DeMarcus Cousins, an 11-year NBA veteran who last played in the T1 League for the Taiwan Beer Leopards, sat down with HoopsHype, on behalf of Panini America, to discuss his experiences in Taiwan, his NBA career, his relationship with Michael Malone, …
DeMarcus Cousins, an 11-year NBA veteran who last played in the T1 League for the Taiwan Beer Leopards, sat down with HoopsHype, on behalf of Panini America, to discuss his experiences in Taiwan, his NBA career, his relationship with Michael Malone, his mental resilience during the latter years of his career, and his thoughts on the current state of the game.
Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins isn’t completely buying into the Philadelphia 76ers when it comes to Eastern Conference contention.
As the Philadelphia 76ers move forward under new coach Nick Nurse, there is work to be done. They’re off to a terrific start (9-3) after a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, but some believe what they have will not be enough to get it done.
The Sixers are in an Eastern Conference that includes the loaded Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams have proven superstars who have led their respective teams to the NBA finals. The Bucks won a title in 2021, so there is merit to the thought that the Sixers just aren’t ready.
Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins hopped on “Bully Ball” and gave his thoughts on the Sixers and the East as a whole:
That Celtics team is so well put together, I just don’t really see any team getting past them, and I think at a certain point the Sixers will run out of firepower. I could be wrong, but my gut is telling me they’ll run out of firepower. Especially during the playoffs when schemes start getting into play and adjustments are made on the defensive end.
The Sixers have climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference in the first 10 games.
Do they have enough gas in the tank to clinch the top seed?
The issue with the Sixers is that they haven’t done anything to really earn any type of trust in the playoffs. Both the Celtics and the Bucks have gone deep into the playoffs constantly during their current run. The Sixers have fallen in the second round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons and five of the previous six seasons overall.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have morphed into an elite duo, but Philadelphia needs more. The Sixers need others to step up and that will decide how far they will go in April and May.
The Golden State Warriors have been at the center of the NBA’s offseason conversation since acquiring Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster trade for Jordan Poole. There’s been a great deal of chatter on why the Warriors made the move and if the longtime rival point guard will work in his new home in the Bay Area.
On Tuesday, a former member of the Warriors was critical of the Paul trade. In an interview with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson, DeMarcus Cousins said he doesn’t understand the Warriors’ trade to acquire Paul. The former All-Star big man said he doesn’t see Paul elevating the Warriors.
I’m going to be honest; I didn’t understand the Chris Paul trade. Then I looked at it as if maybe this is just a contract thing. Maybe they want to free up the books for the next season. But, as far as it being about basketball, the X’s and O’s on the court, I don’t really see that elevating the Golden State Warriors, to be honest.
When asked why he doesn’t understand the Warriors’ move for Paul, the former Kentucky Wildcat top prospect mentioned Paul’s age.
He is up in age; you got rid of a young youthful guy for an aging veteran. I’m not taking away anything Chris Paul has done throughout his career. I’m just speaking on this stage of his career. I don’t see him elevating the Golden State Warriors. Hey, I could be wrong. He could go find the fountain of youth this summer and come out and win MVP, I don’t know — Sixth Man of the Year, who knows. If they’ve seen what I’ve seen in this stage of his career and the addition to the team, I don’t see that really elevating the Golden State Warriors.
Prior to joining the Warriors, the 38-year-old guard spent three seasons with the Phoenix Suns. During the 2022-23 season, Paul played in 59 games, averaging 13.9 points on 44% shooting from the floor and 37.5% from deep, with 8.9 assists and 4.3 boards per contest.
Does this mean DeMarcus Cousins thinks that he is better than Domantas Sabonis??
Let’s just start by giving DeMarcus Cousins his flowers.
The four-time All-Star was one of the most talented big men in the league. It is not easy to average a double-double in the NBA and he did that in nearly every season he played before his devastating late-career injuries. He is also one of the all-time leaders in triple-doubles among centers.
When he was at the peak of his powers, Cousins was indeed a dominant big man. He scored 56 points against the Hornets in 2017 and he had multiple games in which he recorded 24 rebounds. He notched as many as 13 assists, 7 steals, and 7 blocks during individual games as well.
