DeMarcus Cousins Injury Update: Player Ruptures Achilles Tendon To Leave Season Early and Miss All-Star Game
The New Orleans Pelicans' key player, DeMarcus Cousins, was recently forced to leave the 2017-18 NBA season earlier than he and his team would have preferred due to a torn Achilles tendon. His injury also prevents him from joining the upcoming NBA All-Star festivities.
Cousins' injury happened at the final moments of their game against the Houston Rockets last Friday. Though the game did not go well for him, his team still snatched a win, 115-113.
The athlete did not have any bad encounters with the other players, but when the game clock was down to about 12 seconds, Cousins appeared to have made a bad landing on his left leg. He was visibly limping in pain after that moment, and when he tried to walk with his hurt foot, that was when he totally fell on the court.
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The team confirmed that Cousins will need to have a surgery to fix his ruptured Achilles tendon. Considering the medical procedure and recovery process he has to go through, he can no longer join the team in their next games as well as the upcoming All-Star event in Los Angeles.
The Pelicans' increasing chances of making it, at least, to the playoffs is partly attributed to Cousins' performance and leadership, and their head coach Alvin Gentry will be the best person to realize what Cousins' injury will mean for the entire team.
In fact, in a text message sent to ESPN, Gentry said: "We were starting to play d*** good basketball. DeMarcus has been great."
Meanwhile, in an interview with Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen, Gentry also said: "We're scared about it. I feel horrible for him. Everything that he's done and what he's made himself and the improvements in all areas that he's made, on and off the court, it's just been great. Our guys feel terrible."
The four-time NBA All-Star player was voted as a starter in Team LeBron's roster where he would have also played alongside his Pelicans teammate Anthony Davis.
Since Cousins will be unable to join the event, NBA commissioner Adam Silver had to pick a worthy replacement based on the garnered votes from coaches. Ultimately, Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been chosen to take Cousins' spot. However, that does not necessarily mean George will climb straight to the starting lineup. The adjustment will be up to Team LeBron's head coach Dwane Casey to decide.
