While everyone was busy trying to process LeBron James’ big move to the Lakers this summer, the Golden State Warriors were quietly staging an offseason coup of their own. Given the devastating Achilles injury he suffered last season, DeMarcus Cousins apparently discovered this summer that his market value had plummeted.
Once the Warriors caught wind of this development, they didn’t hesitate to swoop in and snatch him up for next to nothing. Even if they only have his services for the coming season and he decides to hit the market again next summer when his current one-year deal expires, it was a low-risk/high-reward scenario for both sides.
The drawback, of course, is that the injury will require a lengthy rehabilitation process that could extend well into the season, although just how far into the season remains to be seen. Head coach Steve Kerr, though reluctant to set a specific time table for his return, is optimistic about the progress Cousins is making in his recovery.
Via Mark Medina of The Mercury News:
“He’s right on schedule. He hasn’t had any setbacks. He’s doing well,” Kerr said of Cousins. “Beyond that, there’s nothing. No prediction. Especially with an Achilles injury, you have to wait and see how the player responds once he’s on the court and moving at full speed.”
Cousins tore his Achilles in late January, and the standard recovery time for that type of injury is anywhere from nine months to a year. The best-case scenario is a return sometime around Christmas or the first of the year, though the organization has no reason to speed up his recovery.
They can afford to be overly cautious, and if Cousins isn’t quite ready to hit the court until after the All-Star break or even closer to the start of the postseason, then so be it. Either way, the hope is that Golden State will have Cousins in the lineup when it counts the most, which is a terrifying prospect for teams still harboring fantasies of hoisting a championship trophy next spring.
(Via The Mercury News)
