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If the Warriors are as inevitable as they feel, there’s one silver lining even some of the team’s biggest detractors can get behind: DeMarcus Cousins, NBA champion.
While yet another title for Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant, would feel hollow, Cousins’ first would be remarkable. His return from two major injuries has been a joy to watch.
Cousins was the Warriors’ savior in Game 2 of the Finals, just weeks after most thought his season was over. At a time where the Warriors’ Earth was crumbling around them after injuries to Kevon Looney and Klay Thompson followed Durant’s absence, it was Cousins, still recovering from a torn quad suffered on April 15, who tied loose ends for 11 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists with two blocks.
Game 2 was the ultimate showcase for all of the adjustments Cousins has made to his game that have allowed him to survive a league that’s pushed aside most players who operate like he once did. On Sunday, a quick-footed Cousins beat defenders off the dribble, spun around the interior, and even knocked down a shot from long distance. Maybe most impressively, he saw over the top of defenses and found open cutters through the lane. In a five-point win with other key contributors sidelined, Golden State needed Cousins, perhaps for the first time. He came through, big time.
Even 18 months ago, before the torn quad happened, the idea of DeMarcus Cousins showing up huge like he did for the Warriors in Game 2 was unimaginable. The artist formerly known as “Boogie” had his entire All-Star career reset in January of 2018 when he went down with a torn Achilles just months before a nine-figure guaranteed salary and (potentially) his first chance to play in the NBA playoffs. With his otherworldly talent in jeopardy given the historically uncertain odds he’d ever return to form, Cousins settled for a contract a fraction the size of his market value to chase a championship with this Golden State team.
Cousins played just 30 regular season games with Golden State, as he spent most of the season recovering, only to suffer the torn quad two games into this year’s playoffs. His return in the playoffs was never guaranteed, and it was a surprise to most that he returned 45 days later for Game 1 of the Finals.
The wildest part of Cousins’ Game 2 breakout was that he wasn’t great in Game 1. Head coach Steve Kerr played him all of eight minutes on Thursday, when he scored three points with two assists and two steals. He was steps slow and got torched by Marc Gasol.
On Sunday night, Kerr started Cousins and watched him turn whole other being. It came just in time.
If all ends well for Golden State, Cousins can wear a ring knowing he made a real on-court impact. He won’t be seen as merely an add-on to a stack of stars. He’ll be seen as a necessary piece for a gigantic win that could prove to be the turning point in the NBA Finals.
If you can’t be happy about the Warriors’ victory, be happy for DeMarcus Cousins. It’s been a grind.