I know this isn't a humorous subject, but I was reading Westphal's statement again, and when I got to the part about Cousins not wanting to go it the same direction as the team, that suddenly struck me as funny. Because the direction the team is going, is down. The ship is sinking. Hard to blame Cousins for not wanting to go down with the ship.
Cousins SENT HOME????
- Thread starter UK_King
- Start date
PW's statement is true, but bad in etiquette. It overbearingly questions Cousins' philosophies and assigns blame, making everyone look bad. The silver lining is it that it will probably hasten our development. I expect PW to be gone in 2 weeks.
That being said, I see a lot of people mentioning how we are loaded with too many offensive weapons. Shouldn't our next coach be mostly offense-minded? Why put so much effort into training our players in a smaller skill department?
That being said, I see a lot of people mentioning how we are loaded with too many offensive weapons. Shouldn't our next coach be mostly offense-minded? Why put so much effort into training our players in a smaller skill department?
Maybe I've been away from the board too long, but I'm surprised with so many siding with Cousins on this. Dude has years of history of exactly the type of behavior Westphal is describing! Is it really so unbelievable?
I guess it's the frustration with how the team is playing...
I for one believe Coach W., but I think he's sealed his own fate with this. His days are numbered, but Cousins still needs to grow up.
I guess it's the frustration with how the team is playing...
I for one believe Coach W., but I think he's sealed his own fate with this. His days are numbered, but Cousins still needs to grow up.
It actually might be more difficult to fire PW now. It shall look as if we gave in to an immature, 21 year old, second year player. Will other players too behave similarly? Would any other coach, particularly a good one, be willing to take the job next year? Will the coach who takes over this year (Smart?) have any control over the team?
Players are frustrated. Can be seen on the court. A player blowing up like this though is a no-win situation. A coach can't ignore it, without losing control of the rest of the team. OTOH, seems like PW has already started losing the team, if not already done so completely.
It's bad. Don't think there is some real solution, unless the team magically starts winning, and Cousins climbs down a bit. He's too precious to lose, particularly over a coach that is unlikely to come back, and might not last the season. Despite this, I believe PW's position might have been weaker yesterday than today.
Players are frustrated. Can be seen on the court. A player blowing up like this though is a no-win situation. A coach can't ignore it, without losing control of the rest of the team. OTOH, seems like PW has already started losing the team, if not already done so completely.
It's bad. Don't think there is some real solution, unless the team magically starts winning, and Cousins climbs down a bit. He's too precious to lose, particularly over a coach that is unlikely to come back, and might not last the season. Despite this, I believe PW's position might have been weaker yesterday than today.
Dont forget these two set each up for failure before also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvmaOFo3iP0&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvmaOFo3iP0&feature=player_embedded
Cousins is voicing something that the rest of the team is thinking. Is he completely innocent in all this?! Of course not but lets not try and paint Westphal as blameless here....the guy has history of losing teams and when he does lose team, its gets really ugly.
Just re-fresh your memory of what happened in Seattle and you will realise its the same thing happening here. Except, substitute Cousins for Payton and its a match.
He might be a 2nd year player but he is just expressing what every other player is feeling, rather naively though!
Just re-fresh your memory of what happened in Seattle and you will realise its the same thing happening here. Except, substitute Cousins for Payton and its a match.
He might be a 2nd year player but he is just expressing what every other player is feeling, rather naively though!
He used the words trade me, it was probably an idle threat, but come on grow the **** up kid.
What is this the second suspension in as many years? First he throws a punch over not getting the ball at the end of a game and now he dares his coach to trade him. Not good. Spin it however you want but Cousins isn't helping this team or himself here.
What is this the second suspension in as many years? First he throws a punch over not getting the ball at the end of a game and now he dares his coach to trade him. Not good. Spin it however you want but Cousins isn't helping this team or himself here.
I'm not going to defend Westphal here. I just don't want to see this from Cousins. He has a consistent pattern of throwing tantrums when things don't go his way. It is counter productive to undermined a coach like this. As a fan you get to be frustrated and talk down Westphal, not so much as a highly payed professional. He needs to act like an adult and realize this thing is going to play itself out.
DMC needs to nut up and do his job and cut the drama. Westphal is going to hang himself as coach of the team without any extra help from a player doing the him or me routine. A lot of people would like to see Jerry Sloan come here. I'm guessing after what happened to him in Utah, it would make him think long and hard about walking in to this situation.
Anyone who says Cousins should go before PW is an idiot. But a better thing to do was to round up the guys, and if they all feel this "System" isn't working then go to the coach or assistant coaches about it as a unit. Getting all ****ed off and "demanding" a trade when you're one of the core young guys is not good for the team. If I were Cousins' team mate, even if the coach got replaced I would be worried that when things went south Cousins would just try to bail and not stick with the team.
