DeMarcus Cousins made one of the biggest headlines of the 2018 NBA free agency when he decided to leave the New Orleans Pelicans to join the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors. Though the 28-year-old center is expected to miss the most of the 2018-19 regular season, the Warriors could have him in time in the Western Conference Playoffs where they could feature a starting lineup consisting of five NBA All-Stars.
Despite his injury, DeMarcus Cousins is still considered as a walking double-double. In 48 games he played with the Pelicans last season, he averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.6 steals on 47 percent shooting from the field and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. On paper, it’s definitely hard to imagine any team beating the Warriors’ core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Cousins.
Some people said that even Eastern Conference All-Stars may have a hard time winning against the Warriors in a best-of-seven series. In the last four years of dominating the league, the center position was the only weakness of Golden State in which they immediately addressed with the acquisition of “Boogie.” However, there are few people who think the arrival of Cousins in Golden State will do harm more than good for the back-to-back NBA champions, including LeBron James’ former teammate and close friend Romeo Travis.
In a recent interview with Bleacher Report , Romeo Travis, an Akron, Ohio, native, has a different outcome for the 2018-19 NBA season in mind now that LeBron James is no longer playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Travis is hoping DeMarcus Cousins will do something that could put an end to the Warriors’ dynasty.
“I really hope that Boogie [Cousins] implodes the [Warriors],” Travis said. “That’s my ultimate hope: that he goes there and makes everyone hate each other—Klay leaves, Draymond doesn’t take a pay cut and they lose.”
Of course, those are only words coming out from the mouth of a Cavaliers fan who has witnessed the Warriors beat his team in the NBA Finals thrice in the last four years. However, there is still a slight chance that Travis’ dream can come true. Despite Cousins’ impressive performance on both ends of the floor, he has a history of being a headache in the locker room. Also, when he went down with a season-ending injury, the Pelicans noticeably performed better without him on the court which further convinced them not to give Cousins a maximum contract in free agency.
