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Golden State Warriors: Is DeMarcus Cousins fitting in with the Dubs?

By Tony Pesta

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 16: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 16, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 16: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 16, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors felt like they hit a home run by signing DeMarcus Cousins this Summer. How has the All-Star center fit in with the team so far?

It seemed like a sure-fire win for the Golden State Warriors when they signed DeMarcus Cousins last year. Cousins was fresh off of being an elite center for the last five seasons. However, with the looming presence of his Achilles injury, how has Cousins been fitting in with the team so far?

Originally, signing Cousins felt like a great idea. The Warriors biggest weakness had always been the center position. So, signing an All-Star center should be the best way to solve this issue.

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Still, fans had their concerns. Cousins had a history of being a bad locker room presence and his ability to hold his temper on the court was not very good. The Warriors already had a great system in place and signing Cousins would obviously put that culture into jeopardy.

Now that Cousins has played in 21 games for the Dubs, we can begin to analyze how he is fitting in with the team. In the games that Cousins has played in, the Warriors have a 16-5 record. This is nearly a 10 percent increase to the teams win percentage.

In these games, Cousins is averaging 15.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. These numbers are solid, but he has been shooting a woeful 24.6 percent from the 3-point line. His shooting ability was one of the key reasons the Warriors wanted to sign him and right now this accuracy from deep isn’t cutting it.

Furthermore, Cousins has shown a clear decline in speed and lateral movement. His Achilles injury is obviously bothering him as he has had multiple instances in which he looks clumsy on the court. This is something that will continue to be a problem for Boogie as not many players his size have ever fully recovered from an Achilles injury.

The most important thing to note is how the rest of the team looks playing around Cousins. From a strictly outside perspective, it doesn’t look like the Dubs are playing with the same joy and happiness they once had before Cousins was on the team. This might not be a direct result of Boogie, but it is definitely an interesting factor.

The Warriors currently average a league-high 29.1 assists per game. This stat indicates how strong the team’s system still is. However, in the last 15 games that the Dubs have played, they have dropped to 4th in the league at only 27.4 assists per game.

This drop off in assists is small but it is an indication of a bigger issue. While Cousins’ star power is something that is certainly appreciated, I don’t think he fits with this team and I would be surprised if the Warriors looked to re-sign him this Summer.

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