Boston Celtics: Ranking the top 5 DeMarcus Cousins landing spots

The Houston Rockets’ loss is the Boston Celtics’ gain.

At least that’s what Hardwood Houdini’s hopes are in the coming days following the Rockets’ declaration that the team is parting ways with DeMarcus Cousins in order to go smaller and play a more uptempo style of basketball:

Boston is in the midst of its most disappointing season of the Brad Stevens era, off to a 15-15 start after a nightmarish meltdown led to the team falling to .500 against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday afternoon.

Cousins is experiencing somewhat of a resurgence after missing the entire 2019-20 season recovering from a torn ACL experienced during the summer of 2019 while working out with his then-team the Los Angeles Lakers.

Averaging 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest in 25 games, Cousins has proven there is still some gas left in the tank of his career–one marked by several debilitating and near-career-ending injuries to his left foot.

Where might he take his next steps to finally landing his elusive first championship?

Here are the top five spots, including the Boston Celtics, ranked:

5. Golden State Warriors

While, in theory, the Golden State Warriors register as a solid landing spot for Cousins due to his familiarity with Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, and the Warriors offensive schemes, the Dubs no longer play the style of ball that caters to Cousins’ style at this stage of his career.

Ranked second in possessions per game, Golden State’s success is predicated on small-ball–with their starting five including Draymond Green, Juan Toscano, and Kelly Oubre in the frontcourt–and that is the exact reason the Rockets are parting with him.

Even if the Warriors aren’t fully committed to that style of play, James Wiseman and Kevon Looney serve as roadblocks to Cousins seeing the floor.