When the Los Angeles Lakers signed DeMarcus Cousins in July, the excitement among many Lakers fans was palpable. They instantly expected Cousins to regain his old form and return to being an All-Star, if not a superstar, and be the X-factor that would render the Lakers as prohibitive championship favorites by the start of the playoffs.
What those fans seemed to ignore is the fact that Cousins was coming off two very severe lower body injuries in less than two years – first a ruptured Achilles, then a torn quad.
Now that he’s suffered a third severe lower body injury – a torn ACL – the Lakers need some insurance in the frontcourt.