RookieOfTheDay
Starter
I can't wait to see what ole company man Grant has to say about this. You know he's going to toe the company line, as usual.
cousins fined and benched for giving the choke sign
- Thread starter sacgirl88
- Start date
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
If Westphal knew how to establish a real offensive identity we might win games. If he knew how to manage personalities we might see improvement.
My guess is that what Cousins did wasnt all too "Rated E". This is a league that banned upside down headbands, and doesnt want players to be demonstrative with the refs. I wouldnt be surprised if what they thought Cousins did was over the line not towards the players, but towards the audience. But who knows? As for the benching, its probably a combo of the choke thing and his bad play and Coach wanted to make a statement.
As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to have to defend Westphal here. We can't give him **** for letting Tyreke run wild, and then give him **** when he DOESN'T let Cousins do anything he wants. I don't think the fine and benching are such a big deal. It's a mere slap on the wrist. Cousins makes enough money for the fine not to be that painful, and assuming he will come off the bench and still play significant minutes, the benching is just a symbolic thing.
Of course, with Westphal I don't know what to expect. I hope Cousins doesn't get 5 DNPs now for this. As long as he keeps it on the symbolic side I'm fine with it.
And to answer massachusettskingsfan: it's different because Tyreke was giving himself a compliment with that gesture and not taunting the other team.
RookieOfTheDay
Starter
LOL I've never heard Grant this angry.
... i didnt say he was? that may have been one reason tying into why he was benched.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
A coach this horrible attempting to show up his players will only breed bad, bad things.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
The difference is that the choke sign, on top of being an aggresive signal that can get you punched right in teh nose on a pickup court, was specifically outlawed int he NBA as taunting -- tis a technical. Not sure how/why the refs mised it here, unless it be just to let the big kid fall on his face himself. What Tyreke did last year is not illegal, nor is it even really taunting unless you stand over an oppoennt doing it. Its a celebration, not a put down. Its a whole different vibe.
PurpleHaze
All-Star
I agree and when Grant said, "the Kings are a dumb, dumb team" - I say mega dittos. Then he took it further by saying his boys 8th grade basketball team is smarter than these adults and kids on current Kings team. PW to be on with Napear today at 5:20 pm.
Yea, a player should certainly get a technical for teabagging his opponent...
Jechtsphere
Starter
A bit weak, would of made more sense to do that after Cousins was upset at Beno for not giving him the the ball and instead gave it to Landry who got fouled and when Beno tried to talk to him he pushes Beno away.
These things happen to broken teams.
These things happen to broken teams.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
I agree with Grant: Send him to the D-League. Let him enjoy 10 hour bus rides to nowhere, sleeping in some two-bit motel. And if Cousins acts up after this, with coaches, with teamates, with opponents, with refs, that's where he's going - the D League.
The apologists of Cousins behavior on this board make me sick. You're acting as juvenile as Cousins. like adolescents blaming the authority figure for the ridiculously immature behaviror of their peer. It seems like everything is allowed if the guy has talent. Well, it doesn't. If he has no respect for anybody else why in hell should anybody show him respect?
PS And as I said before, Westphal isn't doing this because of this one incident. As Napier just said: "Trust me, it's only part of it." For everything we read, hear and see you easily multiply it factor of two.
The apologists of Cousins behavior on this board make me sick. You're acting as juvenile as Cousins. like adolescents blaming the authority figure for the ridiculously immature behaviror of their peer. It seems like everything is allowed if the guy has talent. Well, it doesn't. If he has no respect for anybody else why in hell should anybody show him respect?
PS And as I said before, Westphal isn't doing this because of this one incident. As Napier just said: "Trust me, it's only part of it." For everything we read, hear and see you easily multiply it factor of two.
