While it’s been generally assumed that it would be a while for DeMarcus Cousins to debut for the Golden State Warriors, that may not be the case.
Cousins is overcoming an Achilles injury sustained in January. But Steve Kerr noted that Cousins is ahead of schedule. The Golden State coach also noted that it probably won’t be long until Cousins is practicing with the team.
Pretty clear that DeMarcus Cousins is at a bit more advanced stage of his rehab than expected at start of training camp. Steve Kerr: "We're just taking it slowly, but I don't think it'll be too long before he's taking part in practice."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 25, 2018
The Warriors can certainly be patient with Cousins. This is essentially the same team that’s won the last two NBA titles without him. So, there’s no real need to rush him back into action.
That said, the earlier Cousins is healthy and on the court, the more dangerous Golden State will be. Cousins is a four-time All-Star and has been named All-NBA Second Team twice. Even as he’s been hurt, we’ve already seen Cousins show off some of what he can do during the offseason.
Prior to his injury in 2018, he was averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds a game.