DMC issued statement
- Thread starter Mike0476
- Start date
Oh no doubt. Cousins is the most childish of all. Total punk. But so was I at 21, and I feel like a lot of guys can say the same. My issue with this situation is that we have a coach who is 50(ish?) acting like just as much of a punk, with FO backing him (probably just to save face, I think Worstphal did this independantly).
All Cousins little hissy fit did was take the focus off of one of the main problems at hand-PW's poor coaching. Sure it may have validated what many people already thought about how he is losing the team, but now the chances of PW being fired are slim. It would just make DMC look as though he got his way and that the players are running things. If he would have just kept his mouth shut, things would have probably played themselves out and PW would have eventually been shown the door. Not to mention you already had some discourse brewing amongst other players in regards to PW's coaching philosophy. I am def not a PW fan and I hope he is let go, but DMC has a lot of growing up to do as well.
I think everybody needs to reread that article a little more carefully. And also consider Woj's involvement since he is an utter expert at these things.
Now maybe I have an advantage having done a lot of writing in my time, but NOWHERE does it say it was a "player source" for the Woj article. Oh it implies the hell out of it. But it never says it. Adn about half the time when you see that that's an intentional perception set up by the writer. Talk about something in the locker room, include a quote by a "source" and everyone automatically thinks its a player. It could be a trainer. It could be a janitor. But just by implication you are able to bolster your article without ever actually truly lying.
Now maybe I have an advantage having done a lot of writing in my time, but NOWHERE does it say it was a "player source" for the Woj article. Oh it implies the hell out of it. But it never says it. Adn about half the time when you see that that's an intentional perception set up by the writer. Talk about something in the locker room, include a quote by a "source" and everyone automatically thinks its a player. It could be a trainer. It could be a janitor. But just by implication you are able to bolster your article without ever actually truly lying.
Don't know where to post this but I sure don't want to start another thread. This is from the Bee today.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/03/4158793/demarcus-cousins-returns.html
Not sure where the writer is going. He details Cousins' past troubles and omits Westphal's past troubles. Both are pertinent to this story.
There are a few new twists here. Westphal says he will not protect Cousins and will make more of his behavior public. I personally think this has nailed the coffin shut on this relationship. Punishment without praise breeds even more discontent. Beat a petualnt child and what do you get? A more petulant child.
I don't expect Westphal to be a psychiatrist but I DO hope he has raised children. This is more like raising a child than being a coach where everyone is treated equally. (Cough!) Cousins is not normal and will need a different approach - a more fatherly approach. A good father. A Vlade-like approach. I wouldn't turn a team upside down for just any player but this guy can be something special and is bordering on that right now. I even doubt that the players would object if he got a little special treatment. It would take an idiot to think this is simply a spoiled star wanting special treament. He is a potential star who NEEDS special treatment. This is where a few will disagree, I am sure.
And what do the fans have to do with any of this? Westphal introduced the fans into the equation. I think that is very interesting. If this comment had come from the Maloofs or Petrie, I would have seen it as a sign that Westphal was going to be fired. This comment came from Westphal and I hope it means he is actually reading fans' opinions. Do we actually have a say in Cousins' future? It's a sign of maturity on his part.
All we see is what is on the court. Everything else in my mind is viewed as something to be taken with a grain of salt. We can SEE what Cousins does on the court. It is not filtered through the papers or agents. I have seen no behavioral problems this year on the court and if making a sour face is a problem, Jordan and Kobe should have been benched their entire careers. Otherwise I have been pleased with his on court behavior. If we have input, our input is clear.
Cuz has always responded to punishment by having a decent game. It will be interesting to see if there is a change in this pattern. In any case, I don't see how anything has been resolved.
The Kings maintain that DeMarcus Cousins demanded to be traded. Cousins maintains that didn't happen.
Neither side is budging on its claim following a meeting Monday involving Cousins, his agent, John Greig, and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie.
After the meeting, Petrie decided Cousins would join the Kings on their flight for tonight's game against Memphis. Cousins was sent home by coach Paul Westphal before Sunday's game against New Orleans. Westphal said that during a meeting after Saturday's loss to New York, Cousins asked to be traded, a demand the coach said the center also made Dec. 24. (So he wanted to be traded before the first game without Salmons and Hayes having any significant time with the team? I don't know what this means.) Westphal added that there had been multiple issues with Cousins that had not been publicized.
Westphal said Cousins was told if there were more incidents there would be "less protection" from the team in not disclosing them.
Cousins issued a statement Monday: "I want to address my missing the New Orleans game Sunday. I have not demanded or requested a trade. I don't agree with the actions taken but will give my sincere effort to put it behind me and compete the best I can for my team."
