Aside from the Anthony Davis trade, arguably the biggest move the Los Angeles Lakers made during the 2019 NBA offseason was signing DeMarcus Cousins.
A former teammate and good friend of Davis, Cousins gave the Lakers a ceiling higher than any other team in the NBA.
Unfortunately for Cousins and the Lakers, he suffered a torn ACL during an offseason workout and will likely miss the entire 2019-20 NBA season. Los Angeles brought in Dwight Howard to help soak up the center minutes, but Cousins’ loss still hurts them.
Despite that, Cousins is still making an impact on the Lakers despite not being able to suit up as Davis recently noted.
“It’s been great for me, always continuing to learn from him. I think it’s been real good for him just being here, being part of the team still,” Davis shared.
“While he’s getting his rehab, he’s able to come out during practice and learn the plays, learn the system, and also help the young guys out. Coach asks his input, he comes through, and helps during practice so it’s good for both parties that he’s able to be here and help support us.”
It’s pretty interesting that Vogel has asked for Cousins’ input on things during practice. For all of the talent everyone points to when speaking on Cousins, one thing that often gets overlooked is his basketball IQ. He is one of the smartest players in the game and it helped him make an impact with the Golden State Warriors last season despite not being close to 100 percent.
Davis also makes a good point about being around the team being good for Cousins. They continue to embrace him even though he will likely not play a single minute in purple and gold this season. With rehab as well as legal troubles, Cousins has plenty to deal with and being around the Lakers has to be a great outlet.
It may not be the impact anyone envisioned when the Lakers brought him in, but it sounds as if Cousins’ voice will be heard this season.