Articles/reactions from around the league (merged)
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My Problem with this is, that McHale isnt even trying to add anything New. It's the same "I heard DMC is a bad guy, I dont know him, but I heard it and therefore it must be true" thing. Blame Boogie for not winning while cutting everything else out of the picture. Add a very simplistic "you as the best player need to make everyone better" and "this guy has been through a lot of Coach Haha" and there you go.
Acting like Ad is head and shoulders better than DMC was funny too. Really the only thing that was remotely insightful was his comment about the twin tower aproach being difficult, because of Boogies problems in the pick&roll defense departement.
Acting like Ad is head and shoulders better than DMC was funny too. Really the only thing that was remotely insightful was his comment about the twin tower aproach being difficult, because of Boogies problems in the pick&roll defense departement.
Excactly. But this is also the reason, why you shouldn't talk someone down solely based on his reputation.
I like Cousins. So I'm very aware, that I'm not unbiased in any way. But I'm not here to defend the guy against actual proof. Problem is, that there is never any proof in form of quotes. There are only stories based on anonymous sources and it feels like everyone is just repeating those stories over and over and over again to sound smart. My problems with anonymous sources is, that in boulevard journalism there often isn't much left of the ethic code of journalism in general. So how can I decide, if those reports have any credibility at all? I can't. It all comes down to personal believe very much like it is with gossip.
I'm tired of it. Why don't we focus on basketball? Why do we always talk about the gossip around Boogie, but never about his play?
McHale talked 10 minutes about the trade. In 10 minutes he made 1 basketball related statement. That's how shallow this whole thing is.
And to me this is disgusting.
I like Cousins. So I'm very aware, that I'm not unbiased in any way. But I'm not here to defend the guy against actual proof. Problem is, that there is never any proof in form of quotes. There are only stories based on anonymous sources and it feels like everyone is just repeating those stories over and over and over again to sound smart. My problems with anonymous sources is, that in boulevard journalism there often isn't much left of the ethic code of journalism in general. So how can I decide, if those reports have any credibility at all? I can't. It all comes down to personal believe very much like it is with gossip.
I'm tired of it. Why don't we focus on basketball? Why do we always talk about the gossip around Boogie, but never about his play?
McHale talked 10 minutes about the trade. In 10 minutes he made 1 basketball related statement. That's how shallow this whole thing is.
And to me this is disgusting.
Well I can understand the point of view, though I'm not 100% sold on it. Team sports are more than just about one person's production on the court. Our best teams were a testament to that - chemistry matters a lot. You often hear the notion that you don't have to get along with another to play together, but I'd counter that it definitely doesn't hurt, especially on such an unstable and dysfunctional team as ours.
It's no surprise that much talk revolves around something beyond on-court production. There are two issues that are being discussed: 1) Trading away a 27-10 player, and 2) The fact that it seems nobody valued said player enough to want to offer much. Of course, the simplest solution to these two issues is that Vlade is incompetent and got maybe 50% as good a deal as he should have. Most agree that is at least partially true. Nonetheless, it points to PERCEPTION of Cousins around the league (by coaches who haven't coached him, by GMs who haven't interacted with him) as not being that high. Everybody recognises his talent, but there's no way to know what is the truth as you have mentioned. Facts are: puts up big numbers on a bad team, clearly talented, one of best bigs in the league, hasn't won as franchise player, has had issues with refs, media and coaches, possibly team mates. Those are facts. Given those facts and the potential issues, good teams aren't willing to trade for him because it might cost them their team chemistry (e.g. Boston), can't just give up picks + filler because they would be late picks that Kings don't want. Other bad teams may not be willing to trade for him because he would just be in a similar losing situation as the franchise player.
I mean, look at all the talk of Carmelo being traded for the last x years. How much of the discussion has been about his actual individual basketball play?
Also, in a tight-knit league you're not going to get many players openly saying bad things about other players, ESPECIALLY young ones who are trying to find a place in the league. So yes, it is very rumor-based journalism, but I'm not sure what else you'd expect. Would you go on record to the media to complain about a colleague or boss, no matter how much you hated them?
All these talking heads are paid to talk. Most of them (and likewise us) have no real clue of who Cousins is, what he's like in the locker room. The stats are there, and everybody acknowledges it. People are saying that NO now can make a good run at the playoffs and maybe put up a fight against GS. That is basketball talk. But when it comes down to the trade itself, what else can you say that is basketball-related? The NBA is no different from the rest of life - it's far harder to rid yourself of a negative image.
