Warriors Coach Steve Kerr: 'Possibility' DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Jones Return This Postseason
The Warriors have been without the centers who started the most and third-most games for them this season for most of the playoffs, but there's a chance DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Jones return before June, coach Steve Kerr said, according to Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle.
While talking with reporters Sunday, Kerr explained how the two injured big men have been progressing well in their respective rehabs and the door is still open for them to be back on the court during the 2019 postseason.
"It's a possibility he could be back," Kerr said of Jones. "Same with DeMarcus. He's coming along pretty well. We'll just wait and see."
Cousins injured his left quad in Game 2 of Golden State's first-round series with the Clippers. Last month, Kerr called a Cousins return "unlikely," but noted he doesn't need surgery for the injury. Jones has been out since early December with a torn left pectoral muscle, but there was hope he'd return in May.
Cousins returned to shooting drills last week, and Jones is expected to be cleared for contact work in the near future.
The two started 52 of the combined 54 games they played this season (Cousins 30 and Jones 22), with Kevon Looney sandwiching between them for most starts at the position with 24.
In this series against Houston, the Warriors have decided to go with a smaller lineup, inserting Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup and shifting Draymond Green to center. The team also signed Andrew Bogut right before the playoffs to have some more depth in the frontcourt.
The Warriors currently lead the Rockets 2-1 in their second-round series. Game 4 is Monday in Houston.
