Big men are back in the NBA! But just in case you've somehow missed that plain-as-day development over the past several seasons, Golden State Warriors star DeMarcus Cousins showered his fellow behemoths with praise on Friday night.
After scoring 18 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing four assists in his team's victory over the Phoenix Suns, the Warriors big man was asked if the center position is better now than it's been in the past.
“We gotta get more love! I mean, we got a lot of talented big men in this league,” an animated Cousins told The Athletic's Anthony Slater. “You know, it's kind of overshadowed with the wings and the guards in the league, but we got a lot of talented bigs in this league. I mean, from the older guys like Marc Gasol, to the mid-level guys like myself and Anthony Davis, then you got the babies coming in like DeAndre Ayton…Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns. I mean, there's just so many talented players. Joel!”
Though he almost forgot Embiid, one big man Cousins definitely wasn't going to accidentally pass over was Ayton. The first overall pick of last June's draft had 23 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals against the two-time defending champions, at times proving unguardable in the paint due to his rare combination of size, athleticism, footwork, and touch.
As the game grows smaller and faster, many have lamented the potential loss of impact from big men going forward. No fear, though. All anyone worried about that possibility coming to fruition needs is to go over the list of players Cousins mentioned above, then deduce the many quality bigs who he didn't have time to mention.
The big man, as Cousins understands better than anyone, is indeed alive and well in the NBA.
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