Following the Los Angeles Lakers making the big splash move of free agency with the expected addition of LeBron James, the Golden State Warriors made one of their own by agreeing to terms on a one-year, $5.3 million deal with All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
This has immediately brought forward questions in terms of how Cousins will fit in the puzzle offensively alongside the four other All-Stars currently on the roster. Anthony Slater of The Athletic has suggested that the Warriors may look to feature Cousins in the second unit to take advantage of his scoring prowess.
Cousins, in a sense. Even if he starts, they’re likely to feature his scoring most with 2nd unit. https://t.co/il608a8FMq
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 3, 2018
Given the amount of offensive talent that the Warriors possess in the starting lineup, it may work best to allow Cousins to play alongside the bench unit through the course of the game. It gives them an anchor offensively that can lead the way when necessary while presenting him the chance to be a huge offensive factor.
When healthy, Cousins has proven to be arguably the most talented center in the league that can be a reliable source of production. This also takes the pressure off the second unit to have to find offense with Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala in leading that charge over the last couple of seasons. More importantly, this also allows for Cousins to find more comfort on the court in the Warriors playing style with a more involved offensive role.
This will likely see his production drop drastically due to the fact that the Warriors have some many proven scorers in the mix, but his presence on the floor is going to be quite invaluable to the team's run toward a third straight NBA title. It is still a fluid situation in terms of how the Warriors will use him, but it is clear he will have a prominent role in the game plan.
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