JANUARY 9, 12:13am: Speaking tonight to reporters, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that the team expects Cousins to make his debut soon, but suggested the January 18 date isn’t set in stone (Twitter link via Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area). It could also happen on January 16 (vs. Pelicans) or January 21 (vs. Lakers), per Kerr.
JANUARY 8, 9:39pm: DeMarcus Cousins is expected to make his highly-anticipated debut with the Warriors on January 18, sources tell Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Golden State will play the Clippers in Los Angeles that Friday night and then take on the Lakers two days later at the Staples Center.
Cousins is recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered last season with the Pelicans. He signed a one-year deal with the Warriors with the expectation of hitting the free agent market again in 2019. The team can only offer him a modest raise on his $5.3MM deal, though at least one insider has predicted that Cousins may consider playing on a similar one-year deal during the 2019/20 campaign.
Playing with the Warriors will be different than any team Cousins has ever played on. The pace and real title expectations are unlike anything Cousins has seen since he came into the league.
“They play faster than most other teams. It’s not even about the rust. That’s going to be part of the process. I’m aware of that. It’s about having my body in the best shape possible for an NBA game,” Cousins said last month.
Didn’t the pelicans rate the highest last season in pace?
A lot of it was after Cousins was injured.
That says more about Cousins than the pace of the other players I think. Either way he’ll have to adjust to warriors style not make them adjust to his.
Taking shots early in the count and playing at a quick pace are two different things.
Can’t wait for his return! A true legend! A real giant in & off the court, he has been very much missed in the league!