As DeMarcus Cousins' Golden State Warriors debut draws closer, star point guard Steph Curry has weighed in on the big man's return to the court and how it will impact the team.
Cousins joined the Dubs on a one-year deal in the summer but hasn't played since last January due to an Achilles injury suffered while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans last season.
It has been reported that the center will play his first game for his new team when they face the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on January 18. And Curry admits that getting him into the lineup will be a huge adjustment.
RELATED: DeMARCUS COUSINS EXPECTED TO MAKE WARRIORS DEBUT AGAINST CLIPPERS LATER THIS MONTH
"We understand there's going to be an adjustment for everybody," Curry said, via CBS Sports. "And, hopefully, it will give us another type of challenge in terms of really being disciplined and diligent on how we perform as a team with DeMarcus in the rotation and take us to new heights.
"His first couple games, who knows how it will go. But with the collective IQ we have in our locker room and understanding the unselfishness around what we do, we'll be able to figure it out quickly. But it's going to be an adjustment for sure."
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has since revealed that the player might not return on the 18th as reports have claimed. But he has admitted that it should be close to the date if not exactly on.
"I think it will happen around that time," Kerr explained "It's not as simple as 'that's the game.' It's somewhere in that neighborhood.
"Maybe it's the New Orleans game a couple days earlier. Maybe it's the first game after that, but that's definitely the range. I would say the last two scrimmages that he's had. It's looked to us and it's felt to him that he has broken through a barrier. And we were waiting for that barrier. So that he's through that barrier, and assuming everything goes well the next week or two, that's sort of the idea to get him in some time that week."
What This Means
The defending champions have lost some of their shine this season and a third-straight title isn't looking like a sure thing anymore. However, they should be much improved with a healthy Cousins in their lineup.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the center's debut and have even been voting for him to be an All-Star albeit him not playing a single game as yet this campaign.
His presence, moving forward, should mean everything for the Warriors, who are keen on becoming the first team to three-peat since the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s.