The pros and cons of DeMarcus Cousins joining the Golden State Warriors
By KC Whitten
Pro: Forces teams to adapt
Many fans complain that the Golden State Warriors’ dominance is having a negative impact on the NBA. In some aspects, they have a valid point. However, Steve Kerr and the Dubs have changed the style of play across the league, and have forced teams to adapt to their style in order to compete.
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For example, after struggling through the 2015-16 season, the Houston Rockets brought in Mike D’Antoni. He brought in his up-tempo system that he popularized with Steve Nash in Phoenix, and coached the Rockets to the 2017 Western Conference Finals. During the 2017 offseason, they acquired Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers and began playing with a two-point guard lineup.
The New Orleans Pelicans also adjusted their style of play to compete with the Warriors. Though forced to change due to Cousins’ injury, head coach Alvin Gentry overhauled his system. The Pels traded for a stretch-4 in Nikola Mirotic, and moved Anthony Davis to the 5-spot. They surrounded Davis with shooters, which gave him space to dominate inside. As a result, they had their best season since the Chris Paul era.
Thus far, the dynasty in Golden State has been big business for the NBA. Even though the 2018 NBA Finals was the fourth straight re-match between the Warriors and Cavs, ratings were up seven percent over ABC’s traditional average for the championship series.