On January 7, Beijing time, the Bucks officially announced: officially cut Cousins! General manager Jon Horst responded: "The layoff of Cousins was a strategic decision, the team freed up a place and the squad was more flexible. In the future, the Bucks have the opportunity to continue to work with Cousins! "Cousins played well! The Bucks' decision surprised many fans...
On Dec. 1, the Bucks signed Cousins to a one-year unsecured contract, and just a month later, they laid him off. The day before the cut, Kaoshen played 20 minutes off the bench in the game between the Bucks and the Raptors, and had 15 points and 10 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting, a plus-minus +9 team-high. Third in scoring and highest in rebounds.
Cousins played in 17 games for the Bucks, averaging 16.9 minutes per game, 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks. He shot 46.6 percent from the field, 27.1 percent from three-point range and 81.6 percent from the free throws. Cousins' offensive efficiency was 117.1, the league's 10th; net efficiency was 7.7, and the league's was 48th.
That number certainly isn't as good as it was at his peak, but for a substitute player on an unsecured contract, Cousins' performance is qualified. In a game against the Cavaliers on December 19, Cousins scored 12 points and 12 boards against the Cavaliers' death five. Against the Lone Rangers on Dec. 24, Cousins scored 22 points, eight boards and four assists.
Of course, he also had bad times: From December 9 to December 13, Cousins scored zero in three consecutive games, and he played nearly 30 minutes in each of these three games, totaling 10 rebounds. From December 19 to December 24, he also scored in double figures in three consecutive games. Cousins does have ups and downs in his performance, but he still has oil in his tank!
Teammates and coaches are also more satisfied with Kaoshen. Why did the Bucks cut him? 1. Free up the quota and strengthen other positions before the transaction deadline; 2. Save money. Cousins' contract will turn into a guarantee contract tomorrow. According to NBA star Shams, it is expected that some teams will be interested in Cousins. Fans: Warriors, Nets, Lakers consider?
Another journalist, Keith Smith, posted cousins' career trajectory: in sacramento; being traded by the team at All-Star Weekend; suffering a serious injury in New Orleans' all-out contract year; injuries in consecutive years over the next few years; cutting the defending champion with 15 points and 10 boards and being cut immediately... Thinking like this, Kao Shen is indeed quite sad.
Cut Cousins, what about the Bucks inside? López had back surgery last month and the team is confident he can make a comeback this season. In addition, the Bucks will let Portis and Alphabet play the number five. According to statistics, when alphabet brother played the No. 5 position, Grayson Allen, Holliday, Connaughton and Hill were on the floor at the same time, and the Bucks won 85 points per 100 rounds.
Cousins was born on August 13, 1990, at the age of 31. In the 2020-21 season, Cousins averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 boards and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 42.6% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range. His last game of last season was on May 15, 2021, and he returned to the NBA after a gap of 200 days. Hopefully this time he can find his next home soon!
Come on, God! Like Thomas Jr., don't give up!