Bruce Jenkins:
Cousins should help teammates, Kerr navigate grind of regular season
DeMarcus Cousins’ skill set will require the Warriors to make changes, creating much needed challenges.
DeMarcus Cousins got a kick out of his first telephone conversation with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “Right before we hung up,” Cousins wrote on the Players Tribune, “he goes, ‘So you’re gonna make me actually have to coach this year, huh?’ ”
Kerr was joking, of course, but there’s a kernel of truth in there. The Warriors need challenges in the worst way, from Kerr to his staff to the team’s core players. Cousins’ presence is the great provider, with a ton of staying power.
Imagine the Warriors’ practices when Cousins, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, starts moving around at full capacity. Everything changes in the halfcourt sets, because Kerr finally has the option of a devastating scorer — and passer — on the low post. Stephen
Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson will be taking fewer outside shots, and although that comes with a bit of sacrifice, that’s nothing new on this team. It’s all about the change, a new way of looking things, a way to stay fresh on the long road to the postseason.
As if that won’t give opposing teams enough headaches — how the heck do we stop Cousins down low? — the big man loves to shoot three-pointers. He can be deadly from that range. Cousins isn’t likely to be flying down the floor on every fastbreak, because that’s just not his way. But it will be fascinating to see how he fits into set plays — and that’s not Kerr’s only challenge at the position. As opposed to past years, when the Warriors’ centers had established roles and knew about when they’d be entering the game, Kerr is still sorting out the strengths and weaknesses of Damian Jones, Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney.
Kenny Smith, the longtime analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” recalled the climate around the Houston Rockets after they’d won the 1993-94 championship. In trying to repeat, he said, “You’re fighting different demons. You’re fighting mental fatigue. You’re having to dig deeper to find the adrenaline you need.”
The Rockets did repeat, and Smith said the key was the acquisition of Clyde Drexler from Portland in February 1995. “There has to be a core group that stays together,” Smith said, “but for us, it was the energy of adding Clyde that allowed us to think fresh and be new. We’d been on vacation mentally, and he brought us back.”
Some other thoughts on the Warriors:
What if Jimmy Butler winds up in Houston? It’s a bit of a mess right now, with the Timberwolves making exorbitant demands from other clubs in trade talks, and some think head coach Tom Thibodeau wants to keep Butler. That seems unlikely, and with the Rockets reportedly taking great interest, imagine Butler on the same court with James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela. The Clippers appear to be the only other Western Conference team looking into a Butler deal, hoping it would lead to the signing of another big-time player, Kawhi Leonard, next summer.
Cousins spent most of Monday night’s second quarter adding his voice to the Warriors’ telecast. Jim Barnett began raving about the big man’s passing ability, wondering what would happen if “you set your mind to get 15 assists in a game.” Cousins’ response: “That’s not a bad idea at all.”
Never take your eyes off Curry. Kerr was standing right next to him during Sunday’s open practice when Curry, with his back to the basket, flipped a shot from halfcourt — and it went in. Kerr didn’t bother to watch and was surprised to see Curry in a wild celebration with teammates. Certain to happen sometime in practice: a three-point-shooting contest featuring Curry, Thompson, Durant, Cousins — and Kerr, who hasn’t lost his touch.
The ESPN’s NBA staff tossed around the idea of the Warriors playing the Eastern Conference All-Stars. “I love the Warriors as much as anyone,” said the venerable Jackie MacMullan, “but let’s get real. Give me a roster of Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, Victor Oladipo, Jayson Tatum, DeMar DeRozan (now with the Spurs), Ben Simmons, John Wall, Jaylen Brown, Blake Griffin, Al Horford, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal, Kemba Walker and Kyle Lowry and I’ll take my chances.”
Clearly targeting the Defensive Player of the Year award, claiming it was “crazy” he made only the second team in that category last season, Draymond Green said, “I don’t think any voter can tell me there are five defensive players better than me.” It’s probably more like four, and “better” is a stretch: Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Embiid and Leonard.
It’s getting late, and Nick Young hasn’t signed with anyone yet. Seems likely he’ll latch on to a team at some point. Wherever he is, you know he’s having a Swaggy good time.