Boston Celtics: Pondering a potential DeMarcus Cousins addition

On Saturday afternoon, Shams Charania reported that DeMarcus Cousins and the Houston Rockets would be parting ways in a few days – could the Boston Celtics be interested? This transaction opens the door for contenders to try to pick up the former All-Star, hoping he can make a positive impact in the playoffs.

For the Rockets, they want to move more towards their youth movement revolving around Christian Wood, the talented big man who can score from all areas of the court. It doesn’t make sense for Houston to hold onto the veteran any longer, and Cousins likely wants to make a run at a championship.

Boogie has been rumored to the Boston Celtics for years, specifically during his free agency period before signing with the Golden State Warriors. With Boston struggling to find a stable big man the last two years, Cousins has always been there as a potential acquisition, offering the highest ceiling out of any available player. On the contrary, he could flame out, and end up not deserving rotation minutes after suffering major injuries during the prime of his career.

The Boston Celtics could be a suitor for DeMarcus Cousins

Early reports from Kevin O’Connor list the Los Angeles Lakers as a team looking to acquire the big man, fitting the narrative of a team trying to contend for a championship. Cousins was on the Lakers’ roster last year but never saw action as he suffered a torn ACL in the preseason.

In come the Celtics, who are always rumored to make a move one way or another. Currently sitting at 15-14 on the year, it’s only a matter of time until Boston uses one of their many assets to try to improve their squad. Cousins could fit that role, as he has the potential to be the best big man on the roster if he can replicate any part of his old form.

On the season, DeMarcus is averaging 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 37.6% from the field and 33.6% from downtown. Not only are his counting stats down, but his efficiency is by far the worst of his career. He currently sits in the 12th percentile for bigs in points for 100 shot attempts at 100.5.

As a team, the Rockets are 5.7 points worse when he’s on the court, and most of that comes on offense. He’s a player who’s used to operating with the ball in his hands, as he has a 22.9% usage rate, but is not scoring efficiently enough to warrant that amount of trust.

In his prime, the center averaged anywhere between 24 and 27 points on good efficiency, being able to score from the perimeter and the post. He could also distribute to his teammates effectively, dishing more than five assists per night one season.

Besides his poor efficiency and high volume, Cousins has only regressed on the defensive side of the ball, not being able to move on the perimeter in any type of pick-and-roll action. When he’s on the court, opposing offenses will attack him at the rim, again and again, taking advantage of his lack of speed. On the positive side, he’s an adequate defender in the post, able to use his big frame to keep players in front of him.

On the Boston Celtics, Cousins would join an already packed center rotation. He benefits from the fact that none of Tristan Thompson, Daniel Theis, or Robert Williams have jumped out as the clear option to play down the stretch, but this may lead to a lack of playing time. If he were to join the Cs, GM Danny Ainge might look to move on from Thompson to free up some minutes for the former King.

Any team who chooses to acquire him shouldn’t rely on him to make an immense impact on their team – there’s a distinct possibility that he never gets anywhere close to his All-Star self and will never be a winning basketball player again. However, the upside is still there in the right situation, and the Boston Celtics might just take that chance.

Should the Celtics look to acquire DeMarcus Cousins? Drop a line in the comments section to let us know what you think!