NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Charlotte Hornets were arguably one of the biggest disappointments during the 2021-22 NBA season. A team with so much youth and talent fell short when it mattered most. How did they not make the playoffs? LaMelo Ball became a star. Miles Bridges was a scoring machine, and Terry Rozier was the perfect compliment to both players as a great wing scorer, and yet, failure. Many can point to some of the holes on their roster. And one glaring hole was their play in the paint. There are still a few good free agents available.
Mason Plumlee is not the answer for the Hornets in terms of a starting center. It’s time for the team to make a few changes and one of them has to be making a call to DeMarcus Cousins.
It’s no secret that Cousins is not the dominant force he once was dating back to his days with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans. Since his injury in 2017, Cousins has become a journeyman and spark off the bench for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, and Houston Rockets.
Early in his career, Cousins was arguably one of the best big men in the NBA. But that awful ACL injury took away that explosiveness that made him such an offensive force. Now, Cousins has transformed his game to become a valuable second-tier contributor. This is exactly what the Hornets need.
Last season, they rode the rebounding and sometimes offensive outburst from Plumlee and Montrezl Harrell. Heading into this season, the Hornets will rely on the services of Plumlee and PJ Washington with Harrell now off to Philly. During the 2021-22 season, Plumlee averaged 6.5 points and 7.7 rebounds in 73 starts but also racked up 3 personal fouls per game. Plumlee is not the best defensive big man in the league and with teams playing more perimeter ball, Plumlee was often left on an island.
The same goes for Washington. He adds more offense to the second unit where he averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game. But he’s not a solid defender or enforcer. The Hornets were pushed around much of the season when it came to post-play and in order for them to be successful, especially in the Eastern Conference, they must get tougher.
Cousins Can Help The Hornets
Cousins, with the Bucks and Nuggets last season, averaged 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per game. But for Cousins, it’s not so much what he can provide them on offense, it’s the intangibles that he brings to his teams. While not the offensive scoring machine he once was, it’s wise to sit and think about what Cousins could do in a starting role.
Give Cousins, Washington-type minutes and he could easily average 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. He still has a nice touch around the basket and can still draw fouls off contact. But the biggest intangible he will add to the team is toughness. There are not too many players in the league with the body mass to push Cousins around. While volatile at times, teams on a youth movement need someone of Cousins’ caliber.
He brings a mental and physical toughness the Charlotte Hornets are lacking and best of all, his services can be had for the cheap. Last season, Cousins, while with the Bucks inked a 1yr-$2M deal.
Cousins is not the same guy he was 6 years ago. However, he’s exactly what this team needs now. He’s not looking to take 15 shots per game. He’s not looking for the big interview afterward. What Cousins seeks is validation. Make the call Hornets.
