Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac thinks very highly of his All-Star/Team USA big man DeMarcus Cousins.
Asked if Boogie is currently the most dominant tower in the world, Divac didn’t hesitate to take his answer one step further, per James Ham of CSNBayArea.com:
“It’s a no-brainer,” Kings general manager Vlade Divac said from his courtside seat. “He’s the most dominant player in the whole world. And being from Serbia, I have to root for Serbia, but I feel bad for them. He’s going to kill them.”
So, um, yeah. Cousins clearly isn’t the most dominant player in the world. That right belongs to LeBron James, or Kevin Durant, or Stephen Curry, or about a half-dozen other players, before it does Cousins.
Even if Divac is specifically talking about big men, the case is tough for Cousins. He is looped into the same conversation as all-world superheros like Anthony Davis, DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond, Al Horford, Hassan Whiteside and Karl-Anthony Towns, among others.
There is a chance that Cousins checks in as the chief of that bunch. His most direct competition, until Towns is a bit more seasoned, is Davis. And Davis doesn’t always play center—though, most of his minutes did come at the 5 in 2015-16, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
If we are talking strictly about everyday centers, then yes, Cousins is the most dominant big man in the world. He can score in the post, pass, put the ball on the floor, play pretty good defense when he tries and, most recently, shoot threes at a respectable clip.
This unofficial title, though, is not Cousins’ free and clear. Towns is coming for him, and if Davis continues to be used as a 5 more often than not, he’ll find his status under siege next season. But, at the same time, being one of the three most dominant big men in the world is a pretty damn good place to be.
