DeMarcus Cousins is leaving Los Angeles Lakers without even making a debut for the franchise. Lakers waived Cousins over the weekend in order to free a roster spot for Markieff Morris.

Cousins joined the Lakers in the offseason, but ended up tearing his ACL during the preseason workouts. Although there were some speculations that he might return in time for playoffs, the team decided to go with the option that can help them right now.

That option turned out to be Morris, who managed to get a buyout from Detroit Pistons in recent days. The 30-year-old was reportedly signed using a $1.75 million disabled player exception that Lakers received after Cousins got injured.

Markieff Morris will provide the Lakers with much-needed depth, and he could also fix their shooting struggles. Morris played 44 games with the Pistons this season, contributing with 11.0 points and 3.9 rebounds. Most importantly, he was a good defender and efficient from the three-point line, making 39.7 percent of his threes.

Morris will play a backup role for Anthony Davis, taking some of his workload and enabling him to stay fresh for the postseason. His addition could also benefit Kyle Kuzma, who will be able to spend more time playing small forward; a position he is more efficient in.

Lakers are currently No.1 in the West with 43-12 record. Their next game is against New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, which is when Morris might make his debut.

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Los Angeles Lakers haven’t given up on DeMarcus Cousins yet. Lakers’ coach Frank Vogel told reporters on Sunday that the team won’t rule out the possibility of Cousins returning from his ACL injury before the end of the season.

Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Lakers in July 2019, but ended up tearing his ACL during preseason workouts in August. He underwent a surgery to repair the damage and was expected to be out until 2020/21 NBA season. Still, Vogel hopes that the 29-year-old could be ready in time for playoffs this season.

“We’ve not closed the door on that,” – said Vogel. “We’ll just — we’re going to be a wait and see. With these injuries that are long rehabs, you have to see and take it kind of month to month and see where he’s at. But we’ve not closed the door on a possible return for him.”

The ACL tear was the second major injury DeMarcus Cousins has suffered in less than two years. In January 2018, while still with New Orleans Pelicans, he tore his left Achilles and was ruled out for the 2018/19 season. Cousins returned to the court in January 2019, this time as a member of Golden State Warriors, and ended up playing 30 regular-season games last season.

During his time with the Warriors, Cousins averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.

The post Lakers Still Hope DeMarcus Cousins Will Play This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Lakers’ new big man DeMarcus Cousins is now dealing with a knee injury that he suffered during offseason workouts, leaving the team brass to wonder if they’ll be able to count on the oft-injured superstar for this season.

Cousins reportedly crashed knees with a practice partner during a training session on Monday in Las Vegas and immediately noticed that there was a problem.

The forward, who signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Lakers earlier this offseason, is set to undergo further testing in Los Angeles to determine the extent of the injury on Thursday.

If Cousins ends up missing any amount of time with this injury, it will have been the third lower-body injury that has kept him off the court during the past three years. Cousins missed most of the 2017-18 season and the first part of last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon, and then suffered a quad injury that kept him sidelined for much of last season with the Warriors.

The four-time All-Star is one of the most productive big men in the league when healthy, but he’s only managed to play in 88 combined games over the past two seasons.

The Lakers now must cross their fingers and hope that the newest Cousins injury scare isn’t too serious.

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After being out for a year with torn Achilles, Golden State Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins successfully worked his way back to the court and got a chance to compete in the postseason for the first time in his NBA career. But things went south for Cousins once again, as he suffered a quad injury in his second playoff game. This all made the 28-year-old center question his NBA career.

“I was just ready to quit, throw the towel in.” – Cousins told ESPN’s Rachel Nicholson in a recent interview. “You always, human nature, the first is like, “Why? Why me? Why now? What did I do wrong? Why do I deserve this?”

Luckily, Cousins’ love for the game and competitive spirit prevailed, and he decided to focus on another comeback. This turned out to be the right move, as he recovered just in time for NBA Finals where he will try to help Golden State three-peat.

“I had to dig deep” – he added. “I had to do some soul-searching and, you know, throughout both injuries, it was times where I just — you know, like, ‘Forget it.’ Like, I’ll just take my time with it and whatever happens, happens. … I just couldn’t go out that way.”

DeMarcus Cousins is currently averaging 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the NBA Finals against Toronto Raptors. He had 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game in the regular season.

