Oklahoma City Thunder: Should DeMarcus Cousins Team Up With Russell Westbrook?
The Oklahoma City Thunder could find themselves looking for yet another sidekick to pair with Russell Westbrook if Paul George and Carmelo Anthony depart as rumored. If so, then who will be the next piece to help Westbrook? All bets should be on DeMarcus Cousins.
With free agency rumors in full swing, the big names have been the main talk. But what about Cousins? Before his injury, DeMarcus was set to have his name take center stage right along with LeBron and George. But as luck would have it, the Thunder may be able to sneak this signing in and not miss a beat for the 2018-19 season.
[MarkAds]Adding Cousins may just be what the Thunder must do to get them over this treading water phase they’re in. Think about it. With James Harden and Kevin Durant, Westbrook reached the NBA Finals but still will enter his 11th season ringless. The same goes for his time spent with George and Anthony. What sets Cousins apart from the rest is that he won’t crowd the perimeter.
Westbrook is at his best when he’s attacking the rim. What has been the Thunders Achilles Heel the last few seasons is their lack of a true low post scorer. Steven Adams has done a great job, but he’s no Cousins.
With Westbrook starting at the top of the key, Cousins and Adams can get set in the trenches and await either an entry or lob pass. On the other end, Cousins is a very underrated defender. Westbrook loves to take defensive gambles and with Adams and Cousins able to clean up any mess, this will allow Westbrook and the rest of the perimeter defenders to be more aggressive.
What’s best about this signing is that DeMarcus Cousins should be had on the cheap end. With his injury, Cousins will miss out on his big max deal that was sure to come this summer. Now teams may be forced to offer a one-year (prove it) deal.
While fans may be upset that they could lose George to the Los Angeles Lakers, there may be a silver-lining in this free agency storm. When the smoke clears, Russell Westbrook may have his best running mate ever.
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Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
