Los Angeles Lakers: Why re-signing DeMarcus Cousins is imperative

1. Even 80% of the old DeMarcus Cousins is still really good

Expecting DeMarcus Cousins to be the same player that he was before all of these injuries is silly. Could he regain his old form as one of the best centers in the league? Absolutely. However, there definitely is a higher chance of him not regaining his full old form.

The thing is that the Los Angeles Lakers do not even need him to be his old self. If the Lakers get a version of Cousins that is 80% of what he was three years ago then that is a massive win. He would still be a well-above-average center and certainly would be better than Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

Cousins has a special skillset at the center position. He is more than capable of being the rim protector and rebounder that the Lakers had Howard and McGee for but is much more versatile on the offensive side of the court.

He can stretch the floor for the Lakers, which is really important in today’s NBA, and even is a decent-enough playmaker and a really good passer for the center position.

His player model is not really going to change, it is his output that might change and that is an easy fix for the Lakers: play him fewer minutes and slowly build him back to strength.

Let’s not forget how good Cousins looked in the NBA Playoffs with the Golden State Warriors on a team where he was the fifth option and everyone expected him to fall on his face. He still is talented and is only 30.