The NBA, now compared to the league 10 or 15 years ago, is completely different, with everything geared toward three-point shooting and a severe lack of physicality.
One player that knows this all too well is four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, who can’t even find a job in the league at 32 years old.
Cousins, who didn’t play a minute during the 2022-23 NBA season after playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets last season, talked about how the game is entirely different now compared to when he began his career in the league via FanDuel TV.
“Guys are basically just walking into the paint now” 🚶♂️@boogiecousins says this version of the #NBA is softer and not the same physically as it used to be…#RunItBack with @ShamsCharania @ChandlerParsons @bansky & @MichelleDBeadle pic.twitter.com/7m9YCpIaCK
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) May 9, 2023
Ironically enough, even though Cousins is out of the league at this stage in his career, the best players in the NBA today are centers and forwards.
The three finalists for the NBA MVP award were Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid.
Although these three superstars don’t play as physical a brand of basketball as former superstar big men Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Patrick Ewing, they have developed other skills to become among the league’s elite.
Although not at the efficiency level of Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard, all three of these MVP finalists can be a threat from beyond the arc and are great passers.
The game has changed, and those that don’t change with it won’t be in the league for long.
Unfortunately for Cousins, it seems like it was more of the injuries he sustained in the latter part of his career that hurt his chances of having a long-term career in the NBA, as his explosiveness virtually disappeared, which was one of his most significant assets.
NEXT: Dillon Brooks Has Something To Celebrate This Month
