DeMarcus Cousins finished his short tenure with the Denver Nuggets after the team was eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. It was a short but good stint at Ball Arena, where he had the chance to share touches with 2021 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Serbian player did everything he could to extend this series, but having little help against the deadly Warriors set the fate of the Nuggets, who only managed to win one game. Jokic still put up incredible numbers, dominating Draymond Green, who had a hard time against the big man.
Following the game and the series, Cousins reflected on his time with the Nuggets, and also being teammates with Nikola. He admitted that playing alongside Jokic was pretty much the main reason why he decided to join the Nuggets this season while calling Jokic one of the most disrespected MVPs in NBA history (3:42).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc8lnXcaNjA
“I’ve always respected him (Jokic); the only reason he was even on my radar, I mean, just being honest. He’s an incredible talent, probably one of the most, outside of Russ, probably one of the most disrespected MVPs in this league. Incredible, incredible talent, his game speaks for itself.”
Jokic isn’t the flashiest superstar of all, but he surely does the work on the court. Just like Boogie said, he’s not as respected as other stars. Playing under different circumstances than Russell Westbrook, the Joker is often overlooked despite being a consistent player that does a lot more than he’s expected to do on the court.
Nikola is the main reason why the Nuggets made it this far and why they at least could win one game against the all-powerful Warriors. While Cousins’ tenure with the Nuggets is ended, for now, seeing his good performances under Mike Malone, more teams will show interest in his services.
As for Jokic, he certainly will wait to have Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back, as the Nuggets keep aiming high and aspire to win the NBA championship sooner than later.
