The Milwaukee Bucks signed veteran Center DeMarcus Cousins to a contract on Sunday.
It's time to Boogie!! @boogiecousins x #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/8EwM2kh2cw
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 30, 2021
This was a smart move from the Bucks as Brook Lopez is dealing with a back injury. He hasn't played since the first game of the season. Milwaukee has relied on Bobby Portis who has played in Lopez's role. Portis has done a great job so far this season, but there are some questions about his defensive abilities. He's also a tad undersized for the typical NBA center.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has also had his fair share of minutes at the five for the Bucks. Unfortunately for the Bucks, when Giannis is playing the five he's going to get worn down a lot faster as he has to exert all his energy attempting to get rebounds. Giannis can do it at a high level, but it is smarter for the Bucks to go out and get somebody as they did so he can continue being a help-side defender and a force on offense.
This was a great pick-up for the Bucks. Let's take a look at some bold predictions for DeMarcus Cousins as he joins his new team.
Bold Predictions For DeMarcus Cousin With The Bucks
3. He gets valuable minutes
Last season the one downfall that the Milwaukee Bucks potentially had when they won the NBA title, was the lack of big man help that they had outside of Lopez and Giannis. Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer decided to sit Bobby Portis in the Nets series due to defensive reasons.
The Bucks had to play Lopez and Giannis for almost the whole entire game. Giannis is somebody who can play the whole game, but Lopez is getting later into his career. If the Bucks want him to perform to the best of his possible abilities, which they need to win an NBA title, Lopez cannot be playing 40-plus minutes a night in the playoffs. He can play 30 to 35 minutes most nights, but having DeMarcus Cousins will be important to add 10 to 12 minutes. He can help the Bucks secure rebounds and play high-level interior defense. This also gives the Bucks more flexibility with Brook Lopez. They will not have to bring him back until he is more than one hundred percent ready to return to action.
Brook Lopez is probably the most underrated center in the NBA. He does everything that an organization can want. He's an elite rim protector and also shoots the three-ball at an above-average rate. Bobby Portis will also be able to go back to his usual four spot on the court, where he is more comfortable. Cousins isn't a bad second option for this Bucks team, and that's exactly why they signed him.
2. Cousins continues his hot shooting from last season
Last season for the Los Angeles Clippers, in 16 games, Cousins was able to shoot 42.1% from 3-point range. If he can shoot at a 36% rate for this Bucks team, he's going to be even more valuable than they expected him to be. There's no reason to think that he won't continue his hot shooting streak that he left off a season ago. He's going to play next to Giannis. Giannis is arguably the best player in the world at getting his teammates open. Whenever he has the ball, defenses have to collapse on him, otherwise, it's going to be a free two points. As we have seen with the Milwaukee Bucks already this season, Grayson Allen is shooting the best that he has from 3-point range. Most of that can be contributed to just how good Giannis is at getting guys open shots.
1. He helps secure the Bucks another NBA title
DeMarcus Cousins isn't exactly somebody who's going to come in and completely impact a team. He's still a great veteran to have in the clubhouse and also offers that bulldog mentality that PJ Tucker had last season for the Bucks. On top of what he offers in the locker room, he's going to also take the stress off some of the other Bucks players. The reason for this? He can come in during the regular season and play 20 minutes a night. If there's ever a night that Portis, Giannis, or Brook Lopez, aren't feeling 100%, the Bucks can start DeMarcus Cousins and not have to worry about anything. It's going to significantly help the Bucks stay healthy come playoff time and that's exactly what this team needs.
He's going to allow the Bucks to stay healthy throughout the regular season and that's going to help them capture their second title. This was a great signing by John Horst and the Milwaukee Bucks. Expect them to be title favorites once again. They are currently on a seven-game winning streak and are 9-0 when Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Giannis all play together.
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