Golden State Warriors: DeMarcus Cousins should be utilized as the sixth man
The Golden State Warriors should look to utilize DeMarcus Cousins as their sixth man once he makes his return to the floor
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has made it clear that when DeMarcus Cousins makes his season debut, he will be the team’s starting center. While it’s understandable why the All-Star center would be given such a role, the Warriors would be better off utilizing Cousins as their sixth man.
This offseason, Cousins agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Warriors, despite reportedly having a $20 million a year contract on the table to re-sign with the New Orleans Pelicans (per Marc Stein of The New York Times). The decision came after the center tore his Achilles in a January 26 matchup against the Houston Rockets – which ended his season. Had the injury not transpired, perhaps Cousins wouldn’t have settled for such a small contract.
At the end of the day, Cousins chose to sign with the Warriors. Did the Warriors need him? Of course not. While Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee were free agents and there was a need for a center, signing a high-profile individual such as Cousins was not a necessity for the Warriors.
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Having the likes of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala in place also doesn’t scream help wanted. And Cousins didn’t need the Warriors. He signed with them on such a small contract because he wanted to win a championship – which is admirable.
Given that he’s on a one-year deal and the odds of him re-signing with the Warriors on a long-term contract this summer are slim to none, Kerr has nothing to lose when it comes to the role he assigns Cousins. And from a basketball standpoint, the big man would do wonders for their bench.
Right now, the Warriors bench is one of the least productive units in the NBA. Going into their Sunday night matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors bench was 28th in the NBA in points per game (30.1). Iguodala went into Sunday night averaging a career-worse 5.3 points per game, and the likes of Jonas Jerebko, Alfonzo McKinnie, Jordan Bell, and Kevon Looney have been extremely underwhelming offensively. While Quinn Cook has provided a reliable two-way presence and went into Sunday night averaging 7.8 points per game, he’s fourth on the Warriors in scoring, as they have just three players averaging double-figures (Curry, Durant, Thompson).
Plus, the Warriors don’t need another scorer to take attention off someone else. With Durant, Curry, and Thompson in the fold, there’s plenty of ways to deceive and decoy players against other teams. Cousins would take that threat to an unprecedented level, but he’d also uplift the Warriors bench.
The Warriors bench is rail thin in terms of production, and they need more balance in general. When healthy, Cousins is one of the most well-rounded scorers in the NBA. He can finish inside, operate in the post, play in isolation, and hit outside jump shots. Meanwhile, he’s one of the best rebounders the league has to offer, and, for his career, Cousins is averaging 21.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
The Warriors don’t need more production from their starting five. Sure, an upgrade at center would pay dividends, but with Curry, Durant, and Thompson currently the highest scoring trio in the league and Green going into Sunday night averaging a team-high eight rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, it’s not a pressing need. If Cousins came off the bench, he’d instantly be the most prolific sixth man in the NBA.
Most playoff caliber teams in the Western Conference have deep rotations, but no one has a star player coming off the bench – which the Warriors would have in Cousins. When the starting five gets a breather, Cousins would enter the game and lead the scoring charge, get players in foul trouble, and fill the void that exists when the Warriors big three hits the bench.
It’s not as if bringing Cousins off the bench means he won’t play 30 minutes a night, or be on the floor at the end of games. In fact, in crunch time, Kerr would be foolish not to have Cousins on the floor. But before the waning moments of games, having Cousins as the go-to scorer off the bench would be a hassle for teams’ reserve units. And when the Warriors go with their best five at the end of games, there won’t be any double-teaming given that there would be four elite scorers on the floor.
Cousins may only suit up in a Warriors jersey for four and a half months – if they reach the NBA Finals for a fifth consecutive season. Heck, the Warriors could potentially lose Durant and/or Thompson to free agency this offseason. It may very well be this team’s last hurrah as the superior roster in the NBA, so they have to capitalize and win the title one more time this season.
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Cousins can, without a doubt, give the Golden State Warriors the most formidable starting five in the NBA and in the sport’s history. But he can make an even bigger impact for them coming off the bench.