IF and when DeMarcus Cousins makes himself available, could there be any takers in the current roster of PBA teams in the playoffs?
Imagine a legit NBA star powering the squad in the pivotal stretch of the Commissioner’s Cup.
Cousins just came from the controversial 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship where he played for the String Group Athletics.
SGA’s stint there was tinged by its withdrawal from the league following contested calls during the semifinals.
The team, composed of former NBA stars like Cousins and a handful of Filipinos like Rhenz Abando, defaulted its bronze-medal match.
That would make the 34-year-old Cousins all free to jump off to this corner of basketball-crazy world and display his wares.
Off-hand, there are plenty of teams – among eight still in contention in the quarterfinals – which could use his services.
Meralco looks like it’s having an import dilemma with Akil Mitchell sidelined for the Bolts’ last three games due to a back spasm. Mitchell also missed a game in the East Asia Super League due to the injury.
Another is Converge whose coaching staffer Charles Tiu also calls the shots for the SGA. That connection would make Cousins’ transition into Converge’s playbook a smooth one.
The FiberXers are also under the father-son duo of Frank and Jacob Lao, who are deeply involved in the team’s operations, with Jacob serving as the team manager.
But then again, Converge has a highly effective import on its fold in Check Diallo. His performance allowed the FiberXers to finish No. 3 and gain a quarterfinal matchup against six-seed Rain or Shine.