It’s no question that DeMarcus Cousins has become arguably the NBA’s most talented player at the center position. Cousins made a dominant leap last season, averaging 24 points and 12 rebounds in 59 games played. The next step for Cousins, as he sees it, is pursuing an MVP.
From Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding:
The topic is the 2015-16 NBA MVP award and whether it could be reachable for DeMarcus Cousins.
“Reachable, man?” Cousins told Bleacher Report, his voice rising high. “It’s mine to grab.…
“It’s going to take a full team effort,” Cousins said. “I’ll try to play at a high level and bring my team along with me.”
New teammate Rajon Rondo floated the same idea during Kings media day, telling reporters: “Not to put any pressure on him, but I expect nothing less but MVP.”
Dirk Nowitzki was the last “big man” to win the MVP in 2007, if you want to count that. If not, it was Kevin Garnett in 2004. Despite his worthy stats, the field is glaringly difficult for Cousins to compete — Stephen Curry, James Harden, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant to name a few candidates who would have the instant advantage over Cousins.
The challenge for Cousins in legitimizing himself in the conversation, as he knows, is willing the Sacramento Kings to success. Bringing his team along with him is the only way to make his pursuit of an MVP a true reality. In this case, that would certainly mean leading the Kings to the playoffs, where they haven’t been since 2006. Cousins and the Kings are equipped with new capable pieces like Rajon Rondo, Marco Belinelli, and Kosta Koufus, as well as rookie Willie Cauley-Stein. An MVP season from a performance and leadership standpoint is still what would be required from Cousins for the Kings to make any kind of noise.
