One would think that a soon-to-be 24-year old, 6'11", 270 pound center who averaged an impressive 22.7 ppg and 11.7 rpg during last season would be a strong candidate to not only be on but to be a featured threat for the USA Basketball national team. Unfortunately for DeMarcus Cousins this is where we pick up his story as a roster-bubble player for the upcoming FIBA World Championship.
Cousins shouldn't even be mentioned as a potential roster casualty for the USA as they are already moving forward without Dwight Howard and with the absence of available true big-bodied centers to choose from this roster spot for Cousins should almost be automatic. Instead we find ourselves discussing the merits of putting the oft malcontent and ill tempered Cousins on an International stage to represent the basketball powerhouse that is the United States.
Let's be clear from the beginning. A decision to exclude Cousins from this International competition comes down to attitude, maturity and roster fit more so than just skill and ability. Based on ability, DeMarcus gives the USA a strong inside presence that would complement Anthony Davis in the paint and would give a stronger body off the bench to battle some of the more post orientated European bigs.
Problem for Cousins is that he and Andre Drummond bring very similar traits to the table, only Drummonds baggage is carry-on size while Cousins has to pay additional handling fees. Drummond offers the same inside presence and big body; plus he isn't likely going to implode on the court and cost his team possessions or points by taking fouls or technicals.
Another factor working against Cousins is the emergence of Mason Plumlee. Plumlee was invited to the USA camp as a select team member and he parlayed that opportunity for himself into a legitimate threat to crack the 12 man roster bound for Spain.
Hard to imagine that a first-year player who posted regular season averages of 7.4 ppg and 4.4 rpg and who was a complete non factor in the playoffs for the Brooklyn Nets could push a consistent double-double guy to the couch; but this could become a reality.
Despite lagging behind in the stat department, Plumlee has a huge advantage over Cousins when it comes to familiarity with the coaching staff. Plumlee was a four-year player under Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University and he was with Coach K when he last won a National Championship back in 2010. Certainly this is helping Plumlee's cause as Coach knows what he can expect out of Plumlee if he is called upon to spot some minutes in games.
Right now it is safe to assume that Anthony Davis is penciled in as the projected starter at center. Given the guard heavy lineup that Team USA is carrying it also stands to reason that there is a backup spot to Davis up for competition with the possibility of them carrying a third big man as well. Barring injury or player withdrawal, it doesn't make much sense for the roster to have both Drummond and Cousins as backups to Davis; one of the two will be cut.
Of course saying that, news has broken that Kevin Durant is stepping aside from the USA Basketball team for this competition it certainly creates further intrigue as to who will be filling out the roster. Before the news regarding Durant broke, I would have said that Cousins could have been a final cut on the team. Now that the front-court has taken a significant hit with the loss of Durant, I seriously doubt that the USA coaching staff are prepared to overlook Cousins’ offensive tenacity around the basket.
What is becoming increasingly likely is that Cousins and Drummond will make the team as true centers and Davis will fill the power forward spot. By pushing Davis to the four spot it puts Plumlee firmly on the bubble to make the team. We probably won’t ever know just how close Cousins came to not making this team, but one thing is for sure with his inclusion on the roster and now perhaps as a starter he will be highly motivated to prove his doubters wrong.