Conclusion: I get where you're coming from, but I'm not sure what else you'd expect. If it were simply about basketball on-court, if it were simply about the numbers Cousins puts up, he either wouldn't be traded, or we'd be getting a much much better haul.
It's no surprise that much talk revolves around something beyond on-court production. There are two issues that are being discussed: 1) Trading away a 27-10 player, and 2) The fact that it seems nobody valued said player enough to want to offer much. Of course, the simplest solution to these two issues is that Vlade is incompetent and got maybe 50% as good a deal as he should have. Most agree that is at least partially true. Nonetheless, it points to PERCEPTION of Cousins around the league (by coaches who haven't coached him, by GMs who haven't interacted with him) as not being that high. Everybody recognises his talent, but there's no way to know what is the truth as you have mentioned. Facts are: puts up big numbers on a bad team, clearly talented, one of best bigs in the league, hasn't won as franchise player, has had issues with refs, media and coaches, possibly team mates. Those are facts. Given those facts and the potential issues, good teams aren't willing to trade for him because it might cost them their team chemistry (e.g. Boston), can't just give up picks + filler because they would be late picks that Kings don't want. Other bad teams may not be willing to trade for him because he would just be in a similar losing situation as the franchise player.
I mean, look at all the talk of Carmelo being traded for the last x years. How much of the discussion has been about his actual individual basketball play?
Also, in a tight-knit league you're not going to get many players openly saying bad things about other players, ESPECIALLY young ones who are trying to find a place in the league. So yes, it is very rumor-based journalism, but I'm not sure what else you'd expect. Would you go on record to the media to complain about a colleague or boss, no matter how much you hated them?
All these talking heads are paid to talk. Most of them (and likewise us) have no real clue of who Cousins is, what he's like in the locker room. The stats are there, and everybody acknowledges it. People are saying that NO now can make a good run at the playoffs and maybe put up a fight against GS. That is basketball talk. But when it comes down to the trade itself, what else can you say that is basketball-related? The NBA is no different from the rest of life - it's far harder to rid yourself of a negative image.
Conclusion: I get where you're coming from, but I'm not sure what else you'd expect. If it were simply about basketball on-court, if it were simply about the numbers Cousins puts up, he either wouldn't be traded, or we'd be getting a much much better haul.
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My problem is, that most people act like they know who Cousins is. My problem is the double standard of all the parties involved. Yeah I get it - I'm somewhat of an idealist. But to me this just feels wrong, especially when you have multiple coaches and ex teammates prasing DMC, but somehow everyone only wants to talk about the anonymous sources.
I really do love watching Boogie play, was glad he was a King and think he is a tremendous basketball talent. Boogie has Hall Of Fame talent. That said I cannot deny during basketball games he can negatively affect his own team with his behavior. We all have been watching him for most of 7 seasons. Loyalty and Fandom makes many Fans overlook or downplay that negative effect. Yet if there was a list of every negative event involving Boogie it would be a long list.
So while I did not want to see Boogie traded I can acknowledge his influence was not all positive. That is what McHale was pointing out. I find it hard to dismiss what McHale is saying as completely without merit. Karl wanted to trade Boogie and now Vlade has. Boogie is a very polarizing player. Look how the divide affects us Fans.
NBA Basketball is a business. But For most of us Fans it is an enjoyable pastime. A hobby if you will. I'm not going to spend my time and energies being negative during time I should be enjoying myself. This is the way I am choosing to deal with The Trade. I'm not trashing Vlade and Vivek and I am not supporting the Pelicans. I am going to make the best of being a Kings Fan.
So while I did not want to see Boogie traded I can acknowledge his influence was not all positive. That is what McHale was pointing out. I find it hard to dismiss what McHale is saying as completely without merit. Karl wanted to trade Boogie and now Vlade has. Boogie is a very polarizing player. Look how the divide affects us Fans.
NBA Basketball is a business. But For most of us Fans it is an enjoyable pastime. A hobby if you will. I'm not going to spend my time and energies being negative during time I should be enjoying myself. This is the way I am choosing to deal with The Trade. I'm not trashing Vlade and Vivek and I am not supporting the Pelicans. I am going to make the best of being a Kings Fan.
Well every KingsFan has his own way to deal with this and his own viewpoint.
Of course Boogie has some warts. He is flat out crazy sometimes. I just don't understand, why everyone seems to focus that much on his temper. I mean when you look at Westbrook or Green, I don't see much of a difference. Green yelled at Durant multiple times in front of the cameras. Yet everybody is talking about emotional leadership with these guys.
