The Golden State Warriors don’t need DeMarcus Cousins to be the best team in the NBA. That was evident when the team recently exploded for 92 points in a half while Klay Thompson set the league record for threes. But at the very least, a healthy big man with Cousins’ talent level would only raise the ceiling of the reigning champions.
With that as the backdrop, buzz is building that Cousins could be nearing a return, and that was fueled by video of the All-Star center participating in a scrimmage on Thursday.
DeMarcus Cousins getting some full-court non-contact work in. pic.twitter.com/ipWVDX2ruh
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 1, 2018
Here’s a couple possessions of DeMarcus Cousins scrimmaging. One possession he challenges a shot, then leads a break then gets a dunk in transition. pic.twitter.com/VEAA5uT46p
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) November 1, 2018
In response, however, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pushed back on the notion that Cousins would be game-ready in the near future, saying instead that he isn’t exactly “close to coming back.”
DeMarcus Cousins playing in a 4-on- light scrimmage right now. Steve Kerr: “I love how far he’s come, but I don’t want anyone to get the idea that he’s close to coming back.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 1, 2018
DeMarcus Cousins is ready for 5-on-5 scrimmage activity, per @warriors coach Steve Kerr. Problem is having enough active bodies. Most members of the rotation are exempt.
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) November 1, 2018
This makes sense for the Warriors, as there should be absolutely no rush when it comes to Cousins making his on-court debut this season. On Cousins’ end, there could be some urgency given that he will be a free agent in July but, in the grand scheme, all that matters for both player and team is the way Cousins performs in the playoffs.
There is a certain level of comedy in the fact that the Warriors can’t have Cousins scrimmaging 5-on-5 due to a lack of player availability but Cousins will continue to ramp up his level of participation. Eventually, he’ll be ready to go and the NBA’s premier team will have the interesting task of integrating yet another star-level talent.
