John Wall & DeMarcus Cousins Finish As Top Complementary Scorers
John Wall has not played in an NBA game since December of 2018. DeMarcus Cousins has not played 50+ games in a season since 2016-17. What do they both have in common? They both now play for the Houston Rockets and look to revitalize their careers.
Before dealing with knee, heel and Achilles injuries, John Wall had made 5 consecutive All-Star games and was one of the best pure point guards in the league. Over the course of his 9-year career, John Wall has averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 assists and has shot 43.3% from the floor. He is one of the best passers in the open-court in the entire NBA and if healthy, can make a big difference in Houston next to James Harden.
DeMarcus Cousins has not been able to catch a break over the years as he has dealt with one big injury after another. From a torn Achilles, to a torn quad, to a torn ACL, Cousins has suffered three major injuries in an 18-month span. For a center, these types of injuries can be detrimental given their size and weight, but Cousins is determined to prove that he can still play at a high-level and could be a factor for Houston this season.
If Houston is to be a playoff team in the Wetsern Conference, they will need John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins to come back this year and play at a high-level, which is exactly what both players are going to do. While both players could have called it quits at any time during their rehab processes, they both decided to fight through their injuries and as a result, will finish second and third on the Rockets in scoring.
Neither Wall or Cousins will be NBA All-Stars this season, but they could both very well end up averaging 15-18 points per game on a Rockets’ team that does not have a lot of scoring options outside of James Harden. Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker are not high-level scoring options and are nothing more than role players, which opens up the opportunity for John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins to both step up and contribute right away.
Both of these former All-Stars are finally back and healthy and could very well end up being the two scorers Houston needs to be a legit threat.
