When the signing of DeMarcus Cousins was first announced, many of us didn’t know what to expect from the big man. The LA Clippers only gave the big man a ten-day contract to prove himself while Serge Ibaka recovered.
In his debut with the LA Clippers last night, DeMarcus Cousins showed us enough to be excited about his addition to this roster.
The stats weren’t groundbreaking by any means – 7points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists – but nothing seemed forced and he seemed comfortable on the court.
Cousins claims that he’s in the best shape of his career and while it’s hard to believe that a player that has torn his Achilles, quad, and ACL is in the best shape of his life, he didn’t look all too bad.
While it’s easy to get excited about another former All-Star on the roster especially after a solid debut, it’s important to remember what exactly Cousins role will likely be on this team.
Ivica Zubac has been stellar all season, especially since the All-Star break. He should continue to start for the remainder of the year, even when Serge Ibaka is able to finally return. When that does happen, Cousins will undoubtedly be the third big in the rotation. That’s a spot that doesn’t figure to see a ton of minutes in the playoffs.
Sure, he might be useful against teams like the Denver Nuggets whose center could cause problems for Ibaka, but for the most part we can likely expect Cousins to just get spot minutes.
Granted, this all could change. Cousins’ Clipper teammates are (understandably) hyping him up but perhaps there is more left in the tank. We will see over the course of the next several days and possibly further should the Clippers decide to offer him another ten-day deal or guaranteed contract.
With only one game under his belt, we can’t deem Cousins a successful pickup just yet but the signs were encouraging. Hopefully, he’s someone that can help this team going forward.