Evaluating the Cousins Trade.
- Thread starter kingdivac
- Start date
Tanking could be good or bad for N.O. They could tank and luck out in the lottery and get a top 3 pick OR they can tank and give us a #4-5 pick.
Tanking doesn't really work to their advantage since they don't control their pick and they invested highly in two very expensive veterans, with them also trying to convince DMC to sign an extension.
Tanking doesn't really work to their advantage since they don't control their pick and they invested highly in two very expensive veterans, with them also trying to convince DMC to sign an extension.
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Would be the icing on top if the Pelicans landed a top 3 pick and wound up drafting a star with it.
Then again I don't have any trust that our front office would do anything other than draft a bust with the pick anyway. I'm sure Vlade would wind up drafting a 17 year old SG from Prussia who nobody has ever heard of with it.
Then again I don't have any trust that our front office would do anything other than draft a bust with the pick anyway. I'm sure Vlade would wind up drafting a 17 year old SG from Prussia who nobody has ever heard of with it.
Well, that was fun while it lasted (one glorious game)!!! 
Now back to reality.
For this trade to be successful, the Kings really need to WIN two top 10 Lottery picks for this year.
The Kings don't have the talent to hang on in the playoffs chase, they now need to concentrate on developing the Kids and fall back into the safe #5-8 area, pre-lotto drawing, and then secure a top 10 pick.
Then, they have to hope that the Pelicans stays out of the top 3 picks and the Kings get their pick (#5-10) this year. If they don't, they will be looking at a mid to late 1st round pick next year, which would be terrible.
They got one lottery pick (2016 #6 pick, Buddy Hield) already and he needs to develop quickly.
If things fall into place, the Kings could have 3 Lottery picks to build around come summer, thanks to the DMC trade.
This is of course if we pick wisely with our lotto picks, but if we can come out of this draft with a starting SF and PG from this draft, we will be okay!
Future (Young) Kings Starting LineUp:
PF: Skal
SF: 2017 Lotto Pick / Malichi
C: WCS / Papa
SG: Hield/ Bogdan
PG: 2017 Lotto Pick
At least, the Kings will be one of the youngest teams, with upside next year!!!
Now back to reality.
For this trade to be successful, the Kings really need to WIN two top 10 Lottery picks for this year.
The Kings don't have the talent to hang on in the playoffs chase, they now need to concentrate on developing the Kids and fall back into the safe #5-8 area, pre-lotto drawing, and then secure a top 10 pick.
Then, they have to hope that the Pelicans stays out of the top 3 picks and the Kings get their pick (#5-10) this year. If they don't, they will be looking at a mid to late 1st round pick next year, which would be terrible.
They got one lottery pick (2016 #6 pick, Buddy Hield) already and he needs to develop quickly.
If things fall into place, the Kings could have 3 Lottery picks to build around come summer, thanks to the DMC trade.
This is of course if we pick wisely with our lotto picks, but if we can come out of this draft with a starting SF and PG from this draft, we will be okay!
Future (Young) Kings Starting LineUp:
PF: Skal
SF: 2017 Lotto Pick / Malichi
C: WCS / Papa
SG: Hield/ Bogdan
PG: 2017 Lotto Pick
At least, the Kings will be one of the youngest teams, with upside next year!!!
Boogie cost them the game tonight. He committed a dumb push foul on Gasol to send him to the line to force OT. All he had to do was play solid position D and he would have missed. He got caught day dreaming under the basket and left Aldridge wide open for an easy jam. Then he made careless pass that Leonard picked with ease and led to 3 in transition. I always said about Boogie that he has temper issues despite never being part of a playoff run. If so volatile in games without real strong playoff implications, what is going to happen when games start to really matter?! When his team faces a "must win"? Tonight was crucial for Pelicans to get momentum after Pistons win and beat a hot team. Boogie was great on the boards but got frustrated on valid calls and entered sulk mode. This is not mindset to be engaged and alert. The game was totally up for grabs and his disposition was as if the game was already lost. Still a bad trade, but tonight score one for Vlade.
