Cousins on Williamson: ‘Get ready for the next level’

Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins didn’t hold back when asked what advice he’d give an elite prospect weighing whether to sit out a year and prepare for the NBA draft, or play a season of college basketball.

“Knowing what I know now, college is bulls—,” Cousins said after shootaround Thursday morning. “College basketball, the NCAA, is bulls—. My advice to (Duke freshman Zion Williamson) is do what’s best for you and your family. Obviously, college isn’t. It does nothing for you at this point.

“You’ve proven you’re the No. 1 pick coming out. You’ve proven your talent. Get ready for the next level, because it’s happening. That’s my opinion, knowing what I know now. Obviously, when I was that age, you enjoy the moment. You enjoy the experience and all that. But there’s so many risks involved to get to the ultimate goal, which is this level. Just do what’s best for him.”

Cousins’ comments came a day after Williamson — widely projected as the No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft — sustained a mild knee sprain when his left Nike shoe fell apart as he planted hard while dribbling just 36 seconds into the Blue Devils’ 88-72 loss to North Carolina. Duke has no timetable yet for Williamson’s recovery, but that hasn’t stopped plenty of pundits from debating the merits of him playing another college game.

The reasoning for Williamson to shut down his season is simple: Having already cemented his status as the NBA draft’s top pick, he now can focus full-time on preparing for the league without risking re-injury in competitive games.

However, many still think that Williamson should finish what he started and try to help the top-ranked Blue Devils win a national championship. Cousins, who spent a season at Kentucky before going No. 5 overall to Sacramento in the 2010 NBA draft, is adamant that Williamson should begin preparing for the league because he believes the college system is corrupt.

“I loved my experience in college,” Cousins said. “That was some of the best years of my life playing basketball. With that being said, just how crooked the whole NCAA business is. I actually saw a post the other day where I think the highest ticket for that UNCDuke game was $2,500-$3,500. How much of that money does Zion Williamson see?

“Because that’s who they’re coming to see, so how much of that is he getting? Actually, who does it go to? How does it benefit any player on that team?”

Cousins sees the G League as a worthwhile option for elite prospects. In October, the G League announced plans to start offering “select contracts” of $125,000 next season to top players who turn 18 by Sept. 15 and decide to bypass college.

“The D-League, G League route — that’s obviously not a popular thing right now, but I think it’ll grow over time,” Cousins said. “It’s cool with what (LaVar) Ball did and his whole league. I think it’s a cool thing. Obviously, he doesn’t have the greatest name and people look at him in a foolish manner. But what he’s doing makes sense. He’s helping his kids. He understands how the college level is corrupt.”