Golden State Warriors: DeMarcus Cousins injury really sucks

The Golden State Warriors are not immune to the rough speed bumps that often plague the NBA’s best teams in the playoffs. DeMarcus Cousins’ injury is unfortunate for everyone involved.

All across the globe, Golden State Warriors fans young and old are sharing one common thought: Man, this really sucks.

Who would’ve thought DeMarcus Cousins would meet his doom on a first quarter hustle play? A new injury, after just barely skimming the first moments of the highly-anticipated postseason, and just months after recovering from a devastating torn Achilles?

Man, this really sucks.

As Cousins posted double-figure scoring in 19 of the last 20 regular season games, the word “experiment” was used less and less. After all, the word “experiment” implies some chance at failure. Cousins was proving himself anything but.

In many regards, his attitude was team-centered, really for the first time in his career. Besides contributing size and scoring, Cousins was proving himself a skilled passer who was a joy to play alongside. In April, Boogie averaged 4.0 assists per game. His dime count was also high in March, with 3.6 per game.

Now, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reports it’s a torn left quad that could be season-ending depending on how he responds to the first two weeks of rehab.

Man, this really sucks.

An opening has now emerged in the Western Conference. Nobody roots for injury. Yet, other squads certainly sit up and take notice when their path to the Finals becomes easier.

The Dubs are playing on the rough side of the bracket, set to face the winners of the Houston Rockets-Utah Jazz series. (That is, assuming they don’t collapse against the Los Angeles Clippers, as they did in Game 2).

Nobody would love a shot at Golden State more than the Rockets, especially after losing Chris Paul in last year’s Western Conference Finals. How are they only the No. 4 seed? It seems wrong, doesn’t it?

Also on the up-and-up are the Denver Nuggets, a team that appeared out of the thin, Mile High air to take the No. 2 seed. Assuming they make it past the crafty San Antonio Spurs, they have a relatively clear path to meeting the Dubs in the 2019 Western Conference Finals.

Superstar Nikola Jokic was outplayed by Cousins last match, who notably scanned the bench in search of a quiet Jokic. Now it will be Denver’s star searching for someone to stop him in the low-post.

Man, this really sucks.

But it’s not time to panic. The Warriors are still favored to win the entire thing.

They still have four studs in the starting lineup. And quite frankly, there’s nothing wrong with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson receiving a slightly larger role on offense. Perhaps Draymond Green will continue his strong start to the playoffs, now with a larger duty on both ends.

The signing of Andrew Bogut is enough to make general manager Bob Meyers appear ingenious. Good executives make contingency plans, signing players to both push and back each other, and the Hamptons 5 is still the Warriors’ most dangerous weapon.

But the small amount of silver lining is not enough to erase the bitter truth. DeMarcus Cousins was fitting in beautifully with the Warriors. Now he is gone for the playoffs.

Man, this really sucks.