Cousins will dress for tonight's game but will not start, Westphal said."We still hope DeMarcus will be here to continue to mature and progress and reach his potential with the Kings," Westphal said.
Asked what he needed to see from Cousins to know if he is changing his ways, Westphal said: "We'll know it when we see it … . His attitude has a long way to go. It will be up to coaches, teammates and most fans (to see a change)." (What?)
When he met with Cousins on Monday, Westphal said the center "was a little quiet and not too communicative," which he said is something he has seen from Cousins before. (Was this another of those private meetings?)
Petrie said Sunday the team does not plan to trade Cousins. Petrie said his talk with Cousins covered what he needs to improve on as a player, his role in the offense and the level of commitment needs to reach his potential."
He wanted to rejoin the team and his teammates," Petrie said. "I can't say we agreed on everything, but it was an honest and frank discussion." (I also saw a comment elsewhere where Petrie said some thing like "we didn't agree on everything but that's OK.) - I suspect and cannot prove that this is a difference between Petrie and Westphal. Westphal demands 100% agreement or feels the need to punish. Maybe I've over-stated but I kinda doubt it.
Etc.
Neither side is budging on its claim following a meeting Monday involving Cousins, his agent, John Greig, and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie.
After the meeting, Petrie decided Cousins would join the Kings on their flight for tonight's game against Memphis. Cousins was sent home by coach Paul Westphal before Sunday's game against New Orleans. Westphal said that during a meeting after Saturday's loss to New York, Cousins asked to be traded, a demand the coach said the center also made Dec. 24. (So he wanted to be traded before the first game without Salmons and Hayes having any significant time with the team? I don't know what this means.) Westphal added that there had been multiple issues with Cousins that had not been publicized.
Westphal said Cousins was told if there were more incidents there would be "less protection" from the team in not disclosing them.
Cousins issued a statement Monday: "I want to address my missing the New Orleans game Sunday. I have not demanded or requested a trade. I don't agree with the actions taken but will give my sincere effort to put it behind me and compete the best I can for my team."
Cousins will dress for tonight's game but will not start, Westphal said."We still hope DeMarcus will be here to continue to mature and progress and reach his potential with the Kings," Westphal said.
Asked what he needed to see from Cousins to know if he is changing his ways, Westphal said: "We'll know it when we see it … . His attitude has a long way to go. It will be up to coaches, teammates and most fans (to see a change)." (What?)
When he met with Cousins on Monday, Westphal said the center "was a little quiet and not too communicative," which he said is something he has seen from Cousins before. (Was this another of those private meetings?)
Petrie said Sunday the team does not plan to trade Cousins. Petrie said his talk with Cousins covered what he needs to improve on as a player, his role in the offense and the level of commitment needs to reach his potential."
He wanted to rejoin the team and his teammates," Petrie said. "I can't say we agreed on everything, but it was an honest and frank discussion." (I also saw a comment elsewhere where Petrie said some thing like "we didn't agree on everything but that's OK.) - I suspect and cannot prove that this is a difference between Petrie and Westphal. Westphal demands 100% agreement or feels the need to punish. Maybe I've over-stated but I kinda doubt it.
Etc.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/03/4158793/demarcus-cousins-returns.html
Not sure where the writer is going. He details Cousins' past troubles and omits Westphal's past troubles. Both are pertinent to this story.
There are a few new twists here. Westphal says he will not protect Cousins and will make more of his behavior public. I personally think this has nailed the coffin shut on this relationship. Punishment without praise breeds even more discontent. Beat a petualnt child and what do you get? A more petulant child.
I don't expect Westphal to be a psychiatrist but I DO hope he has raised children. This is more like raising a child than being a coach where everyone is treated equally. (Cough!) Cousins is not normal and will need a different approach - a more fatherly approach. A good father. A Vlade-like approach. I wouldn't turn a team upside down for just any player but this guy can be something special and is bordering on that right now. I even doubt that the players would object if he got a little special treatment. It would take an idiot to think this is simply a spoiled star wanting special treament. He is a potential star who NEEDS special treatment. This is where a few will disagree, I am sure.
And what do the fans have to do with any of this? Westphal introduced the fans into the equation. I think that is very interesting. If this comment had come from the Maloofs or Petrie, I would have seen it as a sign that Westphal was going to be fired. This comment came from Westphal and I hope it means he is actually reading fans' opinions. Do we actually have a say in Cousins' future? It's a sign of maturity on his part.
