NBA Rumors: Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Provides Big Update On DeMarcus Cousins’ Injury
Last month, the Golden State Warriors seemingly lost one of their key players for the rest of the postseason when DeMarcus Cousins went down with a quad injury in Game 2 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. But with the Warriors leading the Houston Rockets 2-1 in the second round of playoff action, there might be a chance that the former All-NBA big man will suit up once again for Golden State before the playoffs are over, as hinted by head coach Steve Kerr on Sunday morning.
As quoted by SFGate, Kerr made his comments about Cousins while discussing fellow big man Damian Jones’ ongoing recovery from injury after several months sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle. Per his Basketball-Reference player page, Jones filled in for Cousins while he was still recovering from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in January 2018 as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. Jones, however, averaged only 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and one blocked shot per game despite starting 22 out of 24 games.
“He’ll be cleared for contact next week so he can start playing three-on-three,” Kerr said, in reference to Jones.
Kerr then suggested that if the Warriors make a deep run in the playoffs, it’s possible that Jones and Cousins will both be back in action.
“It’s a possibility he could be back, and same with DeMarcus, he’s come a pretty long way so we’ll just wait and see.”
DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Jones could return in postseason https://t.co/pe5VsrU4hN pic.twitter.com/pVuF8bjPUm
— East Bay Times (@EastBayTimes) May 5, 2019
Despite Steve Kerr’s remark that DeMarcus Cousins has “come a pretty long way,” he also told reporters that the 28-year-old forward/center’s recovery has progressed normally. According to Bleacher Report, this means Cousins is neither ahead nor behind schedule in terms of his recovery from the torn quad he suffered in April. The outlet added that this is also a sign the Warriors are “keeping the door open,” rather than an outright assurance that Cousins will be back in the coming weeks.
In 30 regular-season games for the Warriors, Cousins compiled averages of 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists and shot 48 percent from the field, though as Bleacher Report further noted, there were times when the former Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans star had trouble adjusting to Kerr’s system. Furthermore, his Achilles and quad injuries over the past two seasons have been mentioned by league executives as potential factors that could compromise his value once he enters free agency this summer.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, one anonymous Western Conference executive told Bleacher Report last month that Cousins will likely end up as a “consolation prize” for teams like the Los Angeles Lakers or the New York Knicks, in the event that they fail to land their desired top-tier free agents in the 2019 offseason.
