The Sacramento Kings had a big scare on Saturday night when DeMarcus Cousins went down with an Achilles injury. Fortunately for the Kings, Cousins' injury was minor and not season-ending, and he was hoping that he would only have to miss a couple of games. Cousins has already missed two games with the injury, but that reportedly was not enough, as Cousins is expected to be out at least through the weekend, according to James Ham of CSN Bay Area.
Achilles injuries, even when not tears, are tricky because it could go from minor to major very quickly. So it would be wise of the Kings to take a cautious approach with their superstar. Having said that, the Kings have some pressure on them this season to perform, as they have a talented roster that is expected to make a push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. But in order for that to happen they need Cousins healthy.
So far the Kings are 1-4 to start the season, which is disappointing for them. The Kings lost both of the games that Cousins has missed this season, and in his five-plus seasons in the league the Kings have gone just 11-35 without their star. It is definitely a tricky situation for the Kings right now, as they want Cousins back, but they also don't want to risk re-injury.
The Kings play a back-to-back set this weekend on Friday and Saturday, and Cousins is expected to miss both games. There is a chance he will play, but the reports are that it is highly unlikely and that the hope is Cousins will be able to return on Monday.
Cousins leads the team in points and rebounds this season, as he is averaging 22 and 11. In his place, coach George Karl has gone with Kosta Koufos and Willie Cauley-Stein in the frontcourt, and both guys have played well, but neither is the type of impact player that Cousins is. Cousins' return is of the utmost importance to the Kings because they don't want to dig themselves too deep of a hole in a Western Conference that is extremely unforgiving. For now, though, the wait will continue.