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Golden State Warriors suffered a shocking 135-131 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after being up by as much as 31 points, but that wasn’t the end of their problems on Monday night. Warriors’ starting center DeMarcus Cousins suffered injury in the first quarter of the Clippers’ game and might be out for the rest of the playoffs.

With 8:30 remaining in the first quarter, Cousins knocked a pass aimed towards Clippers’ forward Danilo Gallinari and then tried to get the loose ball. As he was chasing the ball he fell on the floor with no one around him. The 28-year-old got up somehow, but couldn’t stand on his own and had to be taken out of the game.

After an MRI on Tuesday morning, Golden State confirmed that DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps and that he will be out indefinitely. According to sources close to the situation, Warriors don’t think Cousins will be back this season.

This is a heart-breaking injury for Cousins who missed the entire 2018 after tearing his Achilles while playing with New Orleans Pelicans. Hoping to get back to his peak form and build up his value again, he signed a one-year deal with Warriors.

Cousins ended up playing 30 games with the Warriors in the regular season and averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.

Golden State are now expected to turn to Kevon Looney to fill the position of their starting center, while veteran Andrew Bogut is expected to play extended minutes as well.

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All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is yet to make an NBA debut for his new team Golden State Warriors, but that didn’t stop him from earning his first ejection as Warriors’ player. Surprisingly, he became the team’s first player to get ejected this season.

During the game against the New York Knicks which he watched from the sidelines, Cousins, who’s still recovering from ACL injury, got into an argument with referee Scott Foster. Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, Foster wasn’t in the mood for this and decided to give Cousins a technical and eject him from the game.

Warriors injured center DeMarcus Cousins was ejected from the game he was sitting and watching in New York.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) October 27, 2018

The last time that a player who didn’t play was removed from the game was more than 10 years ago, and this only happened two more times in the previous 15 seasons. Chris Paul received ejection while being a member of New Orleans Hornets in 2007 while Boston Celtics’ Sam Cassell was ejected in 2008.

The first Warriors player to get ejected this season is DeMarcus Cousins.

It's the 3rd time in the last 15 seasons that a player has gotten ejected in a game he didn't play.

The other two were Chris Paul in 2007 and Sam Cassell in 2008 (he didn't appear in a game that season). pic.twitter.com/jNLv7O63Ak

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 27, 2018

DeMarcus Cousins was a borderline MVP candidate in the first half of 2017-18 season, averaging averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists with the New Orleans Pelicans. An ACL injury in January, however, sidelined him for a long period and Pelicans decided not to offer him a new deal in the summer.

Other NBA teams were also cautious about signing him so Cousins decided to sign a one-year, 5.3 million deal with the Warriors. While he recently started with limited practice, the timetable for his return remains unknown.

The post DeMarcus Cousins Gets Ejected from the Game, and He Wasn’t Even Playing appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins shocked the league when he decided to join the reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors on a mid-level exception. The move also caused a lot of criticism pointed towards Cousins for making a super team even more powerful. But it looks like the 27-year-old doesn’t lose sleep over this.

“I didn’t really care, honestly,” – said Cousins about the backlash during his interview with ESPN. “I don’t really care. … It trips me out to just see. It’s crazy like how angry people were.”

Just a year ago everyone, including DeMarcus Cousins himself, expected him to sign a max-contract this summer. But an ACL injury he suffered in January sidelined him for 10 to 12 months caused the majority of the teams to back out of offering him a deal. Seeing that there are no good offers coming his way, Cousins decided to enter the talks with the Warriors.

“But, it’s just kind of funny because before the whole thing started, I was just kind of wasted.” – Cousins explained. “I was damaged goods, not a winner, just everything negative. And soon as it happens, it’s like, ‘He’s too damn good to [be a Warrior].’ So, it’s just kind of funny how the narrative switches right away when things don’t go the way they expect it to.”

Cousins also discussed a variety of other topics in the interview, including his expectations from the upcoming season. According to him, he just wants to get back to playing basketball and have a winning season.

“I’m here to play basketball. I’m here to play at the highest level. I’m here to win games. Everything else will take care of itself. That’s not my concern.” – he added.

