DeMarcus Cousins is reportedly getting released by the Houston Rockets. His next destination is likely to be the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that he was a member of during the first half of the season, despite not playing a single game due to a season-ending injury.
Since the Lakers parted ways with centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard this past offseason, the team lacked height under the basket. Though the new signings Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell provided other skills.
With Anthony Davis out action, the reigning NBA champions have issues playing against big teams. Most recently, Harrell was benched for the second half of the fourth quarter as well as overtime despite scoring 26 points because head coach Frank Vogel saw him as a bad match against Brook Lopez.
While Cousins might help in terms of size, the 6′ 10″ center would bring the same problems that Lakers already have, according to an anonymous Western Conference assistant coach.
“Just in terms of the Xs and Os, I don’t see how it goes together,” one Western Conference assistant coach said. “Gasol does not move, he gets killed in pick-and-rolls. Same thing with Boogie. Harrell is small, he does not protect the rim. So you would be adding a guy who has the same holes in his game as your other two, at least defensively.”
This season, Boogie is averaging 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per game for the Rockets that find themselves in the 14th place in the Western Conference following an eight-game losing streak.
