Can the Warriors Survive Without DeMarcus Cousins?

The Golden State Warriors received a slight blow on Monday. The Warriors not only gave up a 31-point lead, but they also lost one of their players. Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins suffered an unfortunate injury as on Tuesday, an MRI revealed that Cousins suffered a torn left quad. The injury is potentially season-ending.

Cousins suffered the injury in the first quarter. He attempted to go after a loose ball and fell to the ground. There was no contact when Cousins suffered the injury. He flagged the Warriors training staff and headed towards the locker room. Cousins walked to the locker room on his own, but he walked gingerly.

Cousins exited the game with 8:09 left in the first quarter. After Cousins left the game, the Warriors had a significant lead over the Clippers. Then, the Clippers overcame the deficit to beat the Warriors 135-131. The Clippers tied the series 1-1 with their impressive win.

Cousins’ MRI revealed the quad injury. Shams Charania reported that the injury could be season-ending but it depends on his response to the first two weeks of rehab. The rehabilitation process does not require surgery but doctors are trying to determine the severity of the injury. If the injury is severe, Cousins could miss significant time.

Before Cousins underwent the MRI, the Warriors training staff told head coach Steve Kerr that the injury was significant. Kerr spoke to the media about the injury.

“He’s going to be out for awhile because I think it’s unclear right now how long he’ll be out,” Kerr said. “It’s significant.”

In Game 1, Cousins had nine points and nine rebounds. It was the first playoff game in his career. In Game 2, Cousins had two points and two rebounds before the injury. The injury comes at an unfortunate time as Cousins was getting his first glimpse of the playoffs. Now, he could miss the rest of the playoffs.

Last summer, the Warriors signed Cousins to a one-year, $5.3 million deal. The deal came after Cousins received little to no offers from other teams.

The Warriors signed Cousins as he rehabbed a torn Achilles. He returned to basketball in January and played 30 games in the regular season. He averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. Cousins gave the Warriors a legitimate post presence. Cousins is capable of being effective on both ends of the floor.

Game 3 of the Warriors/Clippers series is on Thursday. Despite their 31-point loss in Game 2, the Warriors will likely win this series. But, the competition gets tougher. If the Warriors advance, they will face the winner of the Rockets/Jazz series. The Warriors could benefit from Cousins’ presence in the next series.

Can the Warriors survive without Cousins? It is difficult to count out the defending champs. But, as the competition gets tougher, the loss of Cousins could have an impact on the Warriors.

Featured image courtesy of Getty Images

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