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Golden State Warriors: Evaluating DeMarcus Cousins so far

By Tony Pesta

WASHINGTON, DC -  JANUARY 24: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Washington Wizards on January 24, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. GarrabrantNBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC -  JANUARY 24: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Washington Wizards on January 24, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. GarrabrantNBAE via Getty Images) /
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DeMarcus Cousins’ debut was one of the most anticipated moments of the Golden State Warriors season. How has Cousins faired since then?

The one question that was lingering over the Golden State Warriors all season was how would DeMarcus Cousins fit with the team. Now that we have seen him appear in seven games, how has Cousins looked so far? Has he made the Warriors an invincible team or is the team going through growing pains still?

Well, in Cousins debut, he wasted no time filling up the stat sheet. In his first 13 minutes in a Warriors uniform, Cousins scored 14 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished 3 assists and racked up 6 personal fouls en route to fouling out before the fourth quarter.

Cousins certainly looked rusty at certain times on the court. It was obvious that he hadn’t played in nearly a year and it will take some time before he looks completely comfortable in his new role. However, there is no denying that he has been highly effective on the court.

Since his first two games, Cousins is averaging 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1 blocks a game. He has had a profound impact on every aspect of the game. His pick-and-fade with Stephen Curry has been nearly impossible to guard as opposing teams have no answer for his offensive skill set.

He is shooting the 3-pointer at an efficient 38.9 percent and has excelled at spreading the floor for the Warriors. Cousins is a threat offensively and it is clear that the team is much more successful when he is playing well. The Warriors have a 7-1 record with Cousins and are undefeated when he scores 10 or more points.

The biggest issue for Cousins so far has been foul trouble. He is putting himself in bad situations constantly and being blown for unnecessary fouls. Boogie is currently averaging a league-high 4.0 personal fouls a game and has nearly fouled out of 28 percent of his games.

Moving forward, I believe Cousins’ foul trouble will be resolved as he becomes more familiar with the team’s rotations and better understand where his place is on that end of the floor. Cousins has had an overall positive impact on the team and he will continue to get better as the season goes on.

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