Last edited:
RookieOfTheDay
Starter
That the choke sign is even an issue to folks is comical to me. It's not about Cousins, I'd say the same regardless of who did it. This team, this season, and that game last night are/were a total debacle and people are worried about a choke sign. Really??? In light of the Kings' other problems, the choke sign is a non issue.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Peraps we should send Grant to the D-league for juvenile reporting if he was actually suggesting that.
Giving the choke sign was inappropriate for a proven nothign kid on a 5-21 team. It was also just stupid given that it could have given the opposing team a technical FT and lost the game for us. BVut ridiuclously immature? Juvenile? You know what my memories, as old not-so-immature guy anymore are of the choke sign? Its of Larry Bird standing behind Domique Wilkens grabbing his throat and mocking him for misses FTs. It of Reggie Miller doing the same. Charles Barkley. Are they all ridiculously immature players that needed to go to the D-League? The difference was they were greats, had proven it, would hit those clutch shots and knew they were superior to thoe who wouldn't and were not remotely above putting their gentials in somebody's face over it. Cousins has proven nothing, should not have been doing it. But making the choke signal is hardly some great sign of an immature malcontent. Cousins is in very good company on that one.
The D-League is not a punishment league. It's a development league. It exists to help players develop their game when they can't get playing time or a contract in the NBA. To send players to the D-League as punishment is ridiculous disrespect for everyone involved with that league. What kind of message would that send to Whiteside if Cousin's "punishment" would be to play in the same league with him? Not to mention that Cousins is one of our best players (if not the best at this point) and do we really want to suck any more than we do now?
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Not to mention, we wouldn't ant Cousins to burst all of his NBDL teammates bubbles by scoring fifty points a night on the kids.
This is a funny post. Demarcus didn't flip anybody off or get in a fight with anybody, all he was doing was try to get in GSWs head and make them miss some FTs. Westphail is a horrible coach whose team does stupid things over and over again, but we all want to scapegoat the rookie? Am I the only one who sees what's wrong here with this picture? Maybe if the team was better coached, Cisco wouldn't have shot a 3 with 12 seconds left on the shot clock. Maybe if the team was better coached, the rookie wouldn't be out there doing stuff you're not supposed to. Maybe if the team was better coached, guys wouldn't be fouling 3 point shooters over and over again in the last 10 seconds to blow the game. Westphal needs to GTFO, and lets bring in a real teacher for Demarcus and the rest of these young guys.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
You, like so many are rationalizing, looking at this as an isolated incident to be compared with other isolated incidents. It isn't the same. It's one in a series of incidents. Why is that so difficult to comprehend?
You're in law, right? What judge looks at sentencing in a bubble, as an incident in a snapshot in time, with no context about the person's past behavior and past crimes?They don't. Similarly, Westphal is looking at ALL of Cousins behaviors, including this disrespecful immature act and is saying," ENOUGH." It's beyond me how you can excuse the inexcusable.
Section 101
All-Star
Haha
Ailene agrees it's an over reaction
http://blogs.sacbee.com/sports/kings/archives/2010/12/cousins-benched.html
Ailene agrees it's an over reaction
http://blogs.sacbee.com/sports/kings/archives/2010/12/cousins-benched.html
If i recall correctly, that time when Reggie Miller did the choke sign, his team was making a big comeback, and Reggie played a big part in that draining a bunch of threes. And i think he did the choke thing towards Spike Lee who was taunting him on the sideline. Quite a different context
RookieOfTheDay
Starter
So you're basically saying it's like a three strikes you're out scenario? I guess I can see that. I'd just point out that I don't think giving a choke sign should be worthy of a strike, in any case.
Section 101
All-Star
How about KG not getting T's or fined by the Celtics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvCyZB1n6lE
Or the barking at Bayless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT8qLg2NjnQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvCyZB1n6lE
Or the barking at Bayless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT8qLg2NjnQ
Last edited:
A sure sign of a narcissistic coach.
RookieOfTheDay
Starter
Good article on this here, which I agree with. http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....-cousins-for-giving-“choke”-sign-during-game/
Similar threads
