Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is off to a torrid start, averaging 30.5 points and 11.0 rebounds a night after two games, making him a prime candidate for any FanDuel NBA daily fantasy league roster.
It’s becoming tougher to argue with the assessment of Sacramento Kings general manager Valde Divac on his franchise center.
A month before DeMarcus Cousins and Team USA battled Divac’s home country of Serbia for the gold medal, Divac labeled the two-time All-Star as the most dominant player in the whole world.
Cousins delivered, totaling 13 points, 15 rebounds, two assists and a steal, while spending more time on the floor than starting center DeAndre Jordan as the United States clinched its 15th Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball.
Through two games with the Kings, Cousins has been the most unstoppable center in the league, averaging 30.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
The 6-foot-10 center has even consistently knocked down three-point shots, connecting on three of his six attempts from beyond the arc this year.
Much of the scoring from Cousins has been propped up by his ability to either beat his defender down the court, or back his way down into the post for an easy look at the rim.
Eight of his made field goals have come right at the basket and he has been to the free throw line a league-high 32 times after two games.
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Both San Antonio and Phoenix had no choice but to send Cousins to the free throw line — both did 16 times — instead of surrendering an easy layup or dunk attempt.
Cousins has converted 50 percent of his attempts from the field, a feat he has yet to accomplish during the first six seasons of his career, and he is converting 81.3 percent of his free throws, nearly 10 percentage points higher than his career average.
The influx in production from Cousins could stem from a simple reason, as he finally is playing for a coach he respects.
According to the 26-year-old center, the feeling from coach Dave Joeger, his sixth coach since being selected fifth overall by the Kings in the 2010 NBA Draft, is mutual. For the first time in his career, the is plenty of love in Sacramento.
Anyone playing a FanDuel NBA daily lineup would love to have the production of Cousins for their team.