Getty All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins split time with Denver and Milwaukee lsat season.
The Philadelphia 76ers appear content with Paul Reed and Charles Bassey sharing backup minutes behind Joel Embiid. There have been no public overtures for them going out and signing a veteran big man. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen before training camp.
Sixers president Daryl Morey did talk about looking at a “minimum spend” on a backup center when he addressed reporters in June. One name to keep in mind: DeMarcus Cousins. Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey put the four-time All-Star in a Sixers uniform in a recent article.
In it, Cousins takes on the same role he held for 31 games last season with the Denver Nuggets. The 6-foot-10, 270-pounder could serve as a “similar stabilizing effect” for Embiid, much like he did for Nikola Jokic. Bailey wrote:
In 31 games with the Denver Nuggets, Cousins averaged 23.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per 75 possessions. And he took that second unit from disaster to respectable.
Prior to Cousins’ debut, Denver was minus-12.5 points per 100 possessions when Nikola Jokic was off the floor. After that, it was minus-2.2.
Cousins split time in Milwaukee and Denver during the 2021-22 season, so he’s no stranger to backing up a dominant big. He averaged 9.0 points, 1.5 assists, and 5.6 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game while appearing in 48 total contests. When healthy, Cousins is a big load in the paint with triple-double potential.
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Cousins Sounds Off on Nikola Jokic
Cousins has long been one of the most outspoken players in the league. He was stuck in a bad situation in Sacramento for the first seven years of his career, one escalated by the firing of his favorite coach Michael Malone. Coach and player teamed up again last season in Denver where Cousins bonded with Jokic. He told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears that Jokic’s game mirrors his own in a lot of ways.
“Absolutely. Not to take anything away from anything, Nikola Jokić. He is a one-of-one,” Cousins told Spears. “When it comes to these modern-day bigs we see today, that we’re praising today, I feel like I’m the godfather. And they won’t give me the credit, which is fine. But I credit myself.
“I know what I’ve done in this game. I’m the first big getting triple-doubles. I’m first big shooting 3s. I was getting triple-doubles when there was two bigs in the paint, when there was a power forward and a center. I’ve been doing this.”
Year 12 💙
Weighing In-House Options vs. Free Agency
The Sixers like the potential that Reed and Bassey have shown in limited minutes. They had Andre Drummond for 49 games prior to the trade deadline, then brought in veteran DeAndre Jordan. That experiment failed. So maybe they don’t want to kick the tires on another retread.
Morey did float the idea of signing someone to the “veteran floor” — Cousins would fit that bill — earlier this offseason but only if it made sense. He likes the young talent on the roster.
“Again, we’re going to be opportunistic with a bigger spend in free agency,” Morey told reporters. “There will be opportunistic looks, minimum spends. But I think the bar will be high on a minimum spend at the backup center spot because we feel like we’ve got some guys who can contribute.”
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