Boogie cost them the game tonight. He committed a dumb push foul on Gasol to send him to the line to force OT. All he had to do was play solid position D and he would have missed. He got caught day dreaming under the basket and left Aldridge wide open for an easy jam. Then he made careless pass that Leonard picked with ease and led to 3 in transition. I always said about Boogie that he has temper issues despite never being part of a playoff run. If so volatile in games without real strong playoff implications, what is going to happen when games start to really matter?! When his team faces a "must win"? Tonight was crucial for Pelicans to get momentum after Pistons win and beat a hot team. Boogie was great on the boards but got frustrated on valid calls and entered sulk mode. This is not mindset to be engaged and alert. The game was totally up for grabs and his disposition was as if the game was already lost. Still a bad trade, but tonight score one for Vlade.
Still good for our pick. Maybe cousins still loves Sac so much that he is throwing games in order to make our pic better. What a guy
bro, he allowed 2 swaps + future 1st & stauskas so they take JT & landry's contracts. the current mess we're in is bc he's out of his goddamn mind. when he did it i couldn't believe it. he tried to right the course this past offseason by trading the 8th and unloading marco to bring in some youth. i thought we were gonna develop them and try to play some grit n grind memphis style basketball. he took his sweet time trying to get the best deal for rudy when he should have unloaded him sooner to get a future 1st or early 2nd and a player for him. then he realized he f'd up and gave away boogie for .. steph/klay clone version 3.0 since benny and nick rocks didn't pan out.
I was not pointing out these plays so we could collectively "feel better" about a bad trade. I was providing my objective analysis. Boogie choked! If you are $209M player you win that game on your home court. Period. The Spurs missed a ton of shots done the stretch but Boogie did not make enough plays to put them away. Worse he opened the door for them with the aforementioned plays I referenced.
Before conjecture about the 5 year max with James Ham saying it was " a done deal" I was of mindset that Boogie did not deserve it. I felt a 5 year 150M player, given bad leadership, sporadic defensive effort and extracurricular issues, was more aligned with his value and to give us cap flexibility going forward. However I was quick to point out that his improved efficiency at 56% TS and 1.3 assist to turnover ratio was substantial and something you could work with as a central cog to a winning team. Relative to career efficiency of 53% TS and 0.8, which is basically crap, Vlade could feel more comfortable shelling out the big bucks.
But everything witnessed in crunch time last night was the exact reason to give Vlade pause! That was NOT a max player. That was sulking and brooding ref-obsessed dude who wilted. To underline this point, 19 points on 18 shots 5 fouls and 4 assists agains 6 turnovers is NOT winning basketball. Whether in a vacuum or in the context of a specific game 50% TS and under 1:1 assist to turnover is losing basketball. And I have seen it so many times over the last six years. Last night played out 100s of times before only in a different jersey.
Kawhi scored 31 points on 26 shots with 6 assists vs 1 turnover and only 1 foul. That is MAX player. Shots are not always going to go in. But when you compound poor shooting with giveaways and dumb fouls you tilt scales towards opponent. It is obvious and the debate I have been having around here a long time. We were bad team with Boogie for a lot of years partially because of how he performed last night. It may be too subtle of a point, but just because Boogie is a great talent, does not make him a great player, a winner, or a max worthy player under the new CBA.
Greatness does not fall asleep under basket and give up an easy dunk. Greatness does not beg for calls. Greatness does not develop irreconcilable and irreparable relationship with refs. Greatness does not bail out an opponent with obvious fouls then act incredulous when the refs dare to act in accordance with what their eyes tell him! Greatness has a go-to move. Greatness has poise under pressure. Greatness makes the opponent earn the victory not serve it up on a silver platter with mental and emotional errors. I don't feel good about the trade, but I am not so sure bottoming out for the rest of this year and next will be the smarter decision in the long run.
I am shocked that Davis and Boogie are 0-4. Shocked! You are telling me the two most talented bigs in NBA can't win one game with (1) the excitement of joining forces (2) the playoffs within reach and (3) the chance to prove Vlade and the Kings fools for dumping him for peanuts? Last night was a game the Pelicans absolutely needed to win. If Boogie and his slimy sleazy agent was as great as he thinks he is and deserving of the largest contract in history, he would have done something more impressive than give the game away.
