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NBA Player Power Rankings: There’s A New No. 1 Player

By Maxwell Ogden

November 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) is defended by Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) is defended by Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) smiles against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Golden 1 Center. The Kings beat the Thunder 116-101. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) smiles against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Golden 1 Center. The Kings beat the Thunder 116-101. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports /

13. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

Position: Center
Age: 26 (8/13/1990)
Experience: 7th Season
2016-17 Slash Line: .461/.351/.774
2016-17 Season Averages: 33.7 MPG, 27.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.3 ORPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 1.3 3PM

DeMarcus Cousins is a generational talent who’s on the cusp of truly embarking upon a Hall of Fame career. The Sacramento Kings are beginning to show signs of life and a push for the postseason is within reach.

This past week, Cousins led the Kings to a pair of potentially galvanizing victories over postseason-caliber opponents.

In Sacramento’s lone loss from the past seven days, Cousins dropped 38 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and a block. He then tallied 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists as the Kings pulled out a balanced victory over the Toronto Raptors.

If that weren’t enough, Cousins posted 36 points and 13 rebounds on shooting marks of 14-of-28 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.

Cousins has a head coach with multiple 50-win seasons on his resume, Dave Joerger, and his own success is beginning to reflect it. The key moving forward will be closing out close games and preserving leads against quality opponents.

Cousins is already producing at an all-time level, but moving forward, he’ll need more than numbers. The Kings’ 6-9 record is a promising start.