In the Nuggets' 117-111 victory over the Pistons, Cousins made his debut for the Nuggets. He played 12 minutes off the bench, shooting 1-of-7, with 2 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist, in addition to 1 turnover and 4 fouls. Cousins has a plus-minus of just -4, which is not only the lowest in the team, but also the only player on the Nuggets with a negative plus-minus.
Four years ago, on January 23, 2018, the Pelicans beat the Bulls 132-128 in overtime, Cousins made 13-of-29 and 5-of-11 three-pointers, 44 points, 23 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals and 1 block! He is the fifth player in NBA history to be 40+20+10 in a single game, with the remaining four being Chamberlain, Robertson the Big O, Elgin Baylor and Abdul-Abdul-Jabbar.
On January 22, 2022, the Nuggets officially announced that they signed a 10-day contract with Cousins! The Nuggets' No. 15 jersey belonged to Mr. Joe, and Cousins wore no. 4 instead. From 2018-2022, only four years have passed, cousins fell to 2+6+1, this huge gap is lamentable. That league number one center, never to come back.
On Jan. 7, the Bucks announced the layoff of Cousins, though the Bucks said it was to free up space and facilitate the team's operation. But the media speculated that this was because Cousins' unsecured contract was about to be regularized on January 8. On Jan. 6, the Bucks vs Raptors, Cousins played 20 minutes off the bench, scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting, a team-high plus-minus of +9.
Cut immediately after cutting 15 points and 10 boards, Cousins' encounter made many media and fans complain about him. He played 17 games for the Bucks, averaging 17 minutes per game, 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 27.1 percent from three-point range. The Nuggets signed Cousins, inseparable from the recommendation of coach Mike Malone.
At the beginning of the season, Cousins had no ball to play, and Malone repeatedly told the media: "Cousins is not in the league, this is crazy, he is really talented!" After Cousins was cut by the Bucks, Malone said: "If Cousins can join the Nuggets, we will definitely add a good player." I've been in touch with him all these years! ”
Mike Malone coached the Kings for more than a season from 2013 to 2014, and now he's reunited with Cousins at the Nuggets. Speaking of the old master-apprentice teaming up again, Cousins said: "Malone is really in love with me! We established such a relationship during the time of the king. But I'm a little unaccustomed to the current Malone coach, who should be yelling on the sidelines! ”
The two are not talking politely, they are both very straight personalities! After Malone became the King's manager, he was honest with Cousins and did not engage in hypocrisy, and the two quickly became friends. In the 2014 offseason, the Kings boss wanted to trade Josh Smith, Malone resolutely refused, and Cousins chose to stand with his coach!
Since then, Malone has had a feud with the King boss. The 2014–15 season saw the Kings start with 11 wins and 13 losses, and on December 15, 2014, the Kings boss fired Malone. Cousins was still recuperating, and he was angry. In February 2015, George Carr became king manager, and for more than a year after that, Cousins clashed with Carr.
Malone's dismissal was also an important reason for kaoshen to leave the king. It is not easy for a player to meet a coach who appreciates him. I hope Cousins can play better and better and stay in the team successfully!