NBA News With The Warriors

DeMarcus Cousins tore his Achilles tendon almost a year ago while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Now he’s ready to get back on the court with the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors signed the 6-foot-11, 270-pound Cousins in July, knowing there would be a long wait and a continuing injury rehab.

The Warriors signed Cousins for one year at $5.3 million, which will be an absolute bargain if he plays anywhere near his past levels and finds a home in their rotation.

Before suffering the injury, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 48 games with the Pelicans. He would have been a starter in last year’s All-Star game, but was replaced on the roster by Paul George.

Given their depth, he should not be overworked by the team that has won three of the last four NBA titles. He’ll debut on Friday night on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers and is expected to be in the starting lineup.

“I’m getting acclimated with the guys, finding my wind, finding my legs,” Cousins told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’m not expecting to come out and score 50 points or anything like that. It’ll be great if I could, but that’s not my expectations. Just coming out and being a part of the team. That’s good enough for me.”

The Warriors are 30-14 going into Wednesday night’s game in Dallas against the Mavericks. They’re ½ game ahead of the Denver Nuggets, whom they eviscerated 142-111 on Tuesday night, in the NBA’s Western Conference.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman