LAS VEGAS — I caught up with Elton Brand on the Thomas & Mack Center arena floor, as the Warriors were losing a close Summer League game to the Rockets on Sunday. If there exists a Warriors fan who’s actually saddened by that game result, Brand’s comments should more than make up for the hurt. His optimistic thoughts on DeMarcus Cousins’ prognosis managed to raise even my giant eyebrows.



In discussions about Cousins, Brand’s name comes up as a cautionary comparison point. Like Cousins now, Brand was an All-Star pick-and-pop big who suffered a left Achilles’ tear in his late 20s. Before Brand’s Achilles’ rupture in 2007, he was a super-efficient All-Star. Afterward, a helpful veteran at best.



Brand likely wouldn’t argue with that assessment, as he once told Amin Elhassan of ESPN, “That Achilles’ really changed the trajectory of my career. That whole kinetic chain: once you get the calf, it’s...