Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins has been hitting the gym religiously since the end of the 2015-16 NBA season and has plenty to show for his efforts.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Cousins has already dropped 33 pounds this offseason.
DeMarcus Cousins ended the season at 308lb… Weighing in at 275 now. He's been first guy in the gym all Summer.
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) July 9, 2016
This is no small feat, and it can only mean good things for Cousins and the Kings.
The big man has been dealing with very painful foot problems that have only gotten worse the past few years (more on that here).
Dropping weight and getting stronger should help him tremendously in this regard.
We’ll find out soon enough how well Cousins’ new physique will affect him on the court. He is playing for Team USA this summer in the 2016 Rio Olympics after undergoing a medical procedure to repair his feet and should figure to be a key performer down low.
When healthy, there aren’t many centers in the NBA that can compete with him on both ends of the court. Even playing through obvious pain this past season, Cousins experienced his finest campaign as a pro, averaging 26.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per game.
At the age of 25, Cousins’ best years are still in front of him. Getting his body into shape now should serve him well for seasons to come.
Hopefully he and new Kings head coach Dave Joerger can get along better than he did with George Karl, who never was able to work with the enigmatic center.