Kings could shut down DeMarcus Cousins for rest of season

Kings head coach George Karl says team could shut down DeMarcus Cousins

Sacramento Kings head coach George Karl said that he is considering shutting down All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins for the remainder of the season to allow him to rest his various injuries.

Sacramento has long been out of playoff contention and Cousins did not play in Monday's 97-83 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. At 26-47, the Kings have the third-worst record in the Western Conference with nine games remaining in the regular season.

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Cousins has had calf, foot and thighs injures in the last month. He missed 10 games earlier this season because of viral meningitis.

"We talked when he commented after one game that his body was beat up," Karl said, according to ESPN.com. "I said, 'Instead of thinking about shutting it down, let's try to find some days that you can get your body rested.' We might schedule a piece of our games and (rest Cousins) again."

Cousins is averaging 24.1 points a game, which places him fifth in the NBA. He is averaging 12.4 rebounds per contest and has 44 double-doubles this season, the second most in the NBA.

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"I think Cousins likes to play and I think he's doing it because he wants to play at a higher efficiency," Karl said, according to ESPN. "It gives me an opportunity to experiment a little bit. At home, I'd like to go in and (let Cousins play) every game. But on the road, I might experiment a little bit more."

- Scooby Axson