The post DeMarcus Cousins on Criticism for Signing with Warriors: “I Don’t Really Care” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New Orleans Pelicans’ All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is working hard to recover from torn left Achilles injury he suffered in January and remains optimistic about his return to the basketball court. Although the recovery time from such an injury is usually 10 to 12 months, Cousins thinks he might be ready when training camps open in September.

“I’m looking forward to starting the season,” – Cousins told The Undefeated. “That’s my own personal goal, so we’ll see what happens. That’s what I’m working on. The doctors haven’t really given me an answer because of the time I injured myself and the amount of time that I have. It’s basically open field because I have so much time. But for me, I’m shooting to be ready for training camp.”

The injury couldn’t come at a worse time for Cousins then when it did. He was in the middle of an MVP-worthy season with the Pelicans and averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. The averages for rebounds, assists, and steals were all career-highs for Cousins.

Another issue for DeMarcus Cousins is the fact that he will be a free agent this summer. He was on track to receive a max contract from the Pelicans and probably most teams in the NBA before the injury, but his potential suitors might now be cautious about signing him due to his injury. Big men in basketball tend to recover slower from torn Achilles injuries and mostly don’t get back to their previous form.

Cousins, on the other hand, isn’t concerned that the teams might hold the injury against him.

“Honestly, I’m not concerned.” – he said. “I know my mindset. I know how hard I work at my craft. I think I’ll be back in no time.”

The post Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins “Shooting to Be Ready for Training Camp” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis has to do it all once again. After DeMarcus Cousins went down with ruptured Achilles, it’s on Davis to try and push the Pelicans into the playoffs in loaded Western Conference.

If the story was different and Cousins was healthy, Davis thinks that the two of them together on the court could have made a really big impact.

“We could have gone through the playoffs. No one could really stop us as bigs. We go to the Finals if we went,” – said Davis while talking with ESPN‘s Rachel Nichols. “Teammate Rajon Rondo reminds us of it: ‘You guys are the two best bigs. I know what it takes to win championships; we got it.’“

Although this might sound completely unrealistic to some, keep in mind that the Pelicans were climbing on the West Conference standings before Cousins suffered an injury on January 26, which ended his season. Davis and Cousins had the chance to become first teammates to average at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a single season. DeMarcus Cousins was putting some MVP worthy numbers of 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Unfortunately, we will never know how the season would play out for the New Orleans Pelicans if Cousins wasn’t injured.

Although it will be a lot harder for him now, Anthony Davis is determined to do whatever his team needs him in order for them to be successful.

“When he goes down, it’s, all right, it goes back to AD before DeMarcus, a lot of minutes, weight of the world on your shoulders,” – Davis said. “You know, you gotta carry the team on your back, you gotta almost get 40 every night for us — to give us a chance to win.“

Davis is currently averaging 23 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

The post Pelicans Would Be In NBA Finals If DeMarcus Cousins Didn’t Get Hurt Says Anthony Davis appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After the season-ending injury of DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans have started making some roster moves acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic from the Chicago Bulls. They sent center Omer Asik, guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson and protected first-round draft pick in the opposite direction.

The two teams were working on this deal for some time now, but could only conclude it after the Pelicans agreed to guarantee the $12.5 million team option on Mirotic’s contract next season. This way the Bulls could trade Mirotic without his approval.

“We would like to thank Niko for all of his contributions during his time with the Chicago Bulls organization. We wish him the best with this new opportunity in New Orleans. As I have previously stated, this move has our best interests at heart as we continue to remake our team and position the Bulls for a successful future,” – said John Paxson, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, in a statement.

This is one of those trades that work well for both sides. New Orleans Pelicans will keep their playoff hopes alive after losing Boogie, getting a player who averaged 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the 25 games he played this season. It is worth noting that Mirotic shoots 42.9 percent from 3 on six attempts a game, better than any player Pelicans currently have on their roster. The team also got rid of Asik’s unfavorable contract which sees him getting $10.5 million this season, $11.2 million in 2018-19 and not giving anything in return.

For the Bulls, it was a no-brainer really. They continue to stockpile picks and can get back to their losing ways. The team was 3-20 without Mirotic and then won 15 out of 28 after he got back from injury. You can bet that Bull didn’t intend to become a playoff contender with Asik on the team.

