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“This Is Exactly What the NBA Wants”: DeMarcus Cousins Predicts NBA’s Future, as Luka Doncic’s 5 Year Old Prophecy Comes True

Published 01/30/2024, 7:52 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

There was a point where if a team passed the 100-point mark in a game, it was considered an incredible offensive performance. This was back in the old era of hand-checking and physicality. With the clock ticking, the state of the NBA has changed. The league demands one to have the offensive potency. With the surge of talented players, we experienced probably the most absurd scoring stretch in the NBA. This is a reference to the recent scoring bursts we have been seeing. The latest was Luka Doncic scoring 73.

The Dallas Mavericks did it against the Atlanta Hawks. The game ended with the scoreline 143-148. For the second time that week, the 70-point threshold had been broken, done first by Joel Embiid in his ruthless demolition of Wembanyama’s Spurs. Watching these stars score at such high volumes makes you think – are the legends right? Is the NBA really favoring the offensive player?

Former Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins and Rachel Nichols had a conversation about the recent surge in scoring. Cousins gave his two cents on why we are seeing such explosions.

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Luka Doncic predicted such high-scoring games?

Just to be clear, it wasn’t just Doncic and Joel Embiid who left a dent in NBA history. In that span, Karl-Anthony Towns had 62, and Booker scored 52. Barely halfway through, the NBA has already accounted for 13 50-point games this season. Once, the record that Chamberlain and even Kobe Bryant set seemed unbreakable. However, the NBA teams have never looked more comfortable scoring the ball. It makes one challenge unfathomable – will we really see someone score more than 100 in this era?

Even if not, the steep rise in scoring has divided the NBA world. Some feel it makes the game more engaging and fun to watch. On the other hand, there are those who feel it has left defense ineffective in today’s age. The popular topic was taken on by Cousins on the recent episode of his show with Rachel Nichols ‘Bully Ball’. The NBA media personality was perplexed at the normality of 50-point games. She began questioning if “70 is the new 50” since four players have eclipsed the mark in just over a year. Her second thought – is it bad for the NBA?

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When she passed the mic to Cousins, the veteran center felt “this is exactly what the NBA wants”. To support his argument he cited something Doncic. Back when he was in his rookie season, the Slovenian sensation said “Here [in the NBA] it’s easier to score compared to Europe, of course,” according to The Washington Post.

Before making it to the NBA, Doncic was an MVP playing for Real Madrid in Spain. Later, he also told JJ Reddick the same. However, that statement can be misinterpreted. He didn’t mean to say the NBA is an easier game. What Doncic said is that the rules are much different in the NBA compared to the Euro League. He also admitted the talent pool in the NBA is so elite that players are “almost impossible to guard”.

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Luka Doncic somehow had foresight in working for him. What we see today is just that: the abundance of talent. The very essence of the game is who scores more, and players are beginning to master every little tool. Look at the evolution around. Centers are shooting, and position-less basketball are all signs of changing times.

The recent surge is the years of amassing talent coming to fruition. Scoring isn’t easy, it’s the ridiculously talented stars such as Doncic, Embiid, and Devin Booker that make it seem like so. Defenses still have rules to stop players. The truth is, it’s just becoming harder due to the variety of skills players are adept at these days.

Kobe Bryant’s 81 Pts Not as Impressive as Luka Doncic’s 73 for 1 Reason According to 3X All Star

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Luka Doncic was ahead of his time back then. He knew what was coming. And now, the world is put on notice too.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having composed close to 2000 articles, he aspires to manage his own team one day and is pursuing a top-tier college-level management program specializing in sports. Anuj's love for basketball blossomed after he started following the NBA a few years ago, and he decided to merge his writing skills with his understanding of this thrilling game.
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Edited by:

Ruth John