DeMarcus Cousins was ruled as out indefinitely after a Tuesday MRI revealed a left quad tear. Yet the extent of that tear can make all the difference if Cousins is to return at any point this postseason, as unlikely as it may be for the Golden State Warriors.
Realistically speaking, the chances are slim, as several consults have led to that conclusion:
“It’s so easy to re-injure this kind of injury if you come back too soon,” said Dr. James Gladstone, the Chief of Sports Medicine at The Mount Sinai Health System, according to Mark Medina of The Mercury News. “So I would imagine they would be pretty careful about it. I’m pretty sure they would put him through the routine before they send him back onto the court.”
Dr. Taylor Dunphy, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, also has a specialty in dealing with quadriceps injuries.
A Grade 1 tear is considered a mild strain, while a Grade 2 could take at least six weeks, making his return plausible by then:
According to that timeline, it is technically possible Cousins could return shortly during part of the Warriors’ presumed appearance in the NBA Finals. That begins on May 30, which is about six weeks from now. The Finals will end as late as June 16. Gladstone added, though, a recovery can take as long as three months depending on the level of pain.
At this point, it is still rather unlikely the Warriors would risk negligence by trotting Cousins into the NBA Finals with this little time to recover, given the risk of re-injury.
Having very little time to incorporate him after several weeks of playing without him would also prove not beneficial for a team chasing a third consecutive championship.
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