In order to bring DeMarcus Cousins back at full strength, the Golden State Warriors purposefully prolonged the All-Star’s absence.
With less than 15 remaining in a late-January Rockets-Pelicans game, the NBA world was put into a shock as now Golden State Warriors center went down hard following a defensive rebound. That rebound cost DeMarcus Cousins millions the following offseason.
Now, Cousins, who could’ve returned to the team during this upcoming road trip out East, will be held back until after Christmas, per NBC Sports. Late-December or early-January is still a great timetable for Cousins.
Players like Kobe Bryant went through the same type of injury and weren’t quite ever the same. Cousins is more unique because of his combination of size and speed, and the injury might not have the same impact on his career outlook.
Last season, Cousins was an absolute superstar. He averaged over 25 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists per game. If you tack on two threes and over 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game that Cousins also averaged, you have a stat line never before seen in the NBA.
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In his prime, the 6-foot-11, 270-pound center was arguably the best big in the league. His injury might take him down a notch, but on the Warriors, that downward spiral might not even be noticed.
With a stretch where they lost five of six games, the Warriors are in need of the additional star power.
Their team is stacked with talented players, but they are a completely different team without both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, two players that haven’t been on the court for Golden State in well over a week.
Those injuries have never held the Warriors back when it matters most, but in order to snag that No. 1 seed in a deep Western Conference, they could use Cousins’ presence to help string together a multi-game winning streak. That’s where Cousins’ return will help the Warriors.
However, it’s smart to hold him out. The Warriors will easily be a top-three seed in the West and don’t need Cousins coming back prior to regaining his full strength. Conditioning for Cousins will also be a huge factor moving forward.
Only a few more weeks till we get to see possibly the greatest regular season lineup of all-time take the court.