The NBA is on the way back, with play tentatively scheduled to resume on July 31 by using the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on the Disney World grounds in Orlando, Fla. While this is certainly an exciting development, there is still plenty of concern among NBA teams, including lingering questions about roster size.
Teams fear the possibility of running short on active players during the playoffs, either due to illness or the higher probability of injuries because of a limited training schedule prior to returning to games.
Rumors have persisted about the NBA potentially increasing rosters in order to help deal with this issue, leaving Lakers fans wondering if big man DeMarcus Cousins would be a candidate to rejoin the roster.
Cousins was waived in February is order to open up a roster spot needed to sign Markieff Morris. At the time, it appeared unlikely that Cousins would be healthy enough to play this season due to an ACL injury, but might the NBA’s suspension, which will last for over four months, give him enough time to get back on the floor?
On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane is joined by Dr. Edwin Porras of Fantasy Points, who dug into the severity of Cousins’ multiple injuries and weighed in on whether a return this season would be advisable. If he can return, what level of play should we expect from him?
Plus, we discuss how high the injury risk will be for players who haven’t been able to train during quarantine to step back into high-intensity activities. What can be done to minimize the risk? All that and more on this informative episode!