Let’s just start by giving DeMarcus Cousins his flowers.
The four-time All-Star was one of the most talented big men in the league. It is not easy to average a double-double in the NBA and he did that in nearly every season he played before his devastating late-career injuries. He is also one of the all-time leaders in triple-doubles among centers.
When he was at the peak of his powers, Cousins was indeed a dominant big man. He scored 56 points against the Hornets in 2017 and he had multiple games in which he recorded 24 rebounds. He notched as many as 13 assists, 7 steals, and 7 blocks during individual games as well.
Cousins recently joined Kevin Garnett on the KG CERTIFIED podcast, however, and he had some fans raising their eyebrows (at the 1-minute, 33-second mark):
KG: Are you sitting here seeing yourself in play and all of that?
Cousins: Right now, I’m the third-best center in the league.
KG: Mmmmm. Right now?
Cousins: Right now, I’m the third-best center in the league. I mean, I’m a fan of the game. I’m always watching. I’m always enjoying these guys talents and things of that nature. But the game is just in a different place from my perspective.
Cousins said he is “waiting around” for teams to give him a call.
He added that when he came into the league, Garnett was at the top of the league. Then, he said that he himself was “that guy” but now, the “energy” is different and he hardly recognizes the foundation of the sport.
Cousins said the competitive nature of the game has faded.
To even mention himself as a top-3 center in the league shows a sense of competitiveness and unabashed confidence that could carry him a long way on the court.
But it’s hard to imagine that Cousins, who hasn’t played a game in almost twelve months, is actually one of the three best centers in the NBA right now. Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid have the first two spots locked up.
So if Cousins were third, that would put him ahead of Domantas Sabonis, Anthony Davis, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo, Kristaps Porzingis, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brook Lopez, Jarrett Allen, Rudy Gobert, and Nic Claxton.
Something about that doesn’t feel accurate for the 32-year-old big man. Candidly, the last time Cousins had a legitimate case for a top-3 center in the NBA was probably in 2016-17.