Before conjecture about the 5 year max with James Ham saying it was " a done deal" I was of mindset that Boogie did not deserve it. I felt a 5 year 150M player, given bad leadership, sporadic defensive effort and extracurricular issues, was more aligned with his value and to give us cap flexibility going forward. However I was quick to point out that his improved efficiency at 56% TS and 1.3 assist to turnover ratio was substantial and something you could work with as a central cog to a winning team. Relative to career efficiency of 53% TS and 0.8, which is basically crap, Vlade could feel more comfortable shelling out the big bucks.
But everything witnessed in crunch time last night was the exact reason to give Vlade pause! That was NOT a max player. That was sulking and brooding ref-obsessed dude who wilted. To underline this point, 19 points on 18 shots 5 fouls and 4 assists agains 6 turnovers is NOT winning basketball. Whether in a vacuum or in the context of a specific game 50% TS and under 1:1 assist to turnover is losing basketball. And I have seen it so many times over the last six years. Last night played out 100s of times before only in a different jersey.
Kawhi scored 31 points on 26 shots with 6 assists vs 1 turnover and only 1 foul. That is MAX player. Shots are not always going to go in. But when you compound poor shooting with giveaways and dumb fouls you tilt scales towards opponent. It is obvious and the debate I have been having around here a long time. We were bad team with Boogie for a lot of years partially because of how he performed last night. It may be too subtle of a point, but just because Boogie is a great talent, does not make him a great player, a winner, or a max worthy player under the new CBA.
Greatness does not fall asleep under basket and give up an easy dunk. Greatness does not beg for calls. Greatness does not develop irreconcilable and irreparable relationship with refs. Greatness does not bail out an opponent with obvious fouls then act incredulous when the refs dare to act in accordance with what their eyes tell him! Greatness has a go-to move. Greatness has poise under pressure. Greatness makes the opponent earn the victory not serve it up on a silver platter with mental and emotional errors. I don't feel good about the trade, but I am not so sure bottoming out for the rest of this year and next will be the smarter decision in the long run.
I am shocked that Davis and Boogie are 0-4. Shocked! You are telling me the two most talented bigs in NBA can't win one game with (1) the excitement of joining forces (2) the playoffs within reach and (3) the chance to prove Vlade and the Kings fools for dumping him for peanuts? Last night was a game the Pelicans absolutely needed to win. If Boogie and his slimy sleazy agent was as great as he thinks he is and deserving of the largest contract in history, he would have done something more impressive than give the game away.
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Yea, and just like around here, it was cousins fault. Nevermind Jrue taking 27 shots while Franchise Centerpiece AD and Kings reason for being a bad team Cousins got 18 a piece. In fact if Cousins wasnt there last night im sure the Pelicans would have scored a double digit victory, certainly doubled their character to potentially a Kings level of class. Boogies 23 rebounds probabaly hurt the pelicans just like all of his rebounding and scoring made the Kings a scrub team all of these years, holding back the greatness of offensive scoring machines like WCS and Ben Mclemore.
Yea the pelicans took the second best team in the west to OT, but I bet if they weren't lugging around Boogies deadweight around they would have mopped the floor with them. Or if they had a real franchise player like, idk Anthony Davis, they would never be in a bad crunchtime situaition. Luckily the kings wont have to worry about being in that situation again anytime soon. And by that situation I mean a competitive NBA game.
Yea the pelicans took the second best team in the west to OT, but I bet if they weren't lugging around Boogies deadweight around they would have mopped the floor with them. Or if they had a real franchise player like, idk Anthony Davis, they would never be in a bad crunchtime situaition. Luckily the kings wont have to worry about being in that situation again anytime soon. And by that situation I mean a competitive NBA game.
I didn't say it was his fault exclusively. Hyperbole, exaggeration and distortion does not make your case. It hurts it! Do you happen to know all season I have been praising Boogie for his improved efficiency and offensive dominance (56% TS and 1.3 assist to TO) and ability to create offense with fewer assisted baskets (career low 43%)? It is not like I am eager to slam the guy as soon as the opportunity arises. I give credit where credit is due! And vice versa.
I am also not under any illusion (like others) that he doesn't have flaws that contributed significantly to 6+ years of losing. We saw those flaws on display last night. His abrasive temperament, sulk mode and lack of go-to move are flaws. He has more strengths than flaws but that doesn't make the flaws irrelevant! Are you capable of this level of (simple) nuance or does pro-Cousins sentiment prevent you form seeing shortcomings?
His offensive efficiency and mental lapses last night amount to losing ball whether Holiday scored 50 points or 5 points! With Boogie on the floor he is going to have a usage of 30% to 35%. This is important. He's so talented he can create a shot or make pass that leads to the end of the possession. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor. So then the question becomes is this a player that you can trust with this level of influence on the game? With Boogie on your team, how he goes, your team often goes. For better or worse.
I have said countless times one measure of a great player is when they don't have their best game, less than their best does not prevent your team from competing and winning. When you make costly pass and gift it to Kawhi, fall asleep on defense, make a stupid foul that forces ref to blow his whistle, you actively prevent your team from winning. I don't care what his teammates did or how many rebounds he got. If he is a superstar or max player, he doesn't perform to that level of self-inflicted ineptitude.
Boogie has never played on a team in the midst of playoff run. Stakes are higher under these circumstances. The good teams and aspiring to be good teams are going for post-season seeding. If Boogie plays only with intermittent poise in relatively meaningless games, what confidence could a team, GM or fan base realistically have when the heat really gets turned up? None of this takes away from how incredibly talented he is, just legitimate and hard questions to be asked before 5 year max or mourning his loss indefinitely.
Can you imagine Boogie in a playoff game?! When the intensity turned up from 6-7 to 9-10. He would get ejected in the 1st quarter! I have watched basketball a long time and nothing compares to playoff basketball. The players play harder and possessions are more tightly contested. Boogie would be wound so tight he would foul out, complain even more if that is humanly possible and explode in a mindless rage of abused paper cups, towels and overturned trash cans! I will await to be disproven down the stretch as Boogie and Davis lead their team to 8th spot or continue to sputter and implode on road to nowhere.
I am also not under any illusion (like others) that he doesn't have flaws that contributed significantly to 6+ years of losing. We saw those flaws on display last night. His abrasive temperament, sulk mode and lack of go-to move are flaws. He has more strengths than flaws but that doesn't make the flaws irrelevant! Are you capable of this level of (simple) nuance or does pro-Cousins sentiment prevent you form seeing shortcomings?
His offensive efficiency and mental lapses last night amount to losing ball whether Holiday scored 50 points or 5 points! With Boogie on the floor he is going to have a usage of 30% to 35%. This is important. He's so talented he can create a shot or make pass that leads to the end of the possession. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor. So then the question becomes is this a player that you can trust with this level of influence on the game? With Boogie on your team, how he goes, your team often goes. For better or worse.
I have said countless times one measure of a great player is when they don't have their best game, less than their best does not prevent your team from competing and winning. When you make costly pass and gift it to Kawhi, fall asleep on defense, make a stupid foul that forces ref to blow his whistle, you actively prevent your team from winning. I don't care what his teammates did or how many rebounds he got. If he is a superstar or max player, he doesn't perform to that level of self-inflicted ineptitude.
Boogie has never played on a team in the midst of playoff run. Stakes are higher under these circumstances. The good teams and aspiring to be good teams are going for post-season seeding. If Boogie plays only with intermittent poise in relatively meaningless games, what confidence could a team, GM or fan base realistically have when the heat really gets turned up? None of this takes away from how incredibly talented he is, just legitimate and hard questions to be asked before 5 year max or mourning his loss indefinitely.
Can you imagine Boogie in a playoff game?! When the intensity turned up from 6-7 to 9-10. He would get ejected in the 1st quarter! I have watched basketball a long time and nothing compares to playoff basketball. The players play harder and possessions are more tightly contested. Boogie would be wound so tight he would foul out, complain even more if that is humanly possible and explode in a mindless rage of abused paper cups, towels and overturned trash cans! I will await to be disproven down the stretch as Boogie and Davis lead their team to 8th spot or continue to sputter and implode on road to nowhere.
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So in other words, Boogie has to be PERFECT for you to cut him some slack? Again, YOU DIDN'T WATCH THE GAME. In this instance, I think it's a critical distinction.
In the general sense, I agree with a lot of what you've said about Boogie. I do firmly believe, however, that each game has to be judged on its own merits ... and not by the box score or ESPN.
In the general sense, I agree with a lot of what you've said about Boogie. I do firmly believe, however, that each game has to be judged on its own merits ... and not by the box score or ESPN.
