San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Bringing in talented big man didn’t pay off for Golden State
Editor’s note: The Chronicle is reviewing the 201819 season of each Warriors player.
DeMarcus Cousins was supposed to be the ultimate luxury. A fourtime AllStar center on a bargain contract, he was expected to bully opponents without fear of doubleteams.
But as last season progressed, the Warriors learned that even luxuries can have drawbacks. Cousins was an awkward fit at times in Golden State’s uptempo motion offense. Instead of spreading the floor and making the extra pass, the Warriors often forcefed Cousins in isolation.
His 27.4% clip from 3point range allowed opponents to sag off of him along the perimeter. On defense, the slowfooted Cousins was often exploited in pickandrolls. What became clear was that, though a skilled lowpost threat might seem like a major advantage for any team, it isn’t necessarily what Golden State needs to thrive.
There is a reason the Warriors won three NBA titles in four years with centers who kept their focus on positional defense and passing to shooters. Because Cousins signed a $5.3 million contract with Golden State in hopes of easing concerns about his health and resuscitating his market value, head coach Steve Kerr sometimes felt conflicted: Does he do what’s best for Cousins, or what’s best for the team?
Although Cousins was mostly an easygoing lockerroom presence, he fumed on occasion when he thought he wasn’t getting enough touches. It didn’t help that Cousins — fresh off almost a yearlong recovery from a torn left Achilles tendon that kept him out until midJanuary — struggled to find a rhythm. Too often, he delivered a dazzling sequence, only to botch a defensive assignment or brick a layup attempt.
Cousins finally found some traction when he averaged 20.5 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and 1.8 steals over the Warriors’ final four regularseason games. But after a sixturnover, sixfoul dud in Game 1 of the first playoff round against the Clippers, he suffered a quad injury early in Game 2.
Intent to chase a championship and boost his stock in time for free agency, Cousins outpaced the training staff ’s expectations, returning for the Finals. Old issues resurfaced. Cousins was so inconsistent in the series’ first four games that, if not for Kevin Durant tearing his right Achilles tendon, he probably wouldn’t have played in Game 5.
Forced into meaningful minutes, Cousins totaled 26 points and 11 rebounds in Games 5 and 6. But was it too little, too late?
Some in the Warriors organization don’t believe the Cousins experiment worked. It was a sensible investment, but Golden State might have been better off spending the midlevel exception on a more defensiveoriented big man or wing.
Offseason outlook: The Warriors can offer Cousins no more than $6.36 million for next season, which is probably below what he’ll command from other teams. Cousins is expected to land offers in at least the $8 million to $10 million range, according to league sources.
The Knicks are reportedly ready to offer him a sizable oneyear contract if they can’t sign Durant. After making $5.3 million last season, Cousins will likely go for the most guaranteed money.
If for some reason Cousins falls into Golden State’s price range, it would face a difficult decision. With Durant’s status in flux and Klay Thompson expected to miss most — if not all — of next season with an ACL injury, the Warriors could use an affordable former AllStar capable of going on scoring binges.
But after all the challenges Cousins endured last season, is Golden State up for another goaround?
Probably not.