K
KingMilz
Guest
30+ min interview
Bill Simmons looks like a wide eyed child dude is super excited to be interviewing Cuz
30+ min interview
Bill Simmons looks like a wide eyed child dude is super excited to be interviewing Cuz
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
The Demarcus Cousins Goodwill Tour continues. Apparently having Shaq as a mentor means having some of Shaq's media appearances.
Bill Simmons is amazed that Demarcus thinks he can best Anthony Davis. A cursory glance at the box scores says this is the case, Billy Bill Bill.
As always, Bill seems like he's on some crazy uppers and Demarcus is super dialed back in the opposite end of the spectrum. Bill also has some strange fascination with chips on people's shoulders and of course can't help talking about the Celtics for five minutes.
Nothing really new out of the interview but its nice seeing Demarcus getting more good press and him saying he enjoys playing in a small market (AKA not Dwight Howard).
Bill Simmons is amazed that Demarcus thinks he can best Anthony Davis. A cursory glance at the box scores says this is the case, Billy Bill Bill.
As always, Bill seems like he's on some crazy uppers and Demarcus is super dialed back in the opposite end of the spectrum. Bill also has some strange fascination with chips on people's shoulders and of course can't help talking about the Celtics for five minutes.
Nothing really new out of the interview but its nice seeing Demarcus getting more good press and him saying he enjoys playing in a small market (AKA not Dwight Howard).
MassachusettsKingsFan
All-Star
Ughhhhh. Just give us Rondo already.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
btw, who wants to post transcript notes? 
half hour vids are hard to watch on work days.
half hour vids are hard to watch on work days.
K
KingMilz
Guest
Just listen to it, xfer it to your phone or somethingbtw, who wants to post transcript notes?
half hour vids are hard to watch on work days.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
From the look on his face during the interview, Demarcus would like having Rondo.
MassachusettsKingsFan
All-Star
Boogie said Rondo was the best point guard in the NBA. He said he liked him.
He thinks McLemore is going to be very good because he works really hard. Acknowledged that there weren't enough shots for him this year, and it will be different now.
Said John Wall and Bledsoe were the two best PG's he ever played with. A few other subtle digs at Thomas like that one.
He texted IT congrats after the signing. He didn't seem that bummed about it.
He thinks Stauskas is good right now. Will be able to contribute right away.
Likes the direction of the franchise. Night and Day from Maloof era.
Said he is OK with Griffin. Dislikes CP3.
He said playing against ZBO and Gasol is something you feel the next day. The physicality of it.
Said Ish Smith was the fasted guy in the NBA. The Simmons look of 'who is Ish Smith' was pretty funny.
He mentioned how Wall sort of tried to get him in Washington.
Mentioned Clips and Warriors as the two teams he likes playing against the most.
Said Al Jefferson is the toughest big to cover.
Called LBJ, KD, and Kobe the best players right now.
He remembers all the players drafted before him along with guys who made the all-nba teams over him.
And most importantly said he thinks the Kings WILL make the playoffs this year. 7 or 8 seed.
I think that about covers it. Not a lot there. My biggest takeaways were the stuff about IT and point guards, and how he seemed to understand moving on was for the best. And how he liked Rondo a lot.
He thinks McLemore is going to be very good because he works really hard. Acknowledged that there weren't enough shots for him this year, and it will be different now.
Said John Wall and Bledsoe were the two best PG's he ever played with. A few other subtle digs at Thomas like that one.
He texted IT congrats after the signing. He didn't seem that bummed about it.
He thinks Stauskas is good right now. Will be able to contribute right away.
Likes the direction of the franchise. Night and Day from Maloof era.
Said he is OK with Griffin. Dislikes CP3.
He said playing against ZBO and Gasol is something you feel the next day. The physicality of it.
Said Ish Smith was the fasted guy in the NBA. The Simmons look of 'who is Ish Smith' was pretty funny.
He mentioned how Wall sort of tried to get him in Washington.
Mentioned Clips and Warriors as the two teams he likes playing against the most.
Said Al Jefferson is the toughest big to cover.
Called LBJ, KD, and Kobe the best players right now.
He remembers all the players drafted before him along with guys who made the all-nba teams over him.
And most importantly said he thinks the Kings WILL make the playoffs this year. 7 or 8 seed.
I think that about covers it. Not a lot there. My biggest takeaways were the stuff about IT and point guards, and how he seemed to understand moving on was for the best. And how he liked Rondo a lot.
MassachusettsKingsFan
All-Star
?
Pretty sure Bill is just a talking head, not GM of the Celts.
Boogie had some pretty nice things to say about Rajon here
ParniValjak
All-Star
Getting Rondo will NOT be easy for us. Best we can hope for is clear out the cap room for next off-season and release Cuz and Gay on recruiting spree. I just don't think we have the assets we are willing to move to get him. So you give up McLemore or Stauskas and then what? Just lacking assets!
