The Golden State Warriors got a bit of a double whammy this past week. Not only did they lose a 31-point lead to the Los Angeles Clippers, but they lost their starting center as well. DeMarcus Cousins suffered a non-contact injury in the game – a torn quadriceps – and he’ll be out for the remainder of the playoffs. How does that impact this team going forward? And what are the important factors to look at, considering most folks are expecting the Warriors to move on to the NBA Finals? We’ll discuss.
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2019 NBA Playoff Odds: CJ’s Take on the Warriors Losing Cousins
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Cousins is known as one of the most potent offensive players at the center position. And his addition to the Golden State lineup just enhanced a starting five that was already the best in the NBA. It almost looked greedy; like these guys were getting TOO good for the NBA’s good.
Naturally, the speculation is that this takes something significant away from the Warriors, who at times looked better than unbeatable once they brought Cousins into the fold. But is that really the case? Does the loss of Cousins really eat into their chances to win yet another NBA title?
What has to be taken into consideration is what kind of role Cousins really has with this team. Remember that the center spot has been less relevant than it might be with other NBA teams because the Warriors have emphasized the process of “positionless” basketball. That’s how a guy like Draymond Green can actually play the position of center, despite being only about 6-7, and can, at the same time, cover guards or small forwards.
And no one should lose sight of the fact that the most effective and efficient five-man lineup Golden State has is that which includes the “Big 4” of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Green, plus Andre Iguodala, the former NBA Finals MVP. They are, as of now, outscoring the opposition by about 30 points per 100 possessions.
This isn’t lost on bettors or oddsmakers, as the Warriors are priced at -248 to win the Western Conference title at VietBet, which in effect makes them the favorites to repeat as NBA champs.
In 25.7 minutes per game, Cousins averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. Those are really good numbers, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the Warriors need those numbers to function. This is one team that isn’t going to be starved for offense, as long as the other guys stay healthy. And so this is one situation where they not only can afford to have a role player in the middle, it’s probably preferred.
Andrew Bogut and Kevon Looney are two people who can fit very nicely into that plan. They don’t need the ball. They can play defense. They can pass. And they have more experience with the “system” than Cousins did, so there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to succeed.
Furthermore, there are some numbers that don’t support Cousins; the Warriors were 4.2 points better per 100 possessions without him on the floor. Cousins seemed a curious choice to be part of an atmosphere that is chemistry-rich, because of his reputation as a coach-killer. And he is not known as a defender or a guy who can play above the rim. What he can do best, in fact, is what this team needs least, which is, as some pundits put it, “score the basketball.”
So the Warriors should be able to get along just fine. If there is an X-factor here, it’s the humbling defeat in Game 2 of the Clippers series, which will fuel enough anger to carry them all the way through the playoffs, which should, for them, end deep into June.
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