All we see is what is on the court. Everything else in my mind is viewed as something to be taken with a grain of salt. We can SEE what Cousins does on the court. It is not filtered through the papers or agents. I have seen no behavioral problems this year on the court and if making a sour face is a problem, Jordan and Kobe should have been benched their entire careers. Otherwise I have been pleased with his on court behavior. If we have input, our input is clear.
Cuz has always responded to punishment by having a decent game. It will be interesting to see if there is a change in this pattern. In any case, I don't see how anything has been resolved.
Just a walk down memory lane...
http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?39863-Cousins-suspended-by-the-team&highlight=rules
http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?39863-Cousins-suspended-by-the-team&highlight=rules
Great find, this probably deserves its own thread. If Cousins regularly yells at people to just trade him if they're not happy with him, that's a little different from a one time outburst. It's also somewhat telling that the team came out and played a ton better without Cousins- maybe they were happy to play one distraction-free game too.
This whole thing is shaping up to be a major disaster, and I get the feeling its gonna get a lot worse before it gets better.
lol so because I don't like people who bully others and have emotional problems that can destroy a team/family I'm an idiot? I thought you were supposed to be a mod and not engage in personal attacks. To be honest iif Demarcus were to continue to get away with this **** I would probably be a lot less of a Kings fan because I've had to deal with people like him in my family and it can ruin your life. I don't like people like that.
That's very unfortunate for you, but personal history is no way to run any organization. This organization is dedicated to winning basketball games. Players capable of eventually winning as many basketball games as Cousins might fall in your lap once every decade, and only then if you are in the habit of being quite bad for long stretches of each decade. You get very few opportunities at that level, and some significant percentage of the Kings fanbase could very have passed away before you will get another one. So you can't blow it. Certaintly not for personal reasons.
And you will note I did not call you an idiot. I called the idea of supporting trading Cousins idiotic, or to be more precise, the sort of thing that everybody would kick themselves for being an idiot about for years to come.
And you will note I did not call you an idiot. I called the idea of supporting trading Cousins idiotic, or to be more precise, the sort of thing that everybody would kick themselves for being an idiot about for years to come.
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I'm going to have to agree. Why would you base a business/game strategy off a personal feeling?
Like for example:
I hate Bynum. I think he's a POS. Didn't stop me from picking him up in Fantasy Basketball because I needed a C who would most likely have impact, and I'll be damned if I lose my pool because I wouldn't pick up a guy for my team because I don't like him.
Context of this incident after the Knicks game might shed a little different light. According to Marty MacNeal's blog, Cousins agent said it went like this:
The situation that led to Cousins missing Sunday evening's victory over New Orleans began after Saturday night's loss to the New York Knicks. The agent said Westphal called Cousins 'selfish' and said he was the team's problem.
.....
Cousins later went into the coach's office, Greig said, and asked Westphal why he singled him out.
Greig said Westphal told Cousins, "I don't have time to talk to you about this."
Ok this sounds a bit different. I'm sure his agent would not lie about the coach singling out DMC after the loss. Which is easy enough to verify with other players present. I saw that game and am completely dumbfounded how PW was able to single Cousins out. So PW is as much at fault for this incident IMO. Cousins should let it roll off his back. But PW should not be handling his frustration over a loss where most every player and the coaching staff should be pointing fingers at themselves. More evidence that PW is out of his element as a head coach.
The situation that led to Cousins missing Sunday evening's victory over New Orleans began after Saturday night's loss to the New York Knicks. The agent said Westphal called Cousins 'selfish' and said he was the team's problem.
.....
Cousins later went into the coach's office, Greig said, and asked Westphal why he singled him out.
Greig said Westphal told Cousins, "I don't have time to talk to you about this."
Ok this sounds a bit different. I'm sure his agent would not lie about the coach singling out DMC after the loss. Which is easy enough to verify with other players present. I saw that game and am completely dumbfounded how PW was able to single Cousins out. So PW is as much at fault for this incident IMO. Cousins should let it roll off his back. But PW should not be handling his frustration over a loss where most every player and the coaching staff should be pointing fingers at themselves. More evidence that PW is out of his element as a head coach.
Maybe you need better parenting skills.. You and Westphal can both go to class together..
btw I'm in no way a fan of PW, IMO he should probably be fired. I don't know who to believe in the Cousins/PW spat. But if the article is true I lost a hell of a lot of respect for Cousins and am very dissapointed in him. The Kings were here before him and they'll be here after him, well maybe not in Sacramento but they will exist as an organization. If PW did single out Cousins to the media before the game and wouldn't explain why after that and Cousins really did just say "well if you think I'm so bad then trade me" I don't really blame him. But if he is getting away with bullying people and making everyone else miserable, then I don't really care if he stays. If you all want you can have a different opinion but that is my opinion.