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
The likes of Walt Frazier should take a look at this interview, along with the rest of the media world saying negative things about Boogie. Nice interview to see, he has been getting a lot of media exposure this offseason. Good for him. Maybe they will appreciate his talents more next year, of course it starts with winning games, you win games, you will get plenty of recognition.
Padrino
All-Star
that's just bill simmons being bill simmons; the guy's an nba superfan, and what do fans love? they love rivalries. they love chips-on-shoulders. etc...
(this isn't really directed at you, specifically, Tetsujin) a lot of kings fans are down on bill simmons, which i can understand, because Grantland is not exactly a bastion of reverence for the sacramento kings. that said, simmons clearly has nothing but admiration for demarcus cousins, and i honestly believe he wants to see boogie (and the kings) succeed in the vivek era. the questions people ask about the new regime's acumen are valid, in my opinion, and while some of the punchlines about the kings are just too easy and too tired at this point, sometimes i think kings fans are prone to developing a very insular perspective regarding their team. more to the point, sometimes i think kings fans can't even recognize when someone in the national media is actually in their corner. simmons had been pushing for demarcus to go on his podcast for six months. it's definitely good exposure for demarcus and for the kings, in general...
simmons is also a really great writer, and one with a very distinct personality and a very unique voice, which is why i appreciate him so much. even though i disagree with his perspective at least half the time, what i love about bill simmons is his undeniable passion for the game. there are far too many "journalists" covering the nba these days who have no passion for the game at all; it's just a job where you get to rub shoulders with famous people. consider the kings' own beat writers, who seem to have no vested interest in the team whatsoever. after all, "sports journalism" today is mostly about one's ability to be the first to scoop a big story or pass along a tasty rumor...
bill simmons, on the other hand, is one of the few journalists who writes about nba basketball the way we think about nba basketball, as something much more than just a silly sport where players move from team to team and franchise's juggle salary cap issues. simmons was smart to get a robot like zach lowe writing for Grantland, because lowe is truly excellent at breaking down the game at a molecular level. but it's not always fun to think about the math of nba basketball; more often than not, the romance of the sport is just as important. kings fans who look back fondly at the "golden era" should know this better than anyone else...
personally, i wish there were more writers like bill simmons covering the nba. then we just might receive coverage that doesn't revolve exclusively around what lebron james ate for breakfast and what it might mean for his career going forward. i really enjoyed simmons' recent piece on carmelo anthony, for example, because it contextualized 'melo's career alongside nba history. i could care less about carmelo anthony and the new york knicks, to be honest, but simmons' article reminded me of why i love to discuss the nba, even in TDOS. it was the work of a writer who actually cares enough about nba basketball to think about nba basketball...
Chubbs
Starter
Another excellent article from Bill Simmons on Lebron. Totally worth it just for the clip of Larry Bird torching poor Ben Toquette.
http://grantland.com/features/god-loves-cleveland/
Interesting interview with Boogie. Bill has always been a big supporter of boogie.
http://grantland.com/features/god-loves-cleveland/
Interesting interview with Boogie. Bill has always been a big supporter of boogie.
rainmaker
Hall of Famer
I previously thought the talk of Boogie not being willing to play with Rondo was overblown. They're both competitors. Yes things have gotten chippy between them but he's a smart guy, and smart guys recognize talent.Boogie had some pretty nice things to say about Rajon here
CP3 has talent of course, but I imagine Boogie's issue with him is all the extra-curricular crap, the flopping, the cheap shots.
LPKingsFan
All-Star
Next year's cap is projected to be $66.5 million. Assuming there's no extension with Gay, the team declines Williams' qualifying offer, and does not take on any more 2015 salary, there's around $36 million on the books next summer, meaning the Kings would have some $30 million in space and could very well (over)pay both Rondo and Gay at deals around $15 million or so if they so desired. Hopefully, it wouldn't even take that much.
Incredible interview and well worth watching. I an not a fan of Bill Simmons but I think he did a very good job.
Loved the comments DMC made about us Kings fans. Also liked that he was diplomatic about IT - although the comment that McLemore would be getting more touches now was pretty clear.
I also liked DMC making it pretty clear to the world he doesn't like Chris Paul. We, of course, all knew it but I think it actually surprised Simmons a bit.
Al Jefferson getting respect from Cousins was interesting, as was him saying the Z-Bo/Marc Gasol combo was the one he had the most respect for.
Again, GREAT interview.
Loved the comments DMC made about us Kings fans. Also liked that he was diplomatic about IT - although the comment that McLemore would be getting more touches now was pretty clear.
I also liked DMC making it pretty clear to the world he doesn't like Chris Paul. We, of course, all knew it but I think it actually surprised Simmons a bit.
Al Jefferson getting respect from Cousins was interesting, as was him saying the Z-Bo/Marc Gasol combo was the one he had the most respect for.
