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Los Angeles Lakers: Can Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis co-exist?

By Ronald Agers

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 03: Rajon Rondo #9 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks to DeMarcus Cousins #0 and Anthony Davis #23 during a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at the Smoothie King Center on October 3, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 03: Rajon Rondo #9 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks to DeMarcus Cousins #0 and Anthony Davis #23 during a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at the Smoothie King Center on October 3, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Can Cousins deal with being a possible fifth option in a contract year?

David Grubb:

"Even with his problems, DeMarcus wants to win. He does want to compete. It’s just that he can be stubborn about how he wants to play. It will be interesting to see how both he and JaVale McGee respond to how many minutes they see at the 5, considering that AD plays best as a center. McGee balked last season at splitting time during a career year, and he’s going to want his numbers too. Frank Vogel has work to do."

Vogel sure does. His identity as a coach is on the line. Sure the Warriors lost the NBA Finals because of injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. But what gets lost is the Kevon Looney injury. When he got hurt, most of the interior defense left with him.

Toronto made it a point to put Cousins in a pick and roll situation and picked on him every chance they got. Even before the injuries, Cousins wasn’t the greatest defender in the world (More on that later!).

JaVale McGee deserves to start based on his performance last year. Before his bout with pneumonia in January, he was well on his way to being a candidate for NBA’s Most Improved Player.

When he got back in shape, McGee at times was the most dominant player on the court, running the floor, scoring on the break and destroying the glass with Jemerrio Jones at the end of the year.

Remember, Cousins was looking for a $200 million dollar max deal when he was traded from Sacramento. After the injury, his career has gone in a way only Isaiah Thomas can truly understand.

Instead of a max deal, Cousins collected $5.6 million from the Warriors and now $3.5 million from the Lakers. With next year not being a guarantee, this is something that needs to be watched closely.

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