Exploring the best and worst fits for DeMarcus Cousins in the NBA heading into 2020-21
Last year was supposed to be the year DeMarcus Cousins proved he was fully back, and setting himself up for a future contract. Of course, his torn ACL prevented that and dimmed his chances of ever having a comeback year.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t still crack a good team’s rotation. The man was one of the best and most complete offensive players in the game before his injuries, and even after his Achilles tear, he looked good on the Golden State Warriors, averaging an efficient 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 blocks before injuring his quad.
Whether as a bench player or pseudo-starter, even a diminished Boogie can greatly help some legit contending teams.G
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The worst fits for DeMarcus Cousins
Brooklyn Nets
While Boogie’s Team USA friendship with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving might sound like a sweet reunion on paper, this Nets team figures to be bad enough on defense without him.
Boogie was considered a liability on defense before his Achilles tear and ACL tear. It’s hard to imagine this iteration of the Nets not being a bottom 5 defense with him.
Golden State Warriors
The 2020-2021 Warriors will be a juggernaut, for sure, but their surrounding parts are not good enough anymore to hide Boogie on defense, which was already tricky with a pre-injury KD and Klay Thompson, plus Andre Iguodala and near-peak Draymond Green.
Milwaukee Bucks
While the Bucks probably have enough quality wing and interior defenders to cover up for Boogie’s shortcomings – and his shooting and passing is definitely needed – Boogie would struggle for minutes behind Giannis and the Lopez brothers. His lack of explosiveness means he can’t possibly co-exist with Giannis, the greatest transition player in the game.
Now, onto the contenders where Boogie could make a winning impact.
The good fits for DeMarcus Cousins
Los Angeles Lakers
The reason the Lakers signed Boogie pre-ACL tear was that he’s an above-average floor spacer who can really handle and initiate the offense. Those skills are some of the most injury-proof. And the Lakers are a rare team with defensive parts to cover up for Boogie. Alongside some combination of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Alex Caruso, Avery Bradley and KCP, it’s not difficult to see a mostly healthy Boogie playing 20-25 minutes a game and providing great offensive value.
Boston Celtics
It’s hard to see Boogie starting for this team unless they went super big with Daniel Theis at power forward, but he could be a great backup center for this team that has always been killed on the glass. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart are elite perimeter defenders who could prevent penetration and help on switches, while Boogie could theoretically provide floor spacing and serve as a passing hub for their second unit, as Horford did in certain lineups.
LA Clippers
This is my favorite Boogie destination. Like the Celtics, the Clippers have a few pretty good, pretty well-known perimeter stoppers who should have bigger chips on their shoulders than Donald Trump at a nude beach.
Sure, Boogie can’t defend in the playoffs, but neither could Montrezl Harrell. Harrell relied more upon will and athleticism than skill in the post. It’s easy to see Boogie fouling out opposing centers in a short stretch when he can’t be double-teamed.