The clock is officially ticking on DeMarcus Cousins' awaited return after missing close to a full calendar year with a torn Achilles, an injury that ended his season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Now a member of the villainized Golden State Warriors, Cousins claims he won't be the same double-double stud who suited up for the Pels for the last two seasons, but a better version of it:

“Well, obviously, I won't be the same player,” Cousins told ESPN's Rachel Nichols in a recent interview. “I've gotten better. (laughs) So you know, a lot of things have changed in my game. You start to tune up other areas of your game: jump shooting, skill work. I think everything has just increased and gotten better.”

Cousins won't be tasked with putting up 20-and-10 upon returning to the court, but instead he will be challenged with a mixed bag of how to best use his talents to help spark a team that has run out of reasons to compete at its full potential in the regular season.

The next three months will be preparation for the real season that is to come, which will also be Cousins' first time taking the floor in an NBA postseason.

Having 11 months to rehabilitate has obviously been arduous on him mentally, but it also allowed for plenty of time to break down his game and hone into aspects of improvement, whether it be his jump shot, his footwork, or his overall strategical approach to the game.

Cousins will need to adapt, but he has had now three-plus months with the team to figure out how to best fit alongside an All-Star lineup and how to best reach the goal at hand.