For the second time in three summers, the Warriors were accused of essentially breaking the NBA by adding yet another all-star to an-all-star-studded championship lineup. Two years after the talent-spoiled villains added Kevin Durant to their championship-winning lineup, here they were adding a fifth all-star to a roster also included Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Beating this super team would require supernatural intervention. The rich were getting richer, in a way that didn’t seem healthy for competitive reasons.
If that was a reasonable enough reaction in the moment, that’s not how it turned out. Cousins was limited to 30 games during the regular season during his protracted recovery from an Achilles injury.