And like people have said, Cousins hasn't done anything to give him this sort of authority to demand a trade or act like he's the biggest honcho on the Kings. Say what you want about the system, but in this short season he hasn't played well individually at all, missing lots of lay ups, not getting back on defense, taking a lot of outside jumpers.
The guys were optimistic going into the season, and clearly had some faith in the implemented system. I don't think that it's rational for a player to start demanding a trade after losing 3 out of 4 games. Sure, there's reason to be upset with the coach but if you intend to be a likeable guy in the league this is not the way to react.
And like people have said, Cousins hasn't done anything to give him this sort of authority to demand a trade or act like he's the biggest honcho on the Kings. Say what you want about the system, but in this short season he hasn't played well individually at all, missing lots of lay ups, not getting back on defense, taking a lot of outside jumpers.
The guys were optimistic going into the season, and clearly had some faith in the implemented system. I don't think that it's rational for a player to start demanding a trade after losing 3 out of 4 games. Sure, there's reason to be upset with the coach but if you intend to be a likeable guy in the league this is not the way to react.
It's Westphal's job to manage personalities in the locker room. Period. This reflects poorly on Petrie and Westphal. Petrie for hiring a coach whose style is better suited for a veteran team than a bunch of youngsters and Westphal for not being able to handle it. I know Cousins is immature, but most talented athletes at this level have something going on with them that is difficult to deal with. Ego's, lack of motivation, entitlement, immaturity. That's par for the course. Not an excuse.
Releasing this to the media is a panic move. What they're nervous about is all speculation. I speculate that Westphal is afraid he's lost the team and so is management. I don't think management is necessarily backing Westphal, but if you side with the player on a discipline situation, then the house could come crashing down quicker and then the season is lost. Management is trying to save the team. Once this Cousin's thing gets worked out, Westphal is history.
Releasing this to the media is a panic move. What they're nervous about is all speculation. I speculate that Westphal is afraid he's lost the team and so is management. I don't think management is necessarily backing Westphal, but if you side with the player on a discipline situation, then the house could come crashing down quicker and then the season is lost. Management is trying to save the team. Once this Cousin's thing gets worked out, Westphal is history.
I completely agree with you Cousins could have handled things in a much more mature fashion. But sh*t already happened, and I'm not so sure things are repairable at this point. If someone has to go between the two, it needs to be Westpaul. Remember his spat with Spencer Hawes? He just doesn't know how to handle players. You do whatever you want in practice, and in private. But you don't go to the media about your team's problems.
Westphal bought himself a few weeks by making this public. He can't be fired for a little while because it seems like it will be catering to Cousins. Cousins needs to learn how to approach these things like a grown up. He really does seem to act like a petulant child at times. But we knew that when he was drafted. It is hard to buy into a system when you keep getting blown off the floor.
In other words I think both are at fault, and this will blow over in a few days. We will at some point this season lose a bunch of games and then Westphal will be fired.
In other words I think both are at fault, and this will blow over in a few days. We will at some point this season lose a bunch of games and then Westphal will be fired.
Well, at least that makes about four of us who think that way.
I mean, seriously, you don't have to like Westphal and he has coached three lousy games this year, but it's not like he's a comic-book supervillain who never takes action without malice aforethought. It was an anecdote. There's a vast gulf of difference between "my assistant coach and I had a conversation" and "this is the assistant coach's fault". It's not even close and it makes me this close to angry to see "Kings fans" spreading around this kind of disingenuous analysis to back the Fire Westphal Agenda. There's plenty of ammunition for the Fire Westphal Agenda without resorting to junk like this.
I mean, seriously, you don't have to like Westphal and he has coached three lousy games this year, but it's not like he's a comic-book supervillain who never takes action without malice aforethought. It was an anecdote. There's a vast gulf of difference between "my assistant coach and I had a conversation" and "this is the assistant coach's fault". It's not even close and it makes me this close to angry to see "Kings fans" spreading around this kind of disingenuous analysis to back the Fire Westphal Agenda. There's plenty of ammunition for the Fire Westphal Agenda without resorting to junk like this.
It might easily be an overanalysis, but instead of getting "that close to angry", maybe you should look at why it might not be disingenuous. The thing is, in a media interview, what sort of purpose does that statement serve?
He's not shifting blame of the game, but seemingly shifting the spotlight in that post game discussion onto his assistant coach.
But alright, point taken. It's not hard to have ammunition for the Fire Westphal Agenda while resorting to concrete evidence.
He's not shifting blame of the game, but seemingly shifting the spotlight in that post game discussion onto his assistant coach.
But alright, point taken. It's not hard to have ammunition for the Fire Westphal Agenda while resorting to concrete evidence.
