else in the league has at this moment – an elite third option. With Davis and Cousins (pre-injury) both being solid defenders, the Lakers could theoretically hang with smaller perimeter-based lineups on defense while punishing them with their size on the offensive end.
Cousins looks to be in the best shape of his life and as long as he can hopefully avoid being put on the shelf with an injury that requires 6+ months of recovery time (essentially forcing him out for the year), he should be able to work his way back into the lineup this season and contribute some big minutes.
Over the course of his seven year career, Cousins has averaged 21.2 points per game to go with 10.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists.