DeMarcus Cousins’ rise to All-Star among early findings in 2014-15 campaign

Jennifer Stewart/USA TODAY SportsDeMarcus Cousins has established himself as a dominant post player.

The first full month of the 2014-15 NBA season is in the books. As we turn the calendar to December, let’s take stock of five things we learned from the first month of the regular season.

1. DeMarcus Cousins is an All-Star

Cousins posted All-Star numbers last season, ranking 13th in wins above replacement player (WARP), but he couldn’t crack the loaded Western Conference team. Now, Cousins is going to be impossible to keep out of the game. While his statistics haven’t improved dramatically — he’s scoring a bit more efficiently, and his rebound rate is a tad better — Cousins has become the NBA’s most unstoppable interior force since Shaquille O’Neal.

Perhaps more importantly, Cousins seems to have “gotten it” on the defensive end. The Kings’ improvement from 23rd to 18th in defensive rating understates Cousins’ leap. Per NBA.com/Stats, Sacramento is allowing just 98.3 points per 100 possessions with Cousins on the floor — which ties him for fourth in the league — as compared to 113.0 with him on the bench. That’s enough to make Cousins one of the league’s most valuable players.

2. Nine teams could win the championship

Usually, by this point of the NBA season we can pinpoint the five or six teams that legitimately can contend for the title. Not so in 2014-15. With the favorites in both conferences struggling out of the gate and second-tier teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors playing better than expected, things are much more open than usual.