I'm happy for you, that you found a way to continue to root for the Kings. I personally haven't found it yet. I'm too angry and too upset by the dishonest behaviour and I don't think these FO guys know what they are doing.
I will continue to watch some Kings games, to make up my mind about what we got back in Buddy Hield (right now I expect a slightly worse Stauskas clone), I will follow the draft and FA, but I prepare myself to jump ships, because I won't live through just another decade of incompetence and I have lost all trust in Vlade and Vivek and their ability to make sane basketball related decisions.
Of course Boogie has some warts. He is flat out crazy sometimes. I just don't understand, why everyone seems to focus that much on his temper. I mean when you look at Westbrook or Green, I don't see much of a difference. Green yelled at Durant multiple times in front of the cameras. Yet everybody is talking about emotional leadership with these guys.
I'm happy for you, that you found a way to continue to root for the Kings. I personally haven't found it yet. I'm too angry and too upset by the dishonest behaviour and I don't think these FO guys know what they are doing.
I will continue to watch some Kings games, to make up my mind about what we got back in Buddy Hield (right now I expect a slightly worse Stauskas clone), I will follow the draft and FA, but I prepare myself to jump ships, because I won't live through just another decade of incompetence and I have lost all trust in Vlade and Vivek and their ability to make sane basketball related decisions.
You know, watching the press conference, I am glad Omri went with Cousins. They have always liked each other and at least this way, there's some familiarity for both of them. I am definitely watching tomorrow night's game to see Cuz play, though I will most likely puke first seeing him in a different jersey...
Man....
Man....
McHale is a blowhard that has no frame of reference or idea what he's talking about. But Michael Malone does. Not so oddly, the current Denver Nuggests coach was on the Jim Rome Show today saying how much he loves DeMarcus and how he believes he'll be successful in New Orleans.
I just find it funny that the guy currently without a job and that doesn't even know Cousins or have intimate knowledge of what has transpired in Sacramento the past 7 years has a preconceived opinion about him. It's pretty clear why McHale was a terrible GM just like Vlade.
In a dream scenario, the Pelicans would get Phil Jackson to quit his GM job since he is awful at it and have him come down to the Big Easy to run the triangle with those two.
I just find it funny that the guy currently without a job and that doesn't even know Cousins or have intimate knowledge of what has transpired in Sacramento the past 7 years has a preconceived opinion about him. It's pretty clear why McHale was a terrible GM just like Vlade.
In a dream scenario, the Pelicans would get Phil Jackson to quit his GM job since he is awful at it and have him come down to the Big Easy to run the triangle with those two.
Cousins and Casspi welcome interview at New Orleans:
http://www.nba.com/pelicans/video/t...9-cousinscaspriwelcomeinterview022117-1241095
http://www.nba.com/pelicans/video/t...9-cousinscaspriwelcomeinterview022117-1241095
DeMarcus Cousins bashes Kings for trade: 'It was a coward move'
"A week before the trade. The sick part about it is that Vlade came in my house with my agent [Jarinn Akana]. We sat in my theater and just talked. That was maybe three weeks ago. We sat there and [he] told me what moves he wanted to make. All of that. I just didn’t understand."
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/p...r-trade-it-was-a-coward-move/?linkId=34856907
"A week before the trade. The sick part about it is that Vlade came in my house with my agent [Jarinn Akana]. We sat in my theater and just talked. That was maybe three weeks ago. We sat there and [he] told me what moves he wanted to make. All of that. I just didn’t understand."
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/p...r-trade-it-was-a-coward-move/?linkId=34856907
[Tangent/sidebar]
CBS Sports lifted those quotes from an interview that Cousins did with Mark Spears of The Undefeated (a link to which can be found in the #NBA subforum). I find it extremely distasteful that they are using that to get clicks on their own site. And I already know that they are not unique in that practice, that other websites and blogs and the like do it all the time, but it's still BS.
I also stipulate to having an affinity for The Undefeated, and I don't want to see CBSSports.com get any benefit from the clicks and pageviews that should go to them.
[/Tangent/sidebar]
CBS Sports lifted those quotes from an interview that Cousins did with Mark Spears of The Undefeated (a link to which can be found in the #NBA subforum). I find it extremely distasteful that they are using that to get clicks on their own site. And I already know that they are not unique in that practice, that other websites and blogs and the like do it all the time, but it's still BS.
I also stipulate to having an affinity for The Undefeated, and I don't want to see CBSSports.com get any benefit from the clicks and pageviews that should go to them.
[/Tangent/sidebar]