Sad to say this could be a career ending type injury. Remember Elton Brand? Achilles injuries aren't ones you come back the same.
When I say take a chance, I mean make him an offer. There will be teams that will make him an offer hoping he can recover from this injury and become productive. I'm not saying a max offer. I'm just saying teams will interested enough to make him some kind of offer. The Pels are in a difficult position. It was looking like they were planning to make a max offer to Cousins, and it was looking like Cousins was interested in returning. Now what do they do?
Elton Brand's injury was almost 10 years ago. Safe to say there have been some advances in medicine in that time. Rudy Gay seems to have come back just fine, and it's more difficult at his position. Remember when microfracture surgeries were career-ending as well?
Talent wise, Cousins is at least top 10 in the entire league. Him being mentally strong and playing with a positive mindset night in and out (PRE-INJURY) was always an issue. However even with all the negatives, there will be at least one team that offers him a max contract this off season. I sure as hell hope its NOT the Rockets. Hopeful to see Cousins come back, the rehab time may give him time to focus on his mental game while he recovers. If the Pelicans want any hope of keeping Davis, I think they honestly have to offer Cousins a max contract. It pains me to say but a core of Holiday/Davis and Cousins is talented but shouldn't have been enough to take us down, then again if they're all healthy next season I don't really want to relive when the Southwest division was the toughest in the league all over again..
That is saying nothing at all. Obviously some teams will make Cousins an offer. Pels will likely be in that group and he probably returns there. This is crazy talk. Nobody, Pels included, will offer the max to Cousins this summer. Most guys do NOT return to form after tearing their achilles tendon. Only way he can get a max offer is to play out next season at a very high level and hit pay dirt the summer of 2019.
Well so did Brand actually but he just didnt return to the same level pre-injury. No doubt he will be back playing basketball but the odds would be against him being as dominate as he was
Look, Bobby said that Cousins career is over. I contend that his career is most likely not over. That's all I'm saying. I have no idea where he will end up or what he will make. I'm just saying he will probably play somewhere next season.
There is a lot of ignorance and stupidity all in this thread. Yes players do come back from this injury in ALL sports. Dominique (came back to have one of his best seasons ever) and Rudy Gay in the NBA. Even Elton Brand said he was physically fine when he came back. His game regressed for other reasons than his Achilles. In football, which is much more physical for big heavy bodies, Terrell Suggs came back and he has to push on 300+ lb men for a living. So yes, Boogie will be back as Boogie and he might not even have to miss any training camp in October, which is a good 9 months away. He will re sign with New Orleans. Whether they pay him the max is unknown but he'll be back with the Pelicans and so will Anthony Davis. The Pelicans are the only team that can offer him the most money. Suggesting New Orleans not resign him plus trade AD is so ******* r****ded I can barely type a response to it.
I don't even want to begin to weigh in on the seriousness of this injury. I'm not a medical professional. I will say, however, that feet and ankle injuries on men that large concern me greatly (as a totally admitted non-medical professional). Hope he bounces back. He's an exceptional talent.
Damn, didn't know my other personality was posting at the same time. Players do come back but the history is really the opposite in terms of success. Some do fine and a lot don't. This is an 18 month injury and he is a big guy. Its hard on NBA athletes because of the added pressure of all of the jumping and more running and cutting. There is a high chance that he will be diminished going forward. I cannot tell how much but I doubt he is Boogie again in 9 months. I think the best that can be hoped for is to get some version back for the 2019-2020 season. No team is going to want to rush him and can maybe get an injury exception. I hope I am wrong.
I wonder if Morey would do a Boogie for Ryno trade right now. I imagine the expiring contract wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if we were signing someone like Brook Lopez down the line.
What awful luck for Boogie and the fans in NOLA. The last break they had was when they decided not to sign Mr. Anderson.
hehehehe. This is something else. But -- I'm still sad Cousins went down because of the threat they could have posed to Golden State in the first round. It's time for Golden State to face some playoffs adversity, for just once... New Orleans - OKC - Houston would've been the ideal gauntlet.
