DeMarcus Cousins tore his quad during Monday night’s game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers. It was a heartbreaking injury for a player who had already lost a year of his career - and hundreds of millions of dollars - to an Achilles tear.
In all likelihood, the tear will keep Cousins out for the entirety of the postseason. But quads can heal in dramatically varying times, and the Warriors aren’t yet ready to shut down the possibility of Boogie returning late in the playoffs.
At Wednesday’s practice, coach Steve Kerr discussed the future of the Warriors center.
Full Steve Kerr update on DeMarcus Cousins: No surgery required, rehab likely a couple months, expected to miss playoffs, but staff has told Kerr that this injury occasionally heals quicker, so they’re leaving return door open pic.twitter.com/LE7CxJhvhT
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2019
“DeMarcus most likely won’t be back in the playoffs,” Kerr said. “We’re probably looking at a couple months recovery, so it’s unlikely. But [director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini] told me that there are occasions where that injury heals faster, so we’re leaving the door open obviously, but more than anything I’m just crushed for DeMarcus. He’s been waiting his whole career for this, and in the second game he goes down, after putting all that work in to recover from the Achilles. He’s had a great season for us, he’s really come along the last month or so, and I just feel bad for him.”
If you’re wondering how long Boogie has to get back on the court, the Warriors have played the league’s final game in each of the last four years. Those games have come on June 16, June 19, June 12, and June 8.
Cousins would effectively have to return from the injury within two months. Not very likely, but not yet off the table.