Again, GREAT interview.
Glenn
Hall of Famer
Cousins is a smart guy and very difficult to dislike unless you are an opposing team's big assigned to guard him.
randymoss1881
Starter
If Cousins is saying stuff like Ben will get more touches and Wall/Bledsoe are best pgs I think it's clear that IT wasn't wanted and was a problem.
By my math the Kings would have around $40.7 million on the books next season if they renounced Derrick Williams giving them approximately $25.8 million in cap room and just under $27 million if they declined Acy's option. That MIGHT be enough to resign Gay and sign Rondo but I doubt it. Makes the Landry signing all the more frustrating because without him on the books the Kings would have around $33.7 million in cap room which WOULD likely be enough cash. Even just signing landry for 2 years $14 million would have been a much better idea.
Otherwise the Kings are looking at not quite enough cap room to be players, no draft pick (assuming they are good enough that the Bulls get their pick) and no way to improve. Once again I am going to be highly impressed if D'Alessandro actually manages to build a quality team out of the current mess. And while last season there was the valid excuse that the roster had a lot of junk in need of cleaning out and that PDA & crew came in with little time to really operate after next season the fault or success will lie with the new front office alone.
LPKingsFan
All-Star
Gah, you're right on the numbers, Sham doesn't have Collison on there yet.
Glenn
Hall of Famer
I know I'm just a grumpy old woman, but couldn't we just discuss Boogie's interview with Simmons without it dissolving into another player acquisition/trade discussion?
Bringing up Landry is a bummer. I'd rather talk about Boogie.
To be fair, the player acquisition part of it came FROM the Cousins interview since they broached the topic of him playing with Rondo etc.
Still, back to the actual video. I don't think Cuz will ever be totally comfortable in interviews (plenty of great players aren't - John Stockton looked like a kid in the dentist's chair) but I thought Simmons did a really good job, though I am biased because I do like Simmons, even when I don't agree with him. Kind of wish Jalen Rose had been there, I think it would have made things even more interesting.
One thing I love about Boogie is that he gives about as honest an answer as any NBA player I can think of when asked. Refreshing really.
Still, back to the actual video. I don't think Cuz will ever be totally comfortable in interviews (plenty of great players aren't - John Stockton looked like a kid in the dentist's chair) but I thought Simmons did a really good job, though I am biased because I do like Simmons, even when I don't agree with him. Kind of wish Jalen Rose had been there, I think it would have made things even more interesting.
One thing I love about Boogie is that he gives about as honest an answer as any NBA player I can think of when asked. Refreshing really.
I think Cousins and Vivek being on such good terms gives Cousins a certain degree of influence with regards to personnel decisions. I think he could of pushed hard for a Thomas re-signing if he really wanted to, but his comments seem to reflect what a lot of us felt which is that Thomas has more than proven himself as an NBA player, but there really weren't enough shots to go around with Cousins, Gay, and Thomas all in the lineup. Bill pushed Cousins on the 3 20pt scorer idea a bit and he didn't seem like he's going to miss Thomas all that much.
And on that note, I wonder to what extent Rondo being a free agent next season played into our decision-making this season -- with picking Stauskas over Payton, with going after a proven backup PG on a three year deal instead of committing to IT long-term, and going hard after Rudy Gay for an extension, a guy who's on good terms with Rondo and could be a big part of our pitch next year.
And on that note, I wonder to what extent Rondo being a free agent next season played into our decision-making this season -- with picking Stauskas over Payton, with going after a proven backup PG on a three year deal instead of committing to IT long-term, and going hard after Rudy Gay for an extension, a guy who's on good terms with Rondo and could be a big part of our pitch next year.
I've noticed that Boogie is definitely getting more comfortable in front of a microphone. I loved his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, for example. Simmons did an excellent job of making Boogie feel at ease by asking good but not "gotcha" questions.
I think the issue is that DMC doesn't necessarily WANT to become comfortable. I don't think he trusts easily and I think he sees the media stuff as an onerous obligation rather than a reluctant benefit. He doesn't have the demeanor to really exploit the opportunities and he has no interest in faking it. There are and have been scummy dudes in the NBA who create a very positive public persona that people buy into. For Boogie it's the opposite - he has never had an off the court issue and has a lot of very positive qualities but the perception of him league wide is still largely negative.
And I think he cares, just not enough to change or shine people on.
And I dig that about him.
And I think he cares, just not enough to change or shine people on.
And I dig that about him.
I don't necessarily disagree with anything you've said. I do like to see him able to talk with a microphone in his face, however, without looking like he'd rather be having double root canal procedures without anesthesia. The more people can see he's just a young guy with an incredible talent for the game of basketball, and not the angry malcontent as portrayed by some, the more they'll realize just how good he is for the sport. And that matters a lot to me.
Tonight's ESPYs should be a lot of fun to watch.
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