Just a few years ago, DeMarcus Cousins was one of those players that every team would want on their squad. Unfortunately, injuries caught up to Cousins and he was forced to sign a short term deal with the Golden State Warriors last season. A quad injury in the playoffs left Boogie with even more questions surrounding him and when free agency first started, he was struggling to find a team to sign to. The Los Angeles Lakers eventually inked a 1-year, $3.5 million deal with Cousins which is a low risk, high reward proposition.
Despite being able to play in the NBA Finals, there are still quite a few questions as to whether or not he can remain healthy for next season. In a recent interview with Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation, Cousins explained that he's feeling fine and that he's not interested in any load management.
"My quad is 100% healed," Cousins said. "My goal is to play 82 games this season."
If Cousins can stay healthy and get back to his form from just a few seasons ago, there is a good chance the Lakers can be one of the strongest offensive teams we have seen in a while. In the clip below, Cousins appears to have lost some weight, which could do wonders for his conditioning. With Cousins going back to his old number, perhaps we'll see him become the sought after player he used to be.