Cousins Working His Butt Off (New poll)
- Thread starter rainmaker
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That's going to be the biggest goal for Malone. Get Cousins to buy into his vision and the rest of the team will follow. There may be a lot of things to criticize Cousins for, but his passion isn't one of them. Get him to feel as though the entire organization is working towards winning, and it's my firm belief we will truly unleash the beast. DFC at his best!
Here's the source. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqP9WCzjyNk&t=02m45s
I do think that it's generally a bad idea to try to change a player's identity like that as it almost never works, but that's what the coach wants...
I do think that it's generally a bad idea to try to change a player's identity like that as it almost never works, but that's what the coach wants...
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It's only summer league time. Lets give the new coaching staff a chance to see what improvements they can bring. Unfortunate for many, it will take a lot of fan patience to see the changes gradually implemented. Ain't gonna happen in training camp but should start to show by years end. After all there could be 3 new starters by end of training camp and that integration alone will take a bunch of months plus a new system plus a new culture. A lot to get going and it will take awhile. I'll enjoy the process.
Its a really.
And as much as I like what Malone says about defense, it is the one thing he says that really does concern me for that same reason: it again feels like the new guys may not know our personnel. And in this case it has me openly wondering if that's why we have once again repeated the Petrie pattern of not appearing to be in pursuit of the shotblocker you need to help Cousins -- because Malone may be under the misimpression that Cousins is going to be that guy himself.
Now if on the other hand its just coach speak about challenging yourself and being the best defender you can etc. etc. and they still are looking for that guy to pair with Cuz, cool. But his repeated references to Cousins as a defensive anchor make me wince because they sound like they are coming from a great center stereotype rather than the reality of the kid we have. I warned about this form the beginning with Cuz, but shotblocking/defensive anchoring is one of those things like ballhandling or passing instincts that you rarely dramatically develop. Its either there as a natural instinct/skill or not. If its just an unrealistic goal then its still a problem because what you do when you ask Cousins to play that role without the natural skillset is get him back into constant foul trouble. But if its actually driving personnel decisions the way several other misimpressions have appeared to be...that sucks, because so will we next year until the newbies learn our personnel and adjust their strategy accordingly.
And as much as I like what Malone says about defense, it is the one thing he says that really does concern me for that same reason: it again feels like the new guys may not know our personnel. And in this case it has me openly wondering if that's why we have once again repeated the Petrie pattern of not appearing to be in pursuit of the shotblocker you need to help Cousins -- because Malone may be under the misimpression that Cousins is going to be that guy himself.
Now if on the other hand its just coach speak about challenging yourself and being the best defender you can etc. etc. and they still are looking for that guy to pair with Cuz, cool. But his repeated references to Cousins as a defensive anchor make me wince because they sound like they are coming from a great center stereotype rather than the reality of the kid we have. I warned about this form the beginning with Cuz, but shotblocking/defensive anchoring is one of those things like ballhandling or passing instincts that you rarely dramatically develop. Its either there as a natural instinct/skill or not. If its just an unrealistic goal then its still a problem because what you do when you ask Cousins to play that role without the natural skillset is get him back into constant foul trouble. But if its actually driving personnel decisions the way several other misimpressions have appeared to be...that sucks, because so will we next year until the newbies learn our personnel and adjust their strategy accordingly.
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Here is the video from his Instagram
http://instagram.com/p/b6rqmBAHKT/
another one from 2 days ago
http://instagram.com/p/b1b9imAHKS/
and one of him playing against some very tough competition
http://instagram.com/p/b4EhnIgHOb/
http://instagram.com/p/b6rqmBAHKT/
another one from 2 days ago
http://instagram.com/p/b1b9imAHKS/
and one of him playing against some very tough competition
http://instagram.com/p/b4EhnIgHOb/
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Malone didn't say he wanted Cousins to be a major shot blocker. He said he wanted him to the the leader of this team on both offense and defense - the anchor on defense. He is setting the bar as high as it can be set. I love it. He should be challenged to the 9th degree. He shouldn't feel like it's ok to be mediocre on defense. He's got too much talent for that. And should this really surprise anyone - our defense oriented coach is challenging our best player to play much better on defense?
It always makes me smile when I hear the Kings players are working hard in the off-season. I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes with Cousins in the Team USA camp. And no doubt the Kings staff is going to be evaluating him there as well.
It always makes me smile when I hear the Kings players are working hard in the off-season. I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes with Cousins in the Team USA camp. And no doubt the Kings staff is going to be evaluating him there as well.
Is there any cause, why Cousins can't develop into a defensive anchor?
This kid is tall, wide, strong, quick and has tremendous timing and great hands. Why shouldn't he use those gifts on defense? All it needs is to teach Cousins to play into a team-defense and his will to give 100% on D every night. He doesn't need to block 3 shots every night. Marc Gasol didn't block more than 1.7 shots per game past season and still was one of the best defensive centers and the defensive anchor of his team. Everything outside of great courtvision and some physical gifts can be taught, if the player is willing to be coached. I dont understand your negativity.
This kid is tall, wide, strong, quick and has tremendous timing and great hands. Why shouldn't he use those gifts on defense? All it needs is to teach Cousins to play into a team-defense and his will to give 100% on D every night. He doesn't need to block 3 shots every night. Marc Gasol didn't block more than 1.7 shots per game past season and still was one of the best defensive centers and the defensive anchor of his team. Everything outside of great courtvision and some physical gifts can be taught, if the player is willing to be coached. I dont understand your negativity.
I remember during his rookie year there were many times he disrupted shots and was a pretty decent anchor in there. He would just stand in the restricted zone with good position arms straight up and it was tough for offensive players to score over.
Then somewhere in his sophomore year he abandoned that and played his defense by stepping outside the restricted zone and solely tried to take charges.
And then last year it was just a total lack of effort on the ddefensive end as he was tired of getting called for blocking fouls trying to take the charge, and not enough effort getting back to the basket to defend it.
if he can just get back to altering shots in the restricted zone he can be a decent defensive anchor. Of course he will never be a shot blocker but he can be a prescence down there with his large standing reach.
Was looking at his instagram yesterday and I think it's the best shape he's been in during any off-season, which is encouraging. He came in a few pounds heavy last year. This year looks different. Hopefully he'll take the next step and become an all-star! Just needs to be a little more consistent. Being in the best shape of his life will help with that as he won't be as tired and feel the need to take plays off.
K
I think Cousins can be a good 1 on 1 (man to man) defender not sure he can be a team anchor who can cover everyone else's mistakes though (like Hibbert/Gasol). When he was focused 1 on 1 there were numerous times during the season in the 4th quarter in particular where he did fairly well against the likes of Aldridge/Griffin and was not to bad against Timmy D in 3 of the 4 games (Timmy went off in one of them). Not sure about defensive anchor but he can for sure be a lot better on defense than he is now.
Rather than focus on the semantics of "anchor" I'd rather focus on improvement. Cousins is quick for a big man and has very good anticipation, which augments the quickness he does have. We've all seen him do very well on D very sporadically. He led the league in charges for a while. Now he just has to bring it on a much more consistent basis.
I think he could be, but not sure I would want him to be. He expends a huge amount of energy on the offensive end as he isn't the typically back to the basket big that defensive anchors normally are. It's common to see a players offensive side struggle a lot if he is trying to be a defensive specialist just due to the pure amount of energy it requires in chasing down shots and rebound and keeping other players away. It works for Dwight because his offensive abilities are based on catching oops and putting back dunks with few attempts at breaking down an opponent. Mark's game also isn't as demanding on the offensive end in comparison to what Cousins needs to be for us to have success.
For me it really is about trying to make a player do too much and changing them into something else when what they are is already great. Sure, some improvement on the defensive end is needed but the "anchor" direction could very well cause more harm than good to the teams success.
For me it really is about trying to make a player do too much and changing them into something else when what they are is already great. Sure, some improvement on the defensive end is needed but the "anchor" direction could very well cause more harm than good to the teams success.
Unfortunately the question/concern isn't whether WE understand that Cousins needs to improve but isn't an anchor type, but whether the coach does, and critically for the progress of the offseason, whether the GM is basing personnel decisions on the misimpression of the coach. Asking Cousins to give his best on defense is a no brainer. Asking him to anchor the defense is also a no brainer of a different type, and asking for trouble. Its the difference between asking McLemore to improve and give his best on offense or asking/expecting him to be a goto guy. The first is obvious, the second is setting both him and you up to fail.
Basically I am just hoping at this point that Coach Malone is full of **** and just throwing out coachspeak goals in order to inspire Cuz without believing in the nonsense he's spewing. That is possible BTW. Most good coaches are full of **** a disproportionate amount of the time. Phil Jackson was full of **** for basically 100% of his career, and he's got 11 rings.
Basically I am just hoping at this point that Coach Malone is full of **** and just throwing out coachspeak goals in order to inspire Cuz without believing in the nonsense he's spewing. That is possible BTW. Most good coaches are full of **** a disproportionate amount of the time. Phil Jackson was full of **** for basically 100% of his career, and he's got 11 rings.
What we do know is that PDA has talked to Oden and Mozgov recently. Denver was stacked with 3 big shotblocking centers so there is reason to believe PDA does value that role to some degree and is looking to fill a spot with that type of player.
If PDA and Malone haven't figured out that Cousins is not a defensive anchor by now, they certainly will by the trade deadline.
If PDA and Malone haven't figured out that Cousins is not a defensive anchor by now, they certainly will by the trade deadline.
Typical that a thread about DMC working hard in the off season becomes a forum for questioning the competence of the coach, GM, etc. don't know how "DMC is working his butt off" becomes a soapbox for "I'm not sure this coach and GM know heir personnel". But it's what we do on kf.com these days
Glad to see DMC working hard!
Glad to see DMC working hard!
What I'm taking out of this isn't so much that Malone isn't so much saying "I think Cousins can be a defensive anchor" but rather, "If you are going to be my center, you're going to have to play defense like a center"
I think I'm starting to get a feel for what the new front office is going for here. They just inherited a team with a lot of talent that didn't fit. The moves that have been made so far have been for guys that in theory fit their positions. Their new point guard plays like a point guard, the new shooting guard plays like a shooting guard, etc. There's been a problem in this organization that there was no other way to acquire talent than to take the risks that most other teams wouldn't. Tyreke was hugely talented, but it made it important to have the exact right fits around him to cover for the things he couldn't do, that's why he fell to us I the draft. Cousins is as talented as anyone to have ever been a king, but his talent comes with its caveats, that's why he fell to us.
Bottom line what this tells me is that the new regime likes Cousins, hopes he can be the franchise center, but aren't that interested at this point in catering to him until they go through a season with him. They would rather put the effort into making him passable as a defensive center, similar to what Vlade was, than having to find the rare shot blocking, lane clogging power forward to put next to him, unless of course his other talents make it worth it
I think I'm starting to get a feel for what the new front office is going for here. They just inherited a team with a lot of talent that didn't fit. The moves that have been made so far have been for guys that in theory fit their positions. Their new point guard plays like a point guard, the new shooting guard plays like a shooting guard, etc. There's been a problem in this organization that there was no other way to acquire talent than to take the risks that most other teams wouldn't. Tyreke was hugely talented, but it made it important to have the exact right fits around him to cover for the things he couldn't do, that's why he fell to us I the draft. Cousins is as talented as anyone to have ever been a king, but his talent comes with its caveats, that's why he fell to us.
Bottom line what this tells me is that the new regime likes Cousins, hopes he can be the franchise center, but aren't that interested at this point in catering to him until they go through a season with him. They would rather put the effort into making him passable as a defensive center, similar to what Vlade was, than having to find the rare shot blocking, lane clogging power forward to put next to him, unless of course his other talents make it worth it
Thats kind of my point. Vlade was an adequate defender for the c spot. I don't care if Cousins can ever average 2.2 blocks like vlade once did. I think the front office wants to see if they can make Cousins as good defensively as Vlade was with the kings, a little over a block a game and adequate overall defense for his position. If he's that good, then yes you can pair a shot blocking pf with him and contend for a championship. But he's not that good now. And Malone isn't trying to make him Motumbo, he's just telling him that he needs to improve to the point that you don't have to cover for his defensive liabilities in order to build a team like this one has been where every player is supposed to be masking another's deficiencies
the concern lies largely in Malone's repeated use of the term "anchor". That term has a particular meaning, one which Malone would be well aware of obviously. And one that doesn't encompass old Vlade just doing the best he can, or young Cuz just getting better on defense. the danger with "anchor" is it means you don't get Webb to put next to him, you ask Cuz to be that wall. You ask a highly foul prone kid just getting past the worst of those woes to be the guy to run over and try to shut down every lane and alter shots every time guys beat what right now looks to be some pretty terrible perimeter defenders. And Cuz ain't that guy. And we've got to know it. If we don't they will figure it out sooner or later, but its just such a waste when any number of people who have actually watched the kid play could tell them right now. Meanwhiel Cuz is frustrated and unable to take off because of foul trouble, the team underperforms etc. And there is no reason for it. None.
IF that is truly Malone's plan. If PDA is really going to leave Cuz out their naked trying to cover for Grevis Vasquezes and Carl Landrys. Hence, the concern. If Malone just said he wanted Cuz to really focus on improving defensively because that is where good teams are made and we've been the worst, not a peep would be heard from anybody. That would all be exactly right. But he keeps on using that "anchor" word, and we haven't made any apparent twitch toward getting Cuz help either in the draft or free agency. So its unnerving.
IF that is truly Malone's plan. If PDA is really going to leave Cuz out their naked trying to cover for Grevis Vasquezes and Carl Landrys. Hence, the concern. If Malone just said he wanted Cuz to really focus on improving defensively because that is where good teams are made and we've been the worst, not a peep would be heard from anybody. That would all be exactly right. But he keeps on using that "anchor" word, and we haven't made any apparent twitch toward getting Cuz help either in the draft or free agency. So its unnerving.