Lakers Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins Could Return In Time For Playoffs

The timetable for DeMarcus Cousins debut as a Los Angeles Laker is targeted in time for the Playoffs, a report said. Head coach Frank Vogel revealed the recent development, saying the former All-Star big man is right “on track” to return for the postseason and help the Lakers’ bid for a championship run.

“He’s on track to get healthy by the playoffs and we’ll have to see where he’s at with rhythm and conditioning and timing and all that stuff,” Vogel said per a report from Lakers Nation. “But there’s a possibility he returns this season, yes.”

Cousins signed with the Lakers last summer after falling short in last year’s Finals with the Golden State Warriors. His health actually looked promising during the off-season with so much anticipation on his reunion with Anthony Davis and how they would run alongside LeBron James until he suffered a huge blow in August when he tore his ACL during a pick-up game.

The unfortunate turn of events forced Vogel and the front office to tap Dwight Howard from the free-agent market to address the team’s backup frontcourt hole. It appeared to be a stroke of genius as the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been repaying their trust with his fine play off the bench.

But while Howard’s stellar play has been a huge boost, the Lakers are still not discounting the lift Cousins could somehow provide on the court. The 6’10 center has the heft and upper body strength that could boss around the paint. Conditioning and rhythm might be an issue in his return but the other facets of his game could not be dismissed, especially that the Lakers will have to dig deeper in an expected tight Western Conference playoff bracket.

Cousins has been bugged by several injuries that go all the way to the last game of his stint in New Orleans where he tore his left Achilles. In his few games as a Warrior, the 29-year-old was visibly a non-factor behind a star-studded line-up led by Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

While his impending return could be a welcome sight, the report still sparked a number of takes, with some seeing it as hardy needed by the Lakers who have a rock-solid frontcourt rotation with Davis, Howard and Javale McGee.