NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 26: DeMarcus Cousins #4 of the Denver Nuggets reacts and gets ejected from game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 26, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michelle Farsi/Getty Images)
DeMarcus Cousins is a winning player
There’s never been a question on his ability to fill the box score, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in just under 14 minutes for the Nuggets during 31 regular season games. The question with Cousins, even in his prime years, has been his ability to be a contributor to winning basketball.
Throughout his 11 NBA seasons, Cousins has recorded a negative plus-minus in six. He’s only been involved in three playoff runs, with none of those coming in his prime years with Sacramento or New Orleans.
But what we saw in Round 1 was a Denver team who was much more competitive when Cousins was on the floor. The Nuggets struggled across the five games, being outscored by 40 points across the series. However, Cousins tied for a team-high +0.6 in plus-minus, joining Bryn Forbes as the only Nugget with a positive net rating (of those that played at least ten minutes per game).
Of course, this is all in the context of a limited backup role. But what’s stopping Cousins from doing this on a permanent basis moving forward? You could look at his defensive liability as a reason, but in a bench role, you can hide that somewhat against opposition second units.
Denver Nuggets, who gave Cousins a lifeline by initially signing him to three separate ten-day contracts. Although the Nuggets’ season concluded with a 4-1 loss to the Warriors in the first round, Cousins’ form was an undoubtedly positive and a potential sign of things to come next season.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A winning player </a>
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<img class="wp-image-441324 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2211,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1367100369.jpeg" alt="DeMarcus Cousins" width="3200" height="2211" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1367100369.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1367100369-768x531.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 26: DeMarcus Cousins #4 of the Denver Nuggets reacts and gets ejected from game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 26, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michelle Farsi/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><strong>DeMarcus Cousins is a winning player</strong></h2>
<p>There’s never been a question on his ability to fill the box score, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in just under 14 minutes for the Nuggets during 31 regular season games. The question with Cousins, even in his prime years, has been his ability to be a contributor to winning basketball.</p>
<p>Throughout his 11 NBA seasons, Cousins has recorded a negative plus-minus in six. He’s only been involved in three playoff runs, with none of those coming in his prime years with Sacramento or New Orleans.</p>
<p>But what we saw in Round 1 was a Denver team who was much more competitive when Cousins was on the floor. The Nuggets struggled across the five games, being outscored by 40 points across the series. However, Cousins tied for a team-high +0.6 in plus-minus, joining Bryn Forbes as the only Nugget with a positive net rating (of those that played at least ten minutes per game).</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Steve Kerr on DeMarcus Cousins: "I want to say how happy I am for DeMarcus … He has been through hell. … It was really fun for me to see him play so well. I can say that now because we've won the series."</p>
<p>— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"https://twitter.com/Con_Chron/status/1519540492781842432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>Of course, this is all in the context of a limited backup role. But what’s stopping Cousins from doing this on a permanent basis moving forward? You could look at his defensive liability as a reason, but in a bench role, you can hide that somewhat against opposition second units.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The reasoning </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-444762" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1237946634.jpeg" alt="DeMarcus Cousins, Denver Nuggets" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1237946634.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1237946634-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">DENVER, CO – JANUARY 23: DeMarcus Cousins #4 of the Denver Nuggets reacts during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Ball Arena on January 23, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Mito/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>DeMarcus Cousins’ teammates speak highly of him</h2>
<p>Cousins’ solid series has likely solidified his place in the league, at least in the short term. You’d expect the Nuggets to look to re-sign him in free agency, with the potential of other suitors in search of a backup big. Former teammate Draymond Green expects as much after<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dubs-beat-denver-grizzlies-twolves-chaos-and-a/id1595716948?i=1000558964239%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener"> recent comments on his podcast, ‘The Draymond Green Show’.</a></p>
<blockquote><p><em>“For a guy who’s been through so much, for a guy who spent significant time this year not being on a roster, teams would be absolutely crazy if he’s not on a roster going into next year. Because if you think DeMarcus Cousins can’t help your team win, he helped them win Game 4 and almost carried them to a Game 5 win.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>So why does Cousins fit well with Denver after stints with the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Houston Rockets, and MilwaukeeBucks? In large part, it’s to do with the Nuggets’ system and Cousins’ ability to fit in seamlessly.</p>
<p>In previous stints, teams have had to adjust to Cousins’ play style rather than the other way around. That simply won’t work for a player who’s no longer a star. But in Denver, the presence of Nikola Jokic means the Nuggets can maintain a similar system when Cousins enters the game. No one’s comparing the two, but Cousins does share the same sort of offensive skill set as Jokic: methodical post-play with the ability to pass and also step out and shoot from the perimeter.</p>
<p>Whether it’s with Denver or another NBA team, Cousins should get the opportunity to continue his NBA renaissance. Regardless of who you support, it’s a feel-good story for every NBA fan.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="3 Rudy Gobert trades for the Utah Jazz this offseason" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/04/nba-trades-rudy-gobert-utah-jazz/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/05/demarcus-cousins-renaissance-story/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/04/nba-trades-rudy-gobert-utah-jazz/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 3 Rudy Gobert trades for the Utah Jazz this offseason </a> </div>
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