DeMarcus Cousins is a star. At 6-foot-11, 270 pounds he demands the ball, averaging 25.2 points per game last season with the Pelicans. Will Boogie be able to fit in with the Warriors as the fifth All-Star on this stacked squad?
John Calipari, who coached Cousins at the University of Kentucky, sees no problems with the fit. Why? Because he had to fit in with a college team full of future NBA players.
"When he was with me, he wasn't the biggest dog. And matter of fact, he was one of four. There were games where he scored just 10 points and he dealt with it because we won," Calipari said on 95.7 The Game.
In Cousins' one season at Kentucky he played with the likes of John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson, learning to share the load of the offense. As a freshman, he averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. The Wildcats went 35-3, but lost in Elite Eight to West Virginia.
Cousins went on to star right away with the Kings. Soon after, he had to humble himself again on a team full of stars.
"Then, he was with the Olympic team. I was there when he was working to make that team and it meant something to him and he was prideful in it," Calipari said. "There were times where he wasn't playing and he dealt with it."
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Cousins won gold with Team USA at the 2016 OIympics. Playing in eight games, he averaged 9.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Calipari has seen the growth of Cousins and he ultimately knows this is risky for both sides, but could end with huge rewards for the Warriors and Cousins.
"He has a lot at stake, as do the Golden State Warriors," the Kentucky head coach says.
