DeMarcus Cousins out Friday with injured hip and ankle

The Sacramento Kings will be shorthanded in a big way on Friday when they take on the San Antonio Spurs.

All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins will sit out due to an ankle sprain and a hip contusion, the Kings announced. It was reported Thursday that Cousins had injured his ankle during Wednesday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Cousins is Sacramento's best player by leaps and bounds and, not surprisingly, the Kings have struggled in 12 games without him this season, posting a record of just 2-10.

Despite Cousins' average of 23.7 points per game, his impact has been most prominent on the defensive end. The Kings' defensive rating mirrors that of a league-worst squad when Cousins sits, but improves to about average when Cousins plays. 

On the whole, the Kings' center has the highest net rating of any player on the team at plus-13.7.

Facing the Spurs won't help. San Antonio has stumbled of late, having dropped their past four contests, but Tim Duncan and company still remain one of the most formidable squads in the league.