The Los Angeles Clippers recently made headlines for progressing towards a 10 day contract with former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to add to the supporting cast around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. He is expected to fill the third-string center role behind Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac if he were to stick with the team.
An NBA scout spoke to NBA Analysis Network to discuss the potential fit that DeMarcus Cousins will have with the Los Angeles Clippers. First, he discussed what he saw from Cousins during his time with the Rockets earlier in the season.
“Cousins was pretty terrible for the Rockets and I do not see that changing with the Clippers,” an Eastern Conference scout who asked to remain anonymous given he is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. “He doesn’t have the dominant offensive game he once had and is now an inefficient shell of himself. Couple that with his complete inability to defend out in space…it’s no wonder it has taken this long for him to get a chance with another team.”
There are plenty of valid concerns the scout has with Cousins’ game. He’d need to buy-in with the Clippers in pursuit of an NBA championship while not being upset with a potential lack of playing time at times, even if he sees games where he gets no minutes whatsoever. This is why there weren’t a lot of teams mentioned in NBA rumors as trying to land his services.
The NBA scout also explained how he doesn’t foresee much of an outlook for DeMarcus Cousins to earn legitimate playing time with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“There doesn’t appear to be much of a pathway for Cousins to find minutes with the Clippers. Serge Ibaka is an agile defender that provides needed floor spacing on the other end. Ivica Zubac provides a legitimate rim protection presence for their defense and is an efficient play finisher. Cousins often tries to do too much with the ball and needs to be covered up defensively.”
During Cousins’ time with the Rockets, he appeared in 25 games and averaged just 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He did so while shooting 37.6% from the field, 33.6% from beyond the arc, and 74.6% on free throws. He was highly inefficient and was a liability on defense.
It’s more than likely that DeMarcus Cousins will not end up making a major impact alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but he at lest provides more depth in the frontcourt. If he can prove the detractors wrong, he could become an intriguing name to watch in NBA rumors ahead of free agency.
