The Warriors Are Literally Unstoppable With DeMarcus Cousins

i still can't believe this is an actual lineup

Before signing with the Warriors in his quest for a ring, DeMarcus Cousins was (kinda still is) my favorite player in the league. He's such a dominant force, and towards the end of his Sacramento tenure he turned into the best center in the NBA. Eventually Boogie started putting up insane scoring and rebounding numbers effortlessly (he had two career 50-point games), and if it wasn't for being stuck in quite possibly the most toxic franchise in the league (at the time), Boogie could have had Hall of Fame written all over him; who knows, he still could, especially because since he returned from a brutal Achilles injury, he's looked good. Once Boogie leaves the Warriors he'll reclaim his rightful position at the top of my favorite players.

A small part of me is still disappointed that Boogie didn't work out in New Orleans alongside AD, but with the way the last few weeks have transpired for the Pelicans, I don't think anyone or anything can work for that franchise; the NBA should honestly relocate them and jumpstart the Supersonics 2.0. If it wasn't for that stupid fucking Achilles tear (I absolutely hate injuries, especially to stars) Boogie and AD, with the right team around them, could've been the next great dominant duo. Nothing can be done about it now; AD is stuck in trade request limbo and Boogie is positioned for a ring in his first-ever playoff appearance, so who really ended up on top?

On this shitty winter morning*, I was completing my routine of coffee and r/NBA when I stumbled upon a stat that blew my mind a bit. I knew how superior the Warriors were since Boogie entered the lineup (mostly because his return has led to me hate-watching them a lot), but I wasn't quite sure just how absolutely unstoppable they've become. When Golden State trots out their militia of Steph, Klay, KD, Draymond, and Boogie, they're 9-0. There's no way to beat them apparently; they've had a recent loss to the Sixers (at home, no less), but they were without Klay. If there's one thing we've learned from the Warriors over the course of the past several seasons, it's that Klay Thompson is one of the best offensive and defensive players in the league, and the latter is where the Dubs depend on him the most.

There was so much speculation leading up to Boogie's return about how he'll affect the team's chemistry and overall on-court success, and we now have an answer: he's put them in a league of their own. Sure, he's "only" averaging 13.9/6.8/3.7 on 42.4/29.0/73.3 shooting splits, but Boogie's also chipping in 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per night; keep in mind that Boogie's only playing about 23 minutes per game. His stats may not jump off the screen right now, but it's his commanding presence that has put The Dubs in another stratosphere. His per-36 minutes statline of 21.4/10.5/5.7 is something that should concern the rest of the Western Conference. Boogie has demonstrated that his presence as a passer in the Warriors' lethal offense is just as valuable as his ability to get buckets on anyone anywhere.

Unless this team completely falls apart due to an injury or something like a cheating scandal, it seems pretty set in stone that they're going to wrap up the season with their third-straight Finals win. At least Boogie getting a ring will make it easier to swallow. There's always next year, I guess.

*If you say you "love" winter, you make me nervous. How can somebody think that below-freezing wind and frozen ice water falling from the sky is better than having concrete-colored sidewalks and green grass? Because they're an absolute sociopath, that's why. Snow is only kind of fun to have for Christmas, but even then, is it worth it?