Warriors Offseason Grades: Signing DeMarcus Cousins
By Andrew Ites
Basketball Twitter went crazy when the Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins, but is it as big of a home run as most people think?
The Warriors didn’t have a ton of resources to spend this offseason, but they made the most of what they had by bringing in another All-Star to the most talented roster in the league.
Golden State used the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year deal worth $5.3 million.
The market for Cousins had apparently dried up as no one was willing to take a risk on a center coming back from an Achilles injury who might not be ready to play until February.
That allowed the Warriors to pick him up at an incredible bargain.
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There is a good chance that Cousins will never become the same dominant force he was before the injury. However, the Warriors were already heavy favorites to win their third straight title before the acquisition, so they won’t need him to contribute right away.
Even when Boogie comes back healthy, the coaching staff won’t ask him to play a major role.
Golden State could play him about 20-25 minutes per game and give the rest of their center minutes to the combination of Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney. Or they could shift Draymond to the five and employ their Super Death Lineup with Boogie on the bench.
The addition of Cousins will help the Warriors defeat the switching schemes that slowed their offense down last postseason. If Boogie gets a smaller defender on a switch, he can simply bully them inside and dominate in the post.
The worst-case scenario for this move is that Cousins is a shell of himself and his negative attitude affects the locker room. If that happens, Golden State could simply cut Cousins because they aren’t investing much money in him, and they don’t really need Boogie to be a championship favorite this season.
Center. Golden State Warriors. DEMARCUS COUSINS. A+.
The risk on this signing is incredibly low, and the upside could make the Warriors even more unguardable than they already were.
Next: Can DeMarcus Cousins be Solid on Defense?
Bringing in DeMarcus Cousins on this type of contract was yet another fantastic move by Golden State’s front office, and I can’t wait to see how he fits in next season.
Check out our grades of the Warriors’ other offseason moves: