[Saba Sports News] Modern players are undeniably becoming more versatile on offense, with centers like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid adopting skills typically associated with guards and forwards. This evolution of the game continues to unfold.
One of the standout versatile big men in recent memory was DeMarcus Cousins, known for blending physicality with a perimeter game. Myles Turner recently acknowledged that DeMarcus Cousins was the most challenging player he ever had to defend.
Turner stated, “From a physicality standpoint, DeMarcus Cousins was the hardest person I had to guard. He’s down there banging and shooting threes, handling sh*t.”
During his prime, DeMarcus Cousins was a dominant offensive force, despite being on struggling Sacramento Kings teams. Throughout his 470 games with Sacramento, he averaged 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. He was undoubtedly ahead of his time, and if he were in his prime today, he would rank among the league’s elite big men.