Golden State Warriors: DeMarcus Cousins heating up at the perfect time
DeMarcus Cousins has been finding his stride as of late for the Golden State Warriors, and with the postseason around the corner, it couldn’t come at a more opportune time.
The NBA playoffs are just around the corner as the season begins to wind down. DeMarcus Cousins and the Golden State Warriors appear to be locking down the number one seed. Though still considered the favorites, the Warriors have shown some weaknesses this season that could be exploited in the postseason.
Among their challenges has been matching up against the bigger centers of the Western Conference, a challenge that could soon be on the horizon. The Oklahoma City Thunder have surprisingly slipped to the eighth seed, and if the playoffs began today the Warriors would face the Thunder in the first round.
Steven Adams poses a legitimate threat inside, but Golden State has an x-factor that this dynasty hasn’t had in years: an athletic star center in DeMarcus Cousins.
Though he continues to work his way back to all-star form, make no mistake that Cousins will be relied upon heavily as the Warriors face the likes of Adams, Clint Capela, and Nikola Jokic among others in the Western Conference Playoffs.
Thankfully, if DeMarcus’ recent performances indicate anything, it’s that he is more than up to the challenge and better yet, is performing extremely well against those specific matchups that are on the horizon.
Back on March 13th, on the road against the Houston Rockets, DeMarcus Cousins stepped up as the Warriors were without Kevin Durant due to injury. In 31 minutes played, Cousins was a +7 with 27 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Despite being targeted in the pick and roll via James Harden and Chris Paul, Cousins stood his ground. Better yet, he was a force against Clint Capela.
The very next game, Cousins got a taste of his potential first-round opponent in Steven Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Once again without Kevin Durant, on the road in hostile territory, you’d think these Warriors would struggle. Instead, Golden State commanded the game and Cousins was a brilliant +19 in 26 minutes played. How did Adams fare? Just nine points, and an overall -19 for the night.
In their last two matchups against the second seed Denver Nuggets, DeMarcus Cousins has had his eyes set on outplaying Nikola Jokic, who has been having an MVP Finalist-type of season. Jokic has been stellar but against Cousins? Sub-par is perhaps the nicest way to describe it.
Back in their first Oracle meeting, Jokic was held to just 16 points and an overall plus-minus of -29. Cousins may not have filled up the stat sheet, but in terms of defending Nikola Jokic, Cousins was effective in limiting the big man. How about their most recent meeting on Tuesday night? Jokic had to settle for just 10 points on 4-10 shooting, going cold from behind the arc.
Cousins meanwhile had a game-high 28 points on 12-17 shooting, including 2-4 from three-point range. Safe to say, DeMarcus was intent on reminding everyone that he shouldn’t be overlooked when discussing the top tier big men in the NBA.
Three significant matchups against three potential playoff opponents and the end results were three strong outings from DeMarcus Cousins. DeMarcus may not be back in complete all-star form just yet, but his recent outings against very capable opponents should give Warriors fans plenty of confidence as we near the end of the regular season, and begin the playoffs.
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There has been plenty of discussion around DeMarcus’ role in the upcoming playoffs, and whether or not Steve Kerr will revert towards having another big start in his place against tougher opponents. Make no mistake, Cousins will be extremely valuable and relied upon this postseason. If his recent outings are any indication, Boogie could be nearing his old form at the perfect time for Golden State.