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Golden State Warriors: Reviewing the bigs in 2018/19 and their free agency projections

By Evan Quarnstrom

DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 1: Damian Jones #15 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons on December 1, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 1: Damian Jones #15 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons on December 1, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images /

DeMarcus Cousins

Demarcus Cousins’ first year with the Warriors was full of highs and lows.

After watching his first bucket as a Warrior, I was thinking that we could just call the season off, let the players start their offseason vacations early, and hand the rings to the Warriors right then and there.

Watch:

Additionally, Cousins started off his comeback bid shooting 46% from three in the six games he played in January. The Dubs were rolling.

As the season wore on, Cousins certainly did show flashes of the dominant force that he was pre-Achilles injury, but he cooled off and there were moments where you could tell that he just wasn’t the same player he used to be.

Cousins averaged 25 minutes in his 30 regular season games. While his 3-point shot eluded him at a six-year low of 27%, Cousins showed that he can still be effective on the offensive end by averaging 16.3 points and 8 rebounds per game during his truncated minutes.

It was on the other end of the floor where his recovery from injury was most noticeable. Teams repeatedly targeted Cousins on defense, particularly in the high pick and roll. His lateral quickness, which was never his strong suit, was particularly slow after nursing a ruptured Achilles for a full year.

Here is one of the forgettable moments:

Cousins missed most of the playoffs with a quad injury, but even in his return, he wasn’t particularly effective. He shot a disappointing 39% from the field and the Dubs were outscored by 3.6 points per 100 possession during his time on the floor.

That said, during the regular season Cousins did show consistent improvement. Each month, from January to April, he averaged more points than the last, capping off his final four games of the season averaging 20.5 points and 11 boards in only 27 minutes.

The Warriors signed Cousins at an absolute bargain rate, using the “mid-level exception” to retain him for $5.3 million.

For next season, according to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Warriors can only offer him 120% of his previous salary, which would be in the $6.4 million range.

Cousins, rightfully so, will be looking for more than this in free agency, but if teams are not willing to pay top dollar for Cousins due to his injury concerns, then there is a small chance the Warriors could retain him.

Predictions:

Cousins finds a better deal than the Warriors can offer and goes elsewhere. He never becomes the overpowering player that he once was, but his all-star days are still not behind him.

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