Thanks, DeMarcus Cousins. The internet is now officially broken.
I’m sure Al Gore’s creation will live on just fine. However, the man known as Boogie truly did send the online sports betting community into a frenzy late Monday night, with news breaking that he signed on with the Golden State Warriors.
Free agent DeMarcus Cousins has agreed to a deal with the Golden State Warriors, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2018
The Warriors, as in the defending champion Warriors. The Warriors, as in already stacked with four all-star caliber talents Warriors.
The Warriors as in, well, they just won the stinking title in back-to-back years, and now they’re probably never losing again…Warriors.
Yes, those Warriors.
Those annoying, frustratingly dominant, borderline arrogant yet fun as heck Warriors.
It appears as though Cousins wanted in on the fun, with reports suggesting his main aim is to rehab his value before again hitting the open market next summer.
It’s hard to blame him or the Dubs, either.
Yes, this marriage is yet another cheat code Golden State has punched into their real-life rendition of NBA2k, but it’s also one that made too much sense.
Thanks to a brutal Achilles tear last year, Boogie wasn’t landing a massive long-term deal from anyone.
He could have latched on with pretty much any team, but if he had to take less cash on a one-year prove-it contract, why not play with people he likes and try to win a title in the process?
The onslaughts of negativity from NBA analysts, former greats, and the social mob won’t stop.
They didn’t stop when Kevin Durant made his LeBron James-esque “decision,” and to be frank, people hated the Dubs even before that.
Golden State wins, they do it with flair, and they’re doing it better than anyone has done it in quite some time.
That’s annoying to a lot of people, and with Boogie on hand, that annoyance has graduated into sheer anger.
Obviously, this bothers everyone else, but for the Dubs, it strengthens a team that just won their third title in the last four years, which naturally makes them huge favorites to win again this coming season.
All odds that are referenced in this article were taken from MyBookie.ag on 7/3/2018. These odds may have changed since the time of this writing.
I seriously wonder how long this deal was verbally agreed upon.
The Dubs have such a personality to them, both individually and as part of a collective culture, that it would not shock me at all if they waited for King James to land in La La Land and then delivered this death blow.
L.A. becomes a destination NBA town again, and I’d bet that James alone gets them back to the playoffs.
However, the Western Conference is unforgiving, and to this point, Bron Bron hasn’t really convinced any other big stars to take the plunge.
Paul George stayed in Oklahoma City, Chris Paul re-signed with Houston, and Kawhi Leonard isn’t any closer to being dealt to the Lake Show.
Even if that happens, the Warriors as we knew them before this news would probably still be the favorites.
With Cousins, however, they are now -175 favorites at MyBookie.ag to win the 2018-19 NBA Finals, and I find it hard to go against those odds.
Golden State already had the most dangerous lineup in pro basketball.
When they so choose, they could throw a small ball squad featuring Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala at you.
All of those guys can create offense on their own, they can all shoot from outside, they can all attack off of the dribble, and with the exception of Curry, they can all defend at a high level.
They were, to put it bluntly, all of the deadly.
The Hampton Five is still a thing, at least for the moment.
Achilles tears take time to heal, and even when DeMarcus Cousins is technically 100%, he still might not be quite as fluid or explosive as he once was.
Just ask Kobe Bryant, Wesley Matthews, Chauncey Billups, or any other NBA star who attempted a comeback from said injury.
That’s certainly part of Boogie’s appeal, but I don’t think even a 75% Boogie ends up being a huge drop-off considering he’ll still be able to dominate down low and stretch defenses with his shooting.
The point here is that when at full strength, the Dubs now have two nasty lineups that nobody wants to face.
The coolest part about all of this is that the Dubs were tasked with figuring out the five spot.
David West is contemplating retirement, Zaza Pachulia has worn out his usefulness, and JaVale McGee joined Team LaBron.
Maybe James and co. felt they were poaching an athletic big that shined with Golden State. If so, that is now extremely laughable.
The Dubs didn’t just land a marquee star on the cheap. They stole an absolute monster out from under everyone else’s noses, got a whole lot better in the process, and addressed a freaking need.
The answer is actually pretty simple.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green knew Boogie and were friends with him.
They went out of their way to court him, while head coach Steve Kerr contacted Cousins directly to help seal the deal.
The Dubs have quite the sales pitch, and it worked. They landed a superstar to go with their never-ending string of studs, and it also filled a need while providing a massive upgrade.
This is either disgusting or impressive, but I kind of think it’s both.
The Warriors did all of the things I’ve already said, but more than anything, they’ve got themselves an answer at both ends of the court for any nasty big man any other NBA team throws at them.
Worried the small ball approach dies out? The Dubs are no longer caught in the middle of the road like a deer in the headlights. They now have an answer for that.
Oh, you have Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, DeAndre Jordan, or just started a revelation by drafting DeAndre Ayton?
Cool story, bro. The Dubs have a dude that can bang down low at both ends, dominate the glass, and stretch out your defense as a shooter.
Golden State finished as the 8th most efficient defense a year ago. With Boogie in tow, I can’t help but think they’ll only be better on that end of the floor.
The Dubs also finished dead last on the glass last season. Rebounding has never killed them in the past – and their small ball ways have a lot to do with this – but now they have a true enforcer in that area.
Overall, Boogie isn’t just a big name or a faux star. He’s an interior stud that can completely change (for the better) a team that was already the best the NBA had to offer.
Forget about LeBron James and the Lakers. They’re busy surrounding King James with non-shooters and don’t even have a second superstar to pair with him yet.
It’s the Rockets, Celtics, and/or Sixers the Dubs would be most concerned with, and one reason why is the size they have via big men like Clint Capela, Joel Embiid, and Al Horford.
With Boogie on hand, that concern is virtually washed away.
I can’t possibly be alone when I marvel at this signing, but unlike a lot of people, I choose to embrace it rather than slam it.
You can’t be mad at the Warriors for adding a center. They lost three of them to free agency and signed one.
It just so happens that they got the best one on the market, if not the best one in the entire league.
They exploited Boogie’s situation, but he’s also coming into an amazing atmosphere where he’ll be able to provide value, chase a ring, and also rehab his market value.
This is a win-win for both sides, and it probably makes the Dubs a safer bet than ever.
There is still risk involved here. Nobody knows how long it’ll take Boogie to return to full strength, and even when he does, he could struggle to regain his old form or even stay on the court.
There is the rust factor, while it’s not crazy to think Boogie wouldn’t be a perfect fit in this system. It’s also not crazy to think the Dubs don’t use him as much as he’d prefer, seeing as they’ve historically ran out smaller lineups.
Golden State isn’t too concerned, though, and thus far, they’ve made right decision after right decision while building a legit dynasty.
Cleveland was their main threat when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were a tandem. Irving left, and the Cavs turned to mush.
Now James is in L.A., where he might even struggle to get to the Western Conference Finals, let alone the NBA Finals.
This DeMarcus Cousins signing keeps the gap between the Warriors and Lakers as wide as it was before the James signing, and whatever ground the Rockets thought they made up last year, they just lost it.
Bettors aren’t getting amazing value with the Dubs at -175 (I’d shop around) at My Bookie, but they’re probably lucky the price isn’t even worse.
Golden State is very likely to win for a third year in a row this season, and Boogie or no Boogie, that was probably always going to be the case. The arrival of Cousins might just cement it.
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