SACRAMENTO, CA ---- For the second consecutive year, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins has been invited to participate in the USA Basketball Men's National Team mini-camp, to be held July 22-25 in Las Vegas.
Cousins, having completed his third season in the NBA, is averaging 16.3 points (.448 FG%, .710 FT%), 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in 220 appearances. Last season, he averaged a team-leading 18.1 points (.465 FG%, .702 FT%), a team-high 11.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.44 steals per game in 75 contests. Among league leaders, he ranked ninth in rebounding, 13th in double-doubles (35), 27th in scoring, and tied 25th in steals.
Among NBA centers, Cousins finished second in steals, tied fourth in scoring, 10th in rebounding, sixth in assists, and second in free throws made per game (4.2). In the final game of the season against the Clippers, Cousins recorded the second 30-point, 20-rebound game of his career with a game-high 36 points and a career-high 22 rebounds (a Sacramento-era record-tying 18 on the defensive end) to go along with three assists and three blocks in 41 minutes. During the season, Cousins earned his first career triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and career-high 10 assists against the Celtics on Dec. 30, 2012.
Joining Cousins at the mini-camp will be: Ryan Anderson (New Orleans Pelicans); Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors); Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons); Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets); Derrick Favors (Utah Jazz); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); Taj Gibson (Chicago Bulls); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia 76ers); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers); Ty Lawson (Denver Nuggets); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons); Chandler Parsons (Houston Rockets); Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); Dion Waiters (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats); John Wall (Washington Wizards); and Tyler Zeller (Cleveland Cavaliers).