DeMarcus Cousins gets high marks from Coach K

BARCELONA – From the proverbial chopping block to the head of the class, it has been quite the turnaround for DeMarcus Cousins in his Team USA experience this summer.

Or so it might have seemed.

After the Sacramento Kings center had his latest strong outing in the FIBA World Cup, American coach Mike Krzyzewski took an opportunity to clear up the subplot to Cousins' recent success.

Despite all that chatter during Las Vegas training camp about Cousins possibly missing the cut and Krzyzewski's Duke prodigy, the Brooklyn Nets' Mason Plumlee taking his place, the coach whose analysis at the time had sparked all the speculation said that was never the case.

"We have believed in DeMarcus right from training camp," Krzyzewski said after Cousins' 11-point, seven-rebound performance in the 86-63 win vs. Mexico Saturday that included a solid defensive job against Mexico big man Gustavo Ayon. "All the reports about him not making the team and all that were all not right. We felt that he would be the perfect guy with or in place of (New Orleans Pelicans big man and starting center) Anthony (Davis) at times, but more in the place of Anthony.

"I think it's just a matter of him continuing to get in better shape. Our guys are getting accustomed to where (and) when he does come in the game, he's different than Anthony. And so (they need) to look for him (offensively). And I think they see him more now. I think his defense has really improved. He tried to take three charges today, (and) played Ayon pretty well without getting help so (Mexico) couldn't get a three off of him."

And then, having already raised the topic of Cousins without being prompted in the postgame news conference, Krzyzewski put an exclamation point on his Cousins endorsement.

"He'd get an A-plus for me today," he said. "Let's put it that way."

All that being said, there's simply no ignoring the drastic change in context from that time in which Cousins' chances seemed to be fading to now. Small forwards Paul George (Indiana Pacers) and Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) were still involved at that point, and the notion of Team USA going out of its way to look for Cousins offensively didn't appear as attractive because of the presence of those dynamic scorers and others like them.

But George's devastating leg injury and Durant's unexpected withdrawal certainly changed the landscape, and credit Cousins for making the most of this opportunity to this point. He's healthy again, too, having suffered a mid-August right knee injury that kept him out of one exhibition game. In all, Cousins has hit 70.6% of his shots in FIBA play while averaging 9.8 points, five rebounds and 14 minutes per game.

"That's a couple games in a row where he has been a force for us," Krzyzewski said. "He's a different player than Anthony Davis, and that's kind of what we were hoping we would continue to move forward with, and DeMarcus is coming through for us."