5 Injuries that will impact the 2019 NBA playoffs

#3 DeMarcus Cousins

Golden State Warriors v Washington Wizards

DeMarcus Cousins tore his Achilles heel in January of 2018 while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans. While the Pelicans were having a successful season last year in large part to the play of Anthony Davis and Cousins, Cousins was also looking for a new contract when tragedy struck.

The Pelicans did make the playoffs getting swept out in the second round by the Golden State Warriors. Cousins did not get a rich new deal. However, the Golden State Warriors did come calling and on July 6th, 2018 he signed a 1-year deal worth $5.3 million dollars.

The Warriors who are reigning NBA Champions and expected to be so again this year have looked stagnant or uninterested for most of the season. The Warriors have also had internal drama stemming for a dispute that played out on the court between teammates Draymond Green and Kevin Durant back in November of 2018.

However, recent weeks have seen the Warriors ascend back to top spot in the Western Conference. DeMarcus Cousins made his debut for the Warriors on January 18th, 2019 scoring 14 points in 15 minutes.

His injury was a blessing for the capped out Warriors. Cousins gives them the dominant big man in the middle who has to be guarded. This takes the pressure off, of the plethora of great perimeter shooters and scorers they possess. Cousins provides the Warriors with an inside out game.