TORONTO, CANADA – JUNE 10: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors boxes out against the Toronto Raptors during Game Five of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
DeMarcus Cousins can’t seem to shake the injury bug, and he’s now slated for tests after a knee issue during a workout.
DeMarcus Cousins just can’t seem to shake the injury bug. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, he suffered a knee injury while working out in Las Vegas earlier this week and will undergo further testing in Los Angeles on Thursday. He reportedly had to leave the court on Monday after bumping knees with another player.
Cousins suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans in January of 2018. He signed a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors the following offseason and was pretty productive in 30 regular-season starts after returning to action last season (16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game). But a quad injury in the first round of the playoffs sidelined him until the NBA Finals, and again put a cloud over his outlook for free agency.
Cousins, with career averages of 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game over nine NBA seasons, signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in July. He is expected to be a key piece for a team with high expectations, and of course, plenty of buzz as he reunites with Anthony Davis in support of LeBron James.
It’s not quite panic time regarding Cousins since the severity of his knee injury is to be determined. But pending the results of further tests by the Lakers’ medical staff, his status for the start of the 2019-20 season is automatically a question.
Cousins deserves a ton of credit for coming back and performing well (albeit in a 30-game sample) after the kind of Achilles injury that has effectively ended careers before. But he turned 29 this week, and durability concerns are not going away as he faces the prospect of a third straight season interrupted by injury.