The emergence of DeMarcus Cousins as a two-way star was on full display at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon.
Cousins had an incredible performance in the unusually early road affair, torching the Los Angeles Clippers offensively while providing solid interior defense against both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
Shooting 15-of-23 from the floor, Cousins finished with 34 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, helping the Kings to an 18-point edge while he was on the floor. Any time he came off the court, the Kings struggled, getting outscored by 12 points in just 14 minutes.
His offensive impact has become obvious by this point. Cousins' biggest edge comes inside, where he can bully even the strongest of opposing centers, using his 270-pound frame to carve out enough room to get off clean inside looks. It's been his emergence as a passer and a capable mid-range shooter that's really pushed him into the upper echelon, and his versatility was on full display Sunday:
(Courtesy: NBA.com)
Offensive efficiency is relatively old hat for Cousins at this point, though, and it was his defensive impact that raised eyebrows Sunday.
Cousins did a great job providing help on Griffin, who struggled to a 6-of-20 shooting night. Cousins' anticipation of Griffin's drives and rolls allowed him to pre-rotate off of his man, especially when it was the range-less Jordan. As a result, Griffin shot poorly in close and could be found settling for outside looks, even once his jumper was established as cold.
A borderline All-Star snub a season ago, Cousins appears poised to take yet another step forward in 2014-15. Look no further than his acting as a calming influence for teammate Darren Collison late in the game as evidence of growth in Cousins. Seriously, he was the calming influence late in the game (though a calmer demeanor certainly didn't stop him from jawing with Griffin).
It's just one game, but it serves as an important reminder that there's plenty of reason to watch the Kings, even if they're not destined for an eventual playoff berth.