Steve Kerr Says Warriors Not Going to Slow Pace for DeMarcus Cousins

Programming note: Watch the pregame edition of Warriors Outsiders on Thursday night at 6 p.m. PT streaming live on the MyTeams app.

It's still unclear when DeMarcus Cousins will play in a game, but his debut is getting closer.

The six-time All-Star practiced in full on Wednesday as he continues to recover from tearing his left Achilles tendon on Jan. 26, 2018.

Even though a specific return date is TBD, Steve Kerr is already envisioning how he will deploy Cousins.

"You'll see him down on the block and you'll see him trail some plays and shoot 3s in transition," the Warriors' head coach told Damon Bruce on 95.7 The Game on Wednesday evening. "He's a more traditional big man than what we've had here over the past few years.

"(But) we play pretty fast. We're not gonna slow down just for DeMarcus. So you can probably envision a fastbreak with us and DeMarcus trailing the play ... the ball comes back out, he's a guy who can spot up and knock down that 3-point shot."

It's funny to hear Kerr discuss Cousins shooting 3-pointers, because at the big man's introductory press conference back in July, GM Bob Myers shared a story about a conversation he had with Kerr before the coach spoke to Cousins on the phone on July 2.

"Prior to him (Cousins) talking to Steve, we had been talking, and Steve said, ‘I want him on the block, we haven't had that threat, we can give him the ball, we can play off of him.'

"And he said ‘not out on the perimeter.' And so Steve was about to get on the phone with Demarcus and I said, ‘Don't tell him that he can't shoot any 3s. If you let Draymond shoot 3s, you gotta let Demarcus shoot 3s.' So steve said ‘Maybe one or two.'"

In 2015-16, Cousins went 70-for-210 from distance -- 33.3 percent. In 2016-17, He made 131 of his 363 attempts -- 36.3 percent.

Last season, he shot over 35 percent from deep (104-for-294). The two-time All-NBA selection can do just about anything offensively.

"We can put him in high screens with Steph and run pick-and-pop stuff," Kerr explained. "And then when there's a timeout -- we want to get something down low -- organize something where he's getting the ball down on the block. Those things will all work because he's a really good passer, good shooter -- just knows how to play."

But Cousins isn't used to the Warriors pace and there will most likely be some bumps with the assimilation process. Since Steph Curry returned on Dec. 1, Golden State is playing at the 5th fastest pace in the NBA.

"I would say the adaptability has to come more from his side than our side," Kerr added. "He's joining a team that's been together for a few years."

Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller

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