3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ solid win over Cleveland Cavaliers
By Dalton Sell
While he is still looking to find his footing, DeMarcus Cousins continues to make an impact for the Milwaukee Bucks
Speaking of the lineup switch with Portis and Lopez, the Bucks have had to integrate a new center into the mix with DeMarcus Cousins. Last night’s meeting with Cleveland marked his third game in a Bucks jersey, and while it was certainly up and down, Cousins continues showing that he can be a positive for Milwaukee and make some plays out on the floor.
Offensively, it was a tough shooting night for Cousins as he went just 2-of-7 from the field, which included missing all three of his 3-pointers. The big man could not buy a bucket for a good portion of the evening, but he remained aggressive and kept attacking, which helped him earn himself four free throw attempts. The highlight of the night for Cousins was a spin move where he bounced off of Cleveland rookie Evan Mobely for the two-handed jam that got the crowd roaring.
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Elsewhere, Cousins continues to play with intensity and energy. He helped Portis tack on a few more rebounds to the team’s total with six of his own, battling down low multiple times to make sure he would come up with it. He also finished with two steals while tallying three fouls, letting his opponents know that nothing would be easy with him out there. While his production might not be outstanding to this point, Cousins is giving the Bucks a great amount of toughness and veteran savvy out on the floor with his rebounding and energy.
There are times where Cousins might look a tad slow defensively or he will miss something close to the hoop offensively, but overall, he has been a solid addition for Milwaukee. The team needed another center badly with Lopez’s health uncertain, and Cousins has done his job over these first three games. The biggest thing for him moving forward will be trying to find some consistency as an outside shooter and holding up defensively, both of which he is capable of doing.