There was no question that the LA Clippers would be active on the buyout market. Even so, when it was announced yesterday that the team would be adding DeMarcus Cousins on a ten-day contract, it still felt like a move that came out of left field.
But given the team’s current makeup, the move makes sense.
DeMarcus Cousins adds the one thing the LA Clippers needed this season.
It’s simple, really. We kill the Batman. Cousins adds more size to a Clippers’ roster that desperately needed it. The team traded away Mfiondu Kabengele prior to the deadline- a move we thought signified a big trade coming. When they didn’t make a move that required them to take more than one player, the team was left with only two centers on the roster and an empty spot.
In a regular season, that’s probably not the end of the world. However, this move came at a time where Serge Ibaka is out with lower back tightness and has no timetable to return. The LA Clippers are extremely shorthanded in the big man department with Patrick Patterson currently serving as the backup “center”.
The team just needs size.
There was hope that the Clippers would have a chance with some of the more (currently) talented big men that hit the buyout market in Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge but both signed elsewhere. With those two gone, it seemed like the Clippers’ options were limited.
Cousins isn’t going to blow you away, especially since we have seen earlier this year how limited his game looked. A change of scenery and being part of a contender might mean a little better play out of him but the stats aren’t reassuring. Cousins’ averages this season:
- 9.6 points
- 7.6 rebounds
- 2.4 assists
- 37.6% overall shooting and 33.6% from deep
At face value, the stats don’t look horrible but remember this was all coming for a terrible Houston Rockets team whose other best options were Christian Wood and John Wall. Cousins coming off an ACL tear isn’t inspiring either but it’s all moot. He’s still 6’10” and can occupy space.
While Serge Ibaka is still on the mend, that’s exactly what LA needs. Cousins can spell Ivica Zubac, especially against bigger teams. When Ibaka is healthy, I don’t expect Cousins to get a ton of run especially in the playoffs, unless he miraculously returns to his All-Star level of play.
All in all, this signing is most likely not a needle mover but does offer the Clippers some insurance. They needed size and adding DeMarcus Cousins to the roster does just that.