After Cousins joined the Nuggets, the team did not lose a single game in any game, which can be called the team's lucky star. Today Cousins played his best game since joining the Nuggets, he himself came off the bench to have 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, shooting 70% of the game, and his playing time was only 17 minutes and 37 seconds. The plus-minus value is as high as +17, the highest in the Nuggets team. The Nuggets eventually won 124-92 against the Blazers on the road, playing lightly.
Notably, Cousins and Nuggets star Jokic delivered a total of 17 assists today, more than half of the team's. The Blazers delivered 22 assists throughout the game, and cousins came to the Nuggets to win consecutive victories, and his own strength was greatly underestimated. After all, a few years ago, Cousins and Jokic were supposed to be the two most versatile centers in the league.
Cousins was one of the league's top two centers in the 2017-18 season, and he was fairly versatile that season, averaging nearly 25 points and 13 rebounds per game and giving 5.4 assists per game. Jokic gradually came to prominence in the 2017-18 season. He averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Jokic and Cousins were the top 2 center average assists per game that season, and now that the two centers who are extremely good at passing are on the same team, the Nuggets' offense has naturally become smooth.
Take the last 5 games, the Last 5 Games the Nuggets have won, and none of these 5 games has scored less than 115 points. We have to take into account that the intensity of the NBA this year is generally large, and it is not so easy for a team to cut high scores. When Cousins and Jokic were on the floor, the team's attack was very smooth, and the two could cope, have a good field of vision, and did not drag mud and water. Cousins has a very mature ability to dominate the ball, using his weight in the low position to have a full offensive threat, which can attract more defensive attention. In today's small-ball league, Cousins, an inner-line giant, has more room to play. In the last five games, Cousins averaged 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in just 14 minutes per game, and his shooting percentage increased to 50%. He was becoming more and more confident.
In today's NBA, every team needs a center with strong frame protection ability. Cousins has no defensive footsteps, the lateral movement speed is very slow, and there is basically no ability to assist in defense. Cousins averaged just 0.4 blocks per game for the Nuggets, but his creativity on the organizational end was endless, perfectly adapting to the Nuggets' system. The Nuggets' passing needs an inside line that can be matched so that others can run. Even if Jokic doesn't play, the team has a kaleidoscopic set of routines and tactics. The Nuggets playing the Trail Blazers today is exactly the gap that the bench has opened. Nuggets bench Forbes scored 17 points and Jermiel Green had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Coupled with Cousins' all-out output today, the Nuggets blew up opponents.
Now the Nuggets' strength has improved to another level, and if Murray and Porter Jr. can return this season, the Nuggets will become a championship-level team. Hopefully, Cousins will move forward with the Nuggets this season to make a push for better results. Cousins also proved himself: he still belongs to the NBA, he can still play in the NBA for a long time, he is a talented center. Readers, what level do you think Cousins is doing today? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below the article.