Dallas Mavericks: Is Kristaps Porzingis primed for a resurgent season?

Worst-case scenario for Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis: DeMarcus Cousins

Demarcus Cousins, the former franchise player of the Sacramento Kings, is a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA second team talent. Personality questions and on-court drama aside, Cousins was undeniably a force to be reckoned with on the court. He and Anthony Davis even shared the frontcourt on the Pelicans for two seasons.

However, a flurry of injuries has led many to believe Cousins’ time as a productive player has come to an end. The last time he played was in 2018-2019 with Golden State, where he averaged his second-lowest points per game, lowest rebounds per, and lowest minutes per game of his career. Boogie was limited to 30 games as he recovered from a torn Achilles. Now, he is recovering from a torn ACL.

The time spent having to rehab various injuries alongside trying to return to form gave way to a formula in which Cousins’ body just hasn’t been able to hold up. The mileage he had accrued on the Kings and the frenetic pace of two seasons with the Pelicans led to a recipe for disaster when it came to Cousins’ long term health.

In just two seasons, he has gone from being one of the top offensive talents at his position to playing reserve minutes. If this didn’t serve as a cautionary tale, then I’m not sure what would. Porzingis’ most recent injuries point towards being more contact-related rather than stress or strain, but there are red flags to note.

Next: The road ahead for KP