Boogie says he's better than ever ahead of Warriors debut

After winning six straight games and scoring 140-plus points in three of their last four contests, the Golden State Warriors are set to welcome All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers. To make matters worse for the rest of the Association, Cousins - who hasn't played in the NBA since tearing his Achilles nearly a year ago - believes he's better than ever.

"Well, obviously, I won't be the same player. I've gotten better," Cousins told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "So you know, a lot of things have changed in my game. You start to tune up other areas of your game: jump shooting, skill work. I think everything has just increased and gotten better."

The Warriors (31-14) were sloppy to start the season, suffering from a locker-room meltdown between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry's struggles with a groin injury, and Klay Thompson's shooting funk.

The team has since shifted gears to make a quick leap back to the top of the Western Conference standings. Now the Warriors will welcome Cousins into the fold to give their starting lineup five All-NBA caliber talents.

Boogie averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 48 appearances with the New Orleans Pelicans last season.