You know, I have been DeMarcus Cousins. Or parts of him. Not the petulant child I hope. But I absolutely HATED to lose, when I was a teenager I was pretty much a poor sport when I did, a couple of times when I thought guys were celebrating/taunting too much I even started scuffles. I was also the poster boy for demanding that everyone give me respect, regardless of my age and experience. I got into it with any coach who tried to establish domiance over me becuase nobody established dominance over me. I also caused problems as a rookie teammate and or the one silly time when I was looking at pledging to a frat because I absolutely refused hazing -- I would just flat out refuse that crap. Once when a guy tried to get forceful over it I almost broke his nose so violent was my response. So hating to lose, and demanding respect even though I'm a rookie are completely within the realm of comprehension for me. I'd have taken that little pink backpack they make the rooks carry around and shoved it right up their asses (maybe -- my coping mechanism was a sense of humor about the silly stuff), certainly as I said at the time when BJax trashed Donte's car as a rookie, I would have ****ing pipebombed that *******'s ride in return. No way I take that from anybody. But the flipside of all that was that I absolutely tried to earn the respect that I demanded. I worked hard, I never got into with other teammates unless they were getting into my face, and they never (well almost never) had to worry about me being a distraction or not being there in the trenches with them. I certainly never turned on them or said me me me.
And so this fiasco is almost comprehensible to me. Almost. Until you realize he just got into a fight with Donte Greene. Donte Greene! Are you kidding me? Unitl he complains about lack of respect as a rookie, apparently about shots -- I just looked it up, DeMarcus Cousins takes 21.9 field goals every 48 minutes. That's more than Blake Griffin (21.7). More than LamArcus Aldridge (21.6) More than Zach Randolph (21,6) Its the same number per 48 that Dirk puts up (21.9). Its more per 48 than Tyreke puts up this year (21.6) or put up last year as a rookie (20.9). Are you kidding me about not getting your chances as a rookie? You lead the whole team in FGA/per 48. You may lead all rookies in FGA/per 48. Then you throw in the fact he was having a crappy shooting day (5-14) while Tyreke was having a good one (30pts 11-21 from field at the time), and the fact that the play was drawn up with him as one of the options and...what the bleep is your problem again DeMarcus? He's got no excuse for this. He may have been open there for a microsecond, but the gap was closing, a man was coming from behind, and Donte would have had to have made that decision and pass instantly in order for DeMarcus to catch it and go toward the hoop, and if it had been off even a fraction its a game ending turnover and we bemoan the stupid decision. DeMarcus also would have had to have finsihed it, which he hadn't have been. And they might have fouled him instead, where he had choked off 2 FTs earlier in the 4th. To freak out over this play is ridiculous, and I strongly suspect this isn't about this play, nor is this about Tyreke, about Donte, or about Westphal. This was about DeMarcus. DeMarcus being frustrated by losing, about foul and tech problems (the echoes of no respect coming from the Ts the game before), about suspension, and about being treated like a child. Except he keeps acting like one and leaves nobody any choice. When you let your frustration boil over and become everybody else's problem that's a me decision. That's a selfish decision. And now the mature thing to do is go apologize about it. The petulant thing to do will be to dig in, sulk, and complain about how everybody has it out for you. The evidence does not support that contention DeMarcus.