3. Losing DeMarcus Cousins may hurt
By now the news has been fairly digested: DeMarcus Cousins is a member of the Warriors.
According to the New York Times‘ Marc Stein, Boogie actually declined a two-year, $40 million offer from the Pelicans before the offseason, believing a better offer would come along. Now he’ll be hoping to cash in next summer when more teams can offer a more lucrative deal.
While the debate over whether or not New Orleans is actually a better team without Cousins is legitimate given the team’s run through the playoffs, the man is still a four-time All-Star, and that has to count for something.
How each player fits is definitely something to consider when building a roster and it’s an important aspect, but at the end of the day, the championship series normally comes down to which team is more talented.
Cousins may have his flaws, but he is widely considered to be one of the best centers — if not the best — in the game, a guy capable of dominating the opposition with some ridiculous numbers.
Given the severity of his Achilles injury and the team’s subsequent postseason triumph without him, maybe it was smart for the Pelicans to hold back on offering Cousins a long-term deal.
That doesn’t mean, however, his talent won’t be missed on the court come next season when New Orleans is forced to deal with the best the West has to offer.