After tearing his Achilles halfway through last season, DeMarcus Cousins tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans ended and so did his hopes of getting a max deal. He signed with the Golden State Warriors this year in an effort to regain his bounce and show the world he can still play at a high level. Cousins returned to an NBA court in late January and seemed to be coming back to his old self. Now, Cousins future lies in doubt after suffering a torn left quad in Monday’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
This is probably season-ending for Cousins, but he and the team will see how he responds within the first two weeks of rehab that is not expected to require surgery, sources said. https://t.co/OctIgrMHOS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2019
DeMarcus Cousins To Miss Remainder Of Playoffs With Injury
New Orleans Tragedy
After being traded to the Pelicans late in the 2016-17 season, Cousins and the Pelicans missed the playoffs by seven games. The next season, Cousins was averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assist, and 1.6 blocks before going down on January 26th, injuring his Achilles going after a rebound. Cousins missed the next year and his first shot at playing in the NBA playoffs.
Return in the Bay
Missing the rest of last season with a torn Achilles, Cousins didn’t get the deal he wanted. Many teams passed on the chance to sign him in fear of his injury. So, he shocked the world in the middle of summer by signing with the Warriors, bolstering their lineup upon his return and giving them a starting five of all-stars. Cousins made his Warriors debut on January 18th. It was a home game ironically against the Clippers. He made a strong return, scoring 14 points, hitting three out of four threes and grabbing six rebounds, all in 15 minutes.
Cousins ended up averaging 16.3 points in 30 games this year. He shot 48% from the field, 27% from three-point range and averaged 8.2 rebounds per game. He scored nine points and shot 33% from the field in his playoff debut, along with nine rebounds and four assists. Cousins played only four minutes in game two before going down, grabbing onto his left thigh. He’s expected to be out indefinitely for the rest of the playoffs, and it’s unclear when he’ll even be able to step back on an NBA court again. After signing a one-year deal over the summer, Cousins again will be going into free agency this year. This injury leaves many questions and concern over where and when he’ll play next.
Main Photo
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 21: DeMarcus Cousins of the United states looks on during the final match of the Men’s basketball between Serbia and United States on day 16 at Carioca Arena 1 on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
