The Denver Nuggets have played 15 games since January 21st, the day they signed former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract. Since then, Cousins has played 8 games with the Nuggets. In those games, Cousins has averaged 13.1 minutes, only playing when Nikola Jokic is on the bench. Cousins is averaging 6.1 points and 6.3 rebounds as a Nugget so far. The most impressive stat, however, is that the Nuggets are an impressive 8-0 in games that Cousins plays. Cousins, an inconsistent tweeter over the last few months, decided to share his feelings of excitement on social media with regards to his new opportunity with Denver. He posted the below smiling photo of himself with a caption that, albeit short and simple, summarizes how Cousins’ time with the Nuggets is going so far.
While it would be naive to say that Cousins alone is the reason the Nuggets have won the games that he’s played, especially considering the team has an MVP leading the way, it’s hard to deny the impact that Cousins has had on the second unit. The intensity that he plays with has been much-needed for the Nuggets, and having a true Center on the court when Jokic is on the bench has been invaluable. While his future with the team is uncertain, it seems as though the partnership between the Nuggets and Cousins is one that could benefit both sides going forward.