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DeMarcus Cousins is leaving Los Angeles Lakers without even making a debut for the franchise. Lakers waived Cousins over the weekend in order to free a roster spot for Markieff Morris.

Cousins joined the Lakers in the offseason, but ended up tearing his ACL during the preseason workouts. Although there were some speculations that he might return in time for playoffs, the team decided to go with the option that can help them right now.

That option turned out to be Morris, who managed to get a buyout from Detroit Pistons in recent days. The 30-year-old was reportedly signed using a $1.75 million disabled player exception that Lakers received after Cousins got injured.

Markieff Morris will provide the Lakers with much-needed depth, and he could also fix their shooting struggles. Morris played 44 games with the Pistons this season, contributing with 11.0 points and 3.9 rebounds. Most importantly, he was a good defender and efficient from the three-point line, making 39.7 percent of his threes.

Morris will play a backup role for Anthony Davis, taking some of his workload and enabling him to stay fresh for the postseason. His addition could also benefit Kyle Kuzma, who will be able to spend more time playing small forward; a position he is more efficient in.

Lakers are currently No.1 in the West with 43-12 record. Their next game is against New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, which is when Morris might make his debut.

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Los Angeles Lakers haven’t given up on DeMarcus Cousins yet. Lakers’ coach Frank Vogel told reporters on Sunday that the team won’t rule out the possibility of Cousins returning from his ACL injury before the end of the season.

Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Lakers in July 2019, but ended up tearing his ACL during preseason workouts in August. He underwent a surgery to repair the damage and was expected to be out until 2020/21 NBA season. Still, Vogel hopes that the 29-year-old could be ready in time for playoffs this season.

“We’ve not closed the door on that,” – said Vogel. “We’ll just — we’re going to be a wait and see. With these injuries that are long rehabs, you have to see and take it kind of month to month and see where he’s at. But we’ve not closed the door on a possible return for him.”

The ACL tear was the second major injury DeMarcus Cousins has suffered in less than two years. In January 2018, while still with New Orleans Pelicans, he tore his left Achilles and was ruled out for the 2018/19 season. Cousins returned to the court in January 2019, this time as a member of Golden State Warriors, and ended up playing 30 regular-season games last season.

During his time with the Warriors, Cousins averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.

The post Lakers Still Hope DeMarcus Cousins Will Play This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Lakers’ new big man DeMarcus Cousins is now dealing with a knee injury that he suffered during offseason workouts, leaving the team brass to wonder if they’ll be able to count on the oft-injured superstar for this season.

Cousins reportedly crashed knees with a practice partner during a training session on Monday in Las Vegas and immediately noticed that there was a problem.

The forward, who signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Lakers earlier this offseason, is set to undergo further testing in Los Angeles to determine the extent of the injury on Thursday.

If Cousins ends up missing any amount of time with this injury, it will have been the third lower-body injury that has kept him off the court during the past three years. Cousins missed most of the 2017-18 season and the first part of last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon, and then suffered a quad injury that kept him sidelined for much of last season with the Warriors.

The four-time All-Star is one of the most productive big men in the league when healthy, but he’s only managed to play in 88 combined games over the past two seasons.

The Lakers now must cross their fingers and hope that the newest Cousins injury scare isn’t too serious.

The post DeMarcus Cousins Suffers Knee Injury in Preseason Workout appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After being out for a year with torn Achilles, Golden State Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins successfully worked his way back to the court and got a chance to compete in the postseason for the first time in his NBA career. But things went south for Cousins once again, as he suffered a quad injury in his second playoff game. This all made the 28-year-old center question his NBA career.

“I was just ready to quit, throw the towel in.” – Cousins told ESPN’s Rachel Nicholson in a recent interview. “You always, human nature, the first is like, “Why? Why me? Why now? What did I do wrong? Why do I deserve this?”

Luckily, Cousins’ love for the game and competitive spirit prevailed, and he decided to focus on another comeback. This turned out to be the right move, as he recovered just in time for NBA Finals where he will try to help Golden State three-peat.

“I had to dig deep” – he added. “I had to do some soul-searching and, you know, throughout both injuries, it was times where I just — you know, like, ‘Forget it.’ Like, I’ll just take my time with it and whatever happens, happens. … I just couldn’t go out that way.”

DeMarcus Cousins is currently averaging 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the NBA Finals against Toronto Raptors. He had 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game in the regular season.

