Unsurprisingly, the Golden State Warriors took down the Sacramento Kings 117-106 on Sunday night. DeMarcus Cousins had a poor game by his standards – 17 points on 4/11 shooting with seven turnovers. Cousins’ struggles didn’t keep Draymond Green from commending the center’s talent after the game, though. From ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss:
“I think DeMarcus is the best center in the game,” Draymond Green assessed after the game. “I think a lot of times people don’t give him that credit. And a part of it is they try to downplay his status because of his reputation or getting technical fouls or things like that.” Green continued, “He is the best big man in the game hands down.”
Green is impressed by the skill that Cousins possesses – the kind of skills that centers have not historically had:
“He’s always really had the midrange, he’s taking guys off the dribble, he’s pushing it full court, getting to the hole, getting and-1s, go to the post. He’s dominant. He’s an incredible player, and he continues to get better year in and year out, regardless of what credit people try to take from him, try not necessarily give him.”
“He’s the best center in the game,” Green concluded. “Best big man in the game, period.”
Cousins is indeed an offensive force, and the three-point stroke that he added to his game last season and has improved on this year make him even more of a threat. Cousins is shooting 37.2% from beyond the arc on 4.8 attempts per game. Cousins, who recently said that he would be the best big man in the NBA even if he played in sandals, certainly agrees with Green’s assessment.
In the win against the Kings, Green scored nine points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. He also picked up a pair of blocks and steals. Green was a game-high +21 on the night.
