SAN ANTONIO — When DeMarcus Cousins suffered a torn right ACL in mid-August, his chances of playing for the Lakers this season all but evaporated. When a warrant for his arrest was issued two weeks later in Alabama, it was fair to wonder if he would even be on the roster by the start of training camp.



It’s mid-November, and Cousins is not only still here but also very much a part of the Lakers’ operation. On Monday, he was back in his usual seat for the Lakers’ 114-104 win over the Spurs — at the end of the bench as a vocal, visible and, according to his teammates, valued presence around the league’s best team.



“He’s just been a great guy for us, being around the team,” Anthony Davis said. “Even though he’s not able to play, he’s always involved in practices and shoot-arounds and stuff like that as much as he can.”



[ Listen to The Forum Club for more Lakers coverage ]



With...