The pros and cons of DeMarcus Cousins joining the Golden State Warriors

Con: Keeping Cousins involved

In his previous stops in Sacramento and New Orleans, Cousins had been the focal point offensively. While with the Kings, he was their primary scorer, averaging 21.5 points per game. Though he shared some of the offensive load in the Big Easy with Anthony Davis, he was allowed to bring the ball up the floor and run the offense. He averaged 24.8 points throughout his tenure with the Pelicans, and posted a career-high 5.4 assists per game last season.

The situation in Golden State is going to be significantly different for Cousins. With so many elite offensive players on the floor, he won’t be the focal point offensively like he was in Sacramento and New Orleans. Curry, Durant, and Thompson are going to remain their primary scorers, and the Warriors might not placate Boogie just to keep him involved offensively.

The Dubs are also a team that plays with speed. Their offense is often created off of turnovers or missed shots by an opponent, and rushing down the court in a fast break. Boogie is notoriously slow, and is more of a traditional center who likes to play in the half-court. The Pelicans and head coach Alvin Gentry, a team and coach that thrive on playing the game with speed, had to adjust their style of play to acclimate to Cousins.

The big man’s offensive numbers more than likely will decline in Oakland. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles going from superstar player to being a secondary option.