DeMarcus Cousins was the big signing story of the off season after the Lakers missed out on Kawhi Leonard.
Cousins, who signed a one-year, $3.5-million contract with the Lakers in July, suffered a torn, left, anterior cruciate ligament in August during a pickup game with another NBA player. It was a crushing injury for Cousins, who’s battled injury three years.
“He’s on track to get healthy by the playoffs, and we’ll have to see where he’s at with rhythm and conditioning and timing and all that stuff,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters Saturday. “But there’s a possibility he returns this season, yes.”
Additionally, Cousin’s deal was a far cry from the max contract he sought in 2017-2018.
Even so, Cousins has been seen working on the court and participating in light drills. He has career averages of 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds over his nine seasons in the NBA.
If he returns, he’ll add to the big bodies and length of the line-up. A four-headed monster of Cousins, Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis and JaVale Mcgee should rebound everything leading to second-chance points.
He can also knock down the three and space the floor. Last year, Cousins came back for the playoffs and helped the Warriors win games there. If the former All-Star is healthy, he can still make an impact.