The post Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins was “Ready to Quit” After Recent Quad Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Golden State Warriors suffered a shocking 135-131 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after being up by as much as 31 points, but that wasn’t the end of their problems on Monday night. Warriors’ starting center DeMarcus Cousins suffered injury in the first quarter of the Clippers’ game and might be out for the rest of the playoffs.

With 8:30 remaining in the first quarter, Cousins knocked a pass aimed towards Clippers’ forward Danilo Gallinari and then tried to get the loose ball. As he was chasing the ball he fell on the floor with no one around him. The 28-year-old got up somehow, but couldn’t stand on his own and had to be taken out of the game.

After an MRI on Tuesday morning, Golden State confirmed that DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps and that he will be out indefinitely. According to sources close to the situation, Warriors don’t think Cousins will be back this season.

This is a heart-breaking injury for Cousins who missed the entire 2018 after tearing his Achilles while playing with New Orleans Pelicans. Hoping to get back to his peak form and build up his value again, he signed a one-year deal with Warriors.

Cousins ended up playing 30 games with the Warriors in the regular season and averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.

Golden State are now expected to turn to Kevon Looney to fill the position of their starting center, while veteran Andrew Bogut is expected to play extended minutes as well.

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All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is yet to make an NBA debut for his new team Golden State Warriors, but that didn’t stop him from earning his first ejection as Warriors’ player. Surprisingly, he became the team’s first player to get ejected this season.

During the game against the New York Knicks which he watched from the sidelines, Cousins, who’s still recovering from ACL injury, got into an argument with referee Scott Foster. Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, Foster wasn’t in the mood for this and decided to give Cousins a technical and eject him from the game.

Warriors injured center DeMarcus Cousins was ejected from the game he was sitting and watching in New York.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) October 27, 2018

The last time that a player who didn’t play was removed from the game was more than 10 years ago, and this only happened two more times in the previous 15 seasons. Chris Paul received ejection while being a member of New Orleans Hornets in 2007 while Boston Celtics’ Sam Cassell was ejected in 2008.

The first Warriors player to get ejected this season is DeMarcus Cousins.

It's the 3rd time in the last 15 seasons that a player has gotten ejected in a game he didn't play.

The other two were Chris Paul in 2007 and Sam Cassell in 2008 (he didn't appear in a game that season). pic.twitter.com/jNLv7O63Ak

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 27, 2018

DeMarcus Cousins was a borderline MVP candidate in the first half of 2017-18 season, averaging averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists with the New Orleans Pelicans. An ACL injury in January, however, sidelined him for a long period and Pelicans decided not to offer him a new deal in the summer.

Other NBA teams were also cautious about signing him so Cousins decided to sign a one-year, 5.3 million deal with the Warriors. While he recently started with limited practice, the timetable for his return remains unknown.

The post DeMarcus Cousins Gets Ejected from the Game, and He Wasn’t Even Playing appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins shocked the league when he decided to join the reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors on a mid-level exception. The move also caused a lot of criticism pointed towards Cousins for making a super team even more powerful. But it looks like the 27-year-old doesn’t lose sleep over this.

“I didn’t really care, honestly,” – said Cousins about the backlash during his interview with ESPN. “I don’t really care. … It trips me out to just see. It’s crazy like how angry people were.”

Just a year ago everyone, including DeMarcus Cousins himself, expected him to sign a max-contract this summer. But an ACL injury he suffered in January sidelined him for 10 to 12 months caused the majority of the teams to back out of offering him a deal. Seeing that there are no good offers coming his way, Cousins decided to enter the talks with the Warriors.

“But, it’s just kind of funny because before the whole thing started, I was just kind of wasted.” – Cousins explained. “I was damaged goods, not a winner, just everything negative. And soon as it happens, it’s like, ‘He’s too damn good to [be a Warrior].’ So, it’s just kind of funny how the narrative switches right away when things don’t go the way they expect it to.”

Cousins also discussed a variety of other topics in the interview, including his expectations from the upcoming season. According to him, he just wants to get back to playing basketball and have a winning season.

“I’m here to play basketball. I’m here to play at the highest level. I’m here to win games. Everything else will take care of itself. That’s not my concern.” – he added.

