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OAKLAND – For most of the regular season, the Warriors wondered what life would be like with the integration of the All Star Star DeMarcus Cousins Center.
Following a rigorous re-education, the grand group has combined unparalleled skill, size and offensive capabilities in Golden State championship races over the last five years. The one-year marriage was supposed to give Cousins the first appearance in the playoffs and a dominant series race for the playoffs.
These plans were canceled three minutes into the second game of the first round of the NBA playoffs on Monday night when the Cousins collapsed to the ground to try to land a ball against the Los Angeles Clippers. He tore his left quadriceps, thus ending his season and putting Golden State in a familiar position as an All-Star centerless team.
"DeMarcus will probably not be back during the playoffs," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said at the conclusion of the training Wednesday afternoon. "We are probably looking at a recovery of a few months, so it is unlikely."
The Warriors will train veteran Andrew Bogut instead of the Cousins. Bogut spent most of his season in his native Australia and was signed a month ago, in case the team needed depth on the pitch. Bogut's place in the lineup will be facilitated by a rise in minutes from Kevon Looney – who averages 12.5 points and five rebounds per game in the playoffs – as well as Jordan Bell and Jonas Jerebko as the series progress.
"We have depth," said Warriors forward Draymond Green. "Sign Bogut is even more important now.Loon has been great and JB needs to make sure he's ready, as well as Jonas.You never know how it's going to happen."
As Golden State progresses in the playoffs, it's hard not to worry about Cousins. More than a year ago, he tore the left Achilles tendon as a member of the Pelicans, triggering an intense reeducation program associated with the uncertainty of impending free will. .
Upon his return to the court, he finally blossomed. The Cousins averaged 17.6 points and 9.1 rebounds in their last 19 regular season games with 50% of their shots, including a 28-point, 13-rebound performance against the Denver Nuggets, which allowed Golden State to retain the top spot in the Western Conference. Now, Cousins is in the same situation as last summer, starting another long recovery process.
"He went through a lot of dark days." said Andrew Bogut, who himself lived a grueling rehab after fracturing his ankle in 2012. "It was in dark days in the last 12 months with Achilles. I am sure that He felt as if the light was at the end of the tunnel and he was good, he was playing basketball again in the early seasons of his career, he could go deep into the playoffs and this would product. "
"I'm just crushed for DeMarcus," Kerr added. "He waited all his career for that and in the second game he lost after putting all this work into recovering Achilles, he had a great season for us, he really arrived for about a month."
Since the injury, teammates and coaches have turned to the Cousins, who are not expected in the short term. Kerr expressed good wishes in the days following match 2, but the team's common consensus was to give space to the center as it begins another long process recovery.
"Try to find that balance between encouraging a man and giving him space," Green said. "Who knows what's going on right now." So, in a situation like that, I like to cheat on the side of [letting] a guy gathers his thoughts. So many times we talk and say this to a guy and tell a guy that, let this man live his emotions. However, as he thinks he needs to do that, do that. So many times we think we have the answers [and] we do not. So whatever this emotion, let him live this experience. "
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For warriors, it's a familiar territory. In the past three seasons, they have suffered a long-term injury to one of their major contributors. In the first round of the 2016 playoffs, Stephen Curry suffered a sprained right knee. A year later, Kevin Durant missed 19 games and came just before the playoffs. Last season, another knee injury kept Curry in the first round of the playoffs. Two of these seasons ended with the Warriors in sole possession of the Larry O & # 39; Brien Trophy.
Even without the Cousins, a third consecutive championship remains a more than achievable goal for this team.
"We have lost guys in the last few years who were extremely important to our work and we are still able to win a championship because that is the mentality of the next man, and the next must be ready what is it? he can give them, "said Green. "I do not think anyone can give us exactly what DeMarcus gives us, but by saying that, we still need guys to play their part."
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