2018-19 NBA season: 5 stars with a point to prove on injury comebacks

#1 DeMarcus Cousins

NBA All-Star Game 2017 - Practice

It was a move verging on pure genius for DeMarcus Cousins to sign with the Warriors for the taxpayers' mid-level exception of $5.3 million as he recovers from a debilitating Achilles injury which he suffered before the All-Star break this year. The Pelicans, who held his Bird rights, were hesitant to sign him on a max deal before it became clear that he was worth it and had made a comeback from the aforementioned injury.

It is safe to say that at least offensively, Cousins has the whole package like no other big man in the game today. An amazing playmaker who can get buckets from a variety of positions on the floor, Cousins weaves exquisite handles, court vision and the body of a football player and can wear opponents down from the block, the 3-point line and as a pure roll man.

He even showed his ability to play engaged defense alongside Anthony Davis during his time at New Orleans in the season or so that he played for the Pelicans. The Warriors are under absolutely no pressure to rush him back into action, but he might find shots tougher to come by in an offense that literally has 4 All-Stars next to him.

Cousins will have to play at the same level that he did before his injury this year to have any chance of landing the big-money contract that he's bet himself on. He couldn't have chosen a more appropriate spot to do that than Golden State in the 2018-19 season, so there's all the more pressure on him to deliver now.