Clippings: DeMarcus Cousins has some questions about the scouting report

Ever since the Clippers signed DeMarcus Cousins, the team has been raving about how funny he is. Paul George reminisced on getting to know that side of Cousins when the two were on Team USA together in the 2016 Olympics.

“A lot of people that don’t know him, he’s funny,” George said when Cousins was first signed. “I thought he made the experience fun. He definitely made it light and loose, he kept everyone laughing, and then, honestly, he’s just a fun dude to be around. His personality is big, so I’m looking forward to that, I’m looking forward to that, just having another great person in our locker room, another character in our locker room. He’s a good person, a genuine person, but I think that’s what we enjoyed most in that 2016 run in Brazil, was just how lighthearted and light he kept everything on that gold medal run.”

On Monday, Cousins shared his sense of humor with the the general public for the first time as a Clipper.

The big man was talking about how the Clippers have simplified the offense for him — according to Cousins, “our playbook is the size of a dictionary” — so he’s mostly getting the ball in the post and asked to make the next play. Those reads are simplified by the fact he keeps getting double-teamed, as if he were still the all-NBA Cousins of yesteryear.

Mind you, Cousins normally shares the court with at least three players who are shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. Defenses are probably better off letting Cousins rumble his way in the post instead of springing leaks elsewhere on the court, and he would agree.

“I’m a willing passer and, you know, I’ve been getting double teamed since I’ve been back. I don’t really understand,” Cousins said after the loss to New Orleans. When asked for why he felt that way, Cousins chuckled before elaborating, “It’s moreso my situation. I gotta be the first person in the history of the NBA to — I’m the third string big on a 10-day getting double teamed. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. It’s pretty funny to me.”

The Clippers have certainly benefited from Cousins’ presence, and the way defenses had treated him since he came to Los Angeles. It’s part of why they chose to bring him back for the rest of the season, as they made official on Monday.

And if the production on the court isn’t needed with Ivica Zubac and Serge Ibaka in front of him, at least Cousins is bringing good vibes.

More news for Tuesday:

• The NBA is experiencing referee shortages as officials enter the health and safety protocols. That’s caused some games to only have two referees and others to have G League alternates, which some GMs blame for the poorer quality of officiating overall, though the league office disagrees.
• In much happier refereeing news, Ben Dowsett traces the path of female officials and profiles the growing cohort of women in the referee ranks.
• Kevin O’Connor highlights Paul George’s complete offensive package in his tri-weekly NBA check-in.
• Shane Young also goes deep on how dynamic PG has been as a scorer and creator.
• Howard Beck heralds the end of the tanking era.