Cousins recently joined Kevin Garnett on the KG CERTIFIED podcast, however, and he had some fans raising their eyebrows (at the 1-minute, 33-second mark):
KG: Are you sitting here seeing yourself in play and all of that?
Cousins: Right now, I’m the third-best center in the league.
KG: Mmmmm. Right now?
Cousins: Right now, I’m the third-best center in the league. I mean, I’m a fan of the game. I’m always watching. I’m always enjoying these guys talents and things of that nature. But the game is just in a different place from my perspective.
Cousins said he is “waiting around” for teams to give him a call.
He added that when he came into the league, Garnett was at the top of the league. Then, he said that he himself was “that guy” but now, the “energy” is different and he hardly recognizes the foundation of the sport.
Cousins said the competitive nature of the game has faded.
To even mention himself as a top-3 center in the league shows a sense of competitiveness and unabashed confidence that could carry him a long way on the court.
But it’s hard to imagine that Cousins, who hasn’t played a game in almost twelve months, is actually one of the three best centers in the NBA right now. Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid have the first two spots locked up.
So if Cousins were third, that would put him ahead of Domantas Sabonis, Anthony Davis, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo, Kristaps Porzingis, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brook Lopez, Jarrett Allen, Rudy Gobert, and Nic Claxton.
Something about that doesn’t feel accurate for the 32-year-old big man. Candidly, the last time Cousins had a legitimate case for a top-3 center in the NBA was probably in 2016-17.
Former NBA All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins is picking Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid to win the MVP award.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is one of the best players in this league; he can do it all at 7 feet tall. The big fella is averaging a league-leading 33.4 points per game, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and he’s shooting 54.1% from the floor. There isn’t a lot that he can’t do.
There aren’t many big men who can score at all three levels. He can get to the line with ease. He can knock down 3s. He can score in the mid-range. He also has shown a knack for coming through in the clutch in the 2022-23 season.
That type of production has once again vaulted him into the MVP conversation with Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Former NBA All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins had a conversation with Rachel Nichols and he is picking Embiid to win the MVP:
I think its Big Jo’s. I think the other two guys have had theirs. Let’s reward the big fella.
It’s just about the numbers and the season, it still leans towards Jo. He’s leading the leading the league in scoring. He’s dominating at an all-time high. Give the big fella his flowers. He deserves it. He really deserves it and I’m not taking away anything from the other two guys. They’ve received their flowers. Not to say they won’t get more in the future, as of right now, big Jo deserves his flowers.
Embiid has 14 more games to show his skill and his value on the floor. If he can lead the Sixers to the No. 2 seed or the No. 1 seed, the award should be his. Philadelphia has been terrific since early December and it’s mostly due to the terrific play of Embiid.
The former four-time All-Star is expected to work out for the Lakers within the next several days.
With superstar center Anthony Davis still out due to a stress injury in his right foot and no timetable established for his return, the Los Angeles Lakers could use more depth up front.
Thomas Bryant, the temporary starter at the 5, has been playing extremely well, but he has no real backup, especially since Damian Jones, the team’s only other true center, has been used sporadically and is dealing with a toe ailment.
Therefore, the Lakers are expected to bring in veteran center DeMarcus Cousins for a workout in the coming days.
“Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins is expected to work out for the Los Angeles Lakers at some point next week, league sources tell Bleacher Report,” Chris Haynes wrote. “The official date has yet to be determined, sources say.
“He has been working out six days a week in Las Vegas. The free-agent center hopes to impress a Lakers franchise in evaluation mode. As of Jan. 5, teams are now allowed to sign players to 10-day contracts.”
Cousins was once arguably the NBA’s best center, and he was selected to four consecutive All-Star games from 2015 to 2018 while consistently averaging over 24 points and 11 rebounds a game.
However, he has since suffered a torn Achilles, a quad injury and a torn ACL. He has been reduced to a mere role player off the bench.
The Lakers actually signed Cousins back in the summer of 2019 to back up JaVale McGee, which led to excitement and high expectations among their fan base. But his ACL injury occurred shortly afterward, which led to the team picking up Dwight Howard instead.
Cousins hasn’t appeared in an NBA game this season. He put up 9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 15 minutes a game while shooting 46% overall and 30.3% from 3-point range last year.
