The Warriors won’t have Kevin Durant back in their lineup to start the NBA Finals, but another injured star appears set to return. Head coach Steve Kerr confirmed today to reporters, including Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), that DeMarcus Cousins will be active for Game 1.
Cousins, who missed more than half of the 2018/19 season while recovering from an Achilles tear, suffered a torn quad in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs against the Clippers. While that injury seemed likely to finish his season, he worked hard to rehab the quad and get healthy enough to return to the court before the end of the playoffs.
When Cousins signed a one-year, $5.34MM deal with the Warriors last summer, this was the sort of opportunity he anticipated. Having never appeared in a playoff game before, the 28-year-old wanted a chance to compete for a title, and he’ll get that chance beginning on Thursday night.
It’s not clear what sort of role Cousins will play against the Raptors. According to Medina (via Twitter), Kerr said he has a sense of the workload the big man will get in Game 1, but declined to offer specifics.
Technically, the Warriors were a better team with Cousins off the court than with him on it during the regular season and during his brief playoff stint. Plus, his presence would reduce the likelihood of Golden State playing Raptors center Marc Gasol off the floor. Those factors, combined with Cousins still needing to get his conditioning back to where it was, point to a limited role for the former All-Star, but we’ll see what Kerr has in mind.
As for Durant, Kerr said today that the former Finals MVP probably won’t be able to practice before Game 2, making it unlikely he suits up until at least Game 3 (Twitter link via Marc Berman of The New York Post).
Is KD going to live? I’m worried about him.
I think he is out for the Finals and the Warriors are just strategically saying he could play to keep the Raptors guessing. I obviously have no info to back that up.
Yes ! Raps in 6/7
Doubt it
I feel like this benefits the Raptors.
How? Cousin’s is a tremendous talent that can score, rebound and pass the ball well too. Of course, if he isn’t 100% he may not be AS effective but he can be a tough match up.
For the reasons outlined in the article. Just inserting him into the lineup, especially if he is out of shape, will throw off the team’s current chemistry. He’ll probably play sparingly off the bench.
There’s an article currently on SI.com that explains why more eloquently than I do.
Kerr won’t hesitate to go to other lineups if Cousins isn’t producing. It’s the finals…
I feel like you are either trolling, or have no idea how basketball works.
Not sure if this is directed at me, but the article states pretty explicitly why bringing Cousins back is potentially problematic. Not sure what part you didn’t understand?
Boogie will play zero meaningful minutes
KD will or wont play
Warriors in 4
End the disrespect, the nba media has brainwashed so many basketball fans into never recognizing a team that is literally better than the 90s Bulls, because for whatever reason the nba media only respects the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks and Bulls. But the Warriors are simply on another level. No matter how good you think Kawhi is, Steph AND Dray are currently playing better than him and thats facts. Warriors in 4 under all circumstances that include Steph, Dray and Klay.
The media loves the Warriors and recognizes them as an all-time great dynasty – what are you talking about? Also, suggesting that Draymond Green has been better than Kawhi in these playoffs is sheer lunacy.
Warriors in 4 eh? You saying the disrespect towards warriors but what about the raptors my man? The warriors starters are insane but raptors defence can roll with them. Durant may be a different story but don’t count the raptors and their defence out
LOL at ‘warriors in 4’
Can’t wait to see DMC in the finals!!!