Back in early December, before All-Star voting began, ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton predicted Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins would be an All-Star this year.
Pelton wrote, “Cousins posted All-Star numbers last season, ranking 13th in wins above replacement player (WARP), but he couldn't crack the loaded Western Conference team. Now, Cousins is going to be impossible to keep out of the game... Cousins has become the NBA's most unstoppable interior force since Shaquille O'Neal.”
Fast-forward a month and Pelton’s argument has been solidified by No. 15’s on-court play.
“His RPM (Real Plus-Minus) ranks eighth in the league, and Cousins is in the top 15 in WARP... He's a no-brainer,” added Pelton.
Read Pelton’s full article by clicking here. (ESPN Insider Required)
Upon further review of the stats, there's even more reason to believe No. 15 should get his name called by Western Conference coaches on Thursday.
- Cousins' impact on the Kings has led the team to earn the second-highest points per game average this year for a frontcourt at 65.5 ppg.
- That combination also ranks third in the League in rebounding at 35.6 rpg, fourth in efficiency (76.3) and ranks in the Top 10 in field goal percentage (47.5).
- DMC also owns the second-best efficiency rating in the NBA at 27.8 trailing only Anthony Davis’ 30.7 mark.
Scott Polacek, a featured columnist at Bleacher Report, also supports Cousins’ case for an All-Star bid, writing, “Sometimes it really is all about the numbers, and DeMarcus Cousins’ are staggering at this point of the season.
“The Sacramento Kings superstar is posting nightly averages of 24 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals and is shooting 80.3 percent from the free-throw line. He is nearly impossible to stop without a double-team on the blocks and has parlayed his international experience on Team USA this past summer into an formidable start to the season.”
With DMC’s All-Star hopes on the line this week, Polacek knows the big fella’s skill set has helped him stand out amongst the competition.
“There is very little Cousins cannot do on the court, and he very well could have been given the All-Star starter nod,” he writes.
Read Polacek’s full article by clicking here.
All-Star reserves are set to be announced on Jan. 29.
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