DMC could in theory provide big man depth with a bit of shooting for a team that could use more of both.
“If you were more concerned about Robert Williams III than Al Horford, then DeMarcus Cousins is probably the guy for me,” posits Heavy’s Adam Taylor on a new short taken from a recent episode of the “Celtics Collective” podcast.
For now at least, the Boston Celtics are reportedly planning to see what depth options they already have on their roster for the 2022-23 NBA season. But if the answers to questions concerning big man depth or shooting left by Danilo Gallinari’s injury aren’t there, Cousins could contribute a little to both.
Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear the Heavy analyst’s argument for bringing on the veteran big man ahead of the Celtics’ next attempt to put together a run at an NBA title.
The injury, sustained in FIBA World Cup qualifier play, will likely keep Gallinari out of action through at least the end of the 2022-23 regular season, and perhaps beyond it..
The Boston Celtics find themselves looking for a way to fill at least some of the minutes that will be vacated by veteran forward Danilo Gallinari after news broke of the Italian swingman’s ACL injury. That injury, sustained in FIBA World Cup qualifier play, will likely keep Gallinari out of action through at least the end of the 2022-23 regular season, and perhaps beyond it.
Early reporting has suggested that the team is in no hurry to replace Gallo with Boston reportedly planning to get a good look at the prospects they already have on the roster, but a strict adherence to such a plan might well see any potential free agents of note find homes elsewhere.
The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn recently highlighted five potential signees the Celtics could consider bringing on in the wake of Gallinari’s injury; let’s dive into the prospective replacements.
Danilo Gallinari is almost certainly out for the season; now what for the Boston Celtics? https://t.co/sX1I26lImp
The Philadelphia 76ers are viewed as the best landing spot for free agent big man DeMarcus Cousins.
The offseason is just about over in the NBA. Training camps around the league will begin at the end of September, so the Philadelphia 76ers are just about done with their summer additions.
However, some solid bench-help options who could come cheaply remain out there.
For example, the Sixers could still add a backup big man. While they still do have Paul Reed, Philadelphia could bring in a veteran they can count on consistently.
Bleacher Report took a look at some of the bigger free agents still out there and came up with the best fits for them. The site identified the Sixers as the best fit for veteran four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins:
In 31 games with the Denver Nuggets, Cousins averaged 23.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per 75 possessions. And he took that second unit from disaster to respectable.
Prior to Cousins’ debut, Denver was minus-12.5 points per 100 possessions when Nikola Jokic was off the floor. After that, it was minus-2.2.
Cousins could provide a similar stabilizing effect as the backup to Jokic’s chief rival, Joel Embiid.
[pickup_prop id=”26183″]
Cousins was a big part of helping the Nuggets’ bench, and he can do the same for the Sixers. He would have to come on the cheap, but he can help Philadelphia on a title chase right now.
“He’s dominated at every level he’s played at because he can play basketball. It has nothing to do with his weight or frame.”
In an interview with Outta Pocket, NBA player DeMarcus Cousins spoke about No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and the weight concerns that’s been thrown around with him.
Holmgren is 7-foot-1 and 190 pounds, so his skinny frame has caused many to be concerned that he won’t be able to handle the physicality of the NBA.
Cousins is on the opposite side of the argument and thinks Holmgren’s weight concerns are overblown and that the NBA is not a physical game anymore.
“This isn’t that NBA. I get it like, that’s an easy narrative to push. Once you’re good player coming into this league, they’re gonna talk about your positives and your negatives… They said the same thing about Kevin Durant… He’s dominated at every level he’s played at because he can play basketball. It has nothing to do with his weight or frame.
Obviously, he has to get stronger just for longevity. But talking about him getting bullied and stuff — they don’t even post up anymore… Outside of Jokic, Embiid and maybe Karl-Anthony Towns, guys really don’t post up. I don’t think that’s a concern for me. I think he’s gonna flourish in his game. He’s an incredible talent. He’s a guy you could consider a unicorn. He’s seven-foot-plus, has every skill of a guard, can shoot the ball. I think he’s gonna have a really good career.”
Cousins has been in the NBA for 12 years now and was taken fifth overall in the 2010 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. The 31-year-old is a four-time All-Star.