The post DeMarcus Cousins on Criticism for Signing with Warriors: “I Don’t Really Care” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New Orleans Pelicans’ All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is working hard to recover from torn left Achilles injury he suffered in January and remains optimistic about his return to the basketball court. Although the recovery time from such an injury is usually 10 to 12 months, Cousins thinks he might be ready when training camps open in September.

“I’m looking forward to starting the season,” – Cousins told The Undefeated. “That’s my own personal goal, so we’ll see what happens. That’s what I’m working on. The doctors haven’t really given me an answer because of the time I injured myself and the amount of time that I have. It’s basically open field because I have so much time. But for me, I’m shooting to be ready for training camp.”

The injury couldn’t come at a worse time for Cousins then when it did. He was in the middle of an MVP-worthy season with the Pelicans and averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. The averages for rebounds, assists, and steals were all career-highs for Cousins.

Another issue for DeMarcus Cousins is the fact that he will be a free agent this summer. He was on track to receive a max contract from the Pelicans and probably most teams in the NBA before the injury, but his potential suitors might now be cautious about signing him due to his injury. Big men in basketball tend to recover slower from torn Achilles injuries and mostly don’t get back to their previous form.

Cousins, on the other hand, isn’t concerned that the teams might hold the injury against him.

“Honestly, I’m not concerned.” – he said. “I know my mindset. I know how hard I work at my craft. I think I’ll be back in no time.”

The post Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins “Shooting to Be Ready for Training Camp” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis has to do it all once again. After DeMarcus Cousins went down with ruptured Achilles, it’s on Davis to try and push the Pelicans into the playoffs in loaded Western Conference.

If the story was different and Cousins was healthy, Davis thinks that the two of them together on the court could have made a really big impact.

“We could have gone through the playoffs. No one could really stop us as bigs. We go to the Finals if we went,” – said Davis while talking with ESPN‘s Rachel Nichols. “Teammate Rajon Rondo reminds us of it: ‘You guys are the two best bigs. I know what it takes to win championships; we got it.’“

Although this might sound completely unrealistic to some, keep in mind that the Pelicans were climbing on the West Conference standings before Cousins suffered an injury on January 26, which ended his season. Davis and Cousins had the chance to become first teammates to average at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a single season. DeMarcus Cousins was putting some MVP worthy numbers of 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Unfortunately, we will never know how the season would play out for the New Orleans Pelicans if Cousins wasn’t injured.

Although it will be a lot harder for him now, Anthony Davis is determined to do whatever his team needs him in order for them to be successful.

“When he goes down, it’s, all right, it goes back to AD before DeMarcus, a lot of minutes, weight of the world on your shoulders,” – Davis said. “You know, you gotta carry the team on your back, you gotta almost get 40 every night for us — to give us a chance to win.“

Davis is currently averaging 23 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

The post Pelicans Would Be In NBA Finals If DeMarcus Cousins Didn’t Get Hurt Says Anthony Davis appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After the season-ending injury of DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans have started making some roster moves acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic from the Chicago Bulls. They sent center Omer Asik, guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson and protected first-round draft pick in the opposite direction.

The two teams were working on this deal for some time now, but could only conclude it after the Pelicans agreed to guarantee the $12.5 million team option on Mirotic’s contract next season. This way the Bulls could trade Mirotic without his approval.

“We would like to thank Niko for all of his contributions during his time with the Chicago Bulls organization. We wish him the best with this new opportunity in New Orleans. As I have previously stated, this move has our best interests at heart as we continue to remake our team and position the Bulls for a successful future,” – said John Paxson, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, in a statement.

This is one of those trades that work well for both sides. New Orleans Pelicans will keep their playoff hopes alive after losing Boogie, getting a player who averaged 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the 25 games he played this season. It is worth noting that Mirotic shoots 42.9 percent from 3 on six attempts a game, better than any player Pelicans currently have on their roster. The team also got rid of Asik’s unfavorable contract which sees him getting $10.5 million this season, $11.2 million in 2018-19 and not giving anything in return.

For the Bulls, it was a no-brainer really. They continue to stockpile picks and can get back to their losing ways. The team was 3-20 without Mirotic and then won 15 out of 28 after he got back from injury. You can bet that Bull didn’t intend to become a playoff contender with Asik on the team.

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