DeMarcus Cousins has had some stretches of play during the NBA Finals where he looks like his old self, but there have been other times when he looks extremely rusty. That was to be expected after he suffered a torn quad muscle less than two months ago, and the All-Star big man admits he is dealing with some conditioning issues.
Cousins said this week that he has been trying to “push through” and simply doesn’t know how his body will react from day to day.
“I’m still at the point where I’m trying to train my legs to be at that level 100 percent of the time. I just haven’t had time to focus on that,” Cousins admitted this week, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “It’s hard to condition midseason. It’s hard to get that balance of conditioning, rest, being ready to play. It’s a hard balance. I need the offseason, when that can be the priority.”
Cousins had a a strong six-minute stretch during Game 5 that Warriors coach Steve Kerr said was the difference between a win and a loss. With Kevin Durant now officially out for Game 6 and Game 7 (if it’s needed) and Kevin Looney listed as questionable for Thursday night, Golden State needs Cousins now more than ever.
After scoring 14 points in just 20 minutes in Game 5, Cousins should have plenty of confidence. The question is whether or not his body will feel good enough to be at his best. If it does, the Warriors will have that much better of a chance at forcing a Game 7.
