Cousins News

[Bricklayer]

they're probably negotiating incentives, meaning how much of the salary will be incentive based. couldn't imagine any other reason for the hold up, at least.

Perhaps, but we see this every year around the league for whatever reason. The Pacers and Paul George are finishing up the "negotiations" of his max contract too. No idea what "negotiations" means in that setting, but it seems near universal.

 

[Peter_Gibbons]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9...-demarcus-cousins-close-extension-sources-say

Cousins is definitely a max deal talent. I'm a big fan of his game and his potential of turning the franchise back to a winning one. The most important thing that he needs is growth mentally on how to handle difficult situations in life on and off the court. Thats where coach Malone, the owners and possibly Shaq comes in. Shaq will teach him some veteran tricks and some moves to get quick and easy buckets. That will help his game. It was never his game that I worry about with Cousins though. So far, everything looks to be going up and up.

 

[HndsmCelt]

I am always amused by people who think the only important consideration in a contract is the money. There are numerous other serious considerations involved. Trade clauses, morals clauses etc.

 

[Bricklayer]

I am always amused by people who think the only important consideration in a contract is the money. There are numerous other serious considerations involved. Trade clauses, morals clauses etc.

Pretty standardized in the NBA. I could see us trying to put in some sort of don't get suspended incentives/clauses or whatnot with Cousins, but like I say, Paul George is lingering too, and every year we have these max deals taking months to hash out. During free agency guys can agree to a deal in a week's time, with monetary negotiations and all the rest all wrapped up. Then you get a fairly clear cut max deal where everybody knows the number etc. and it just seems to linger on and on. I suspect that's what it is, lingering. Nobody is in a rush now, for the team it might even make sense to dawdle until the last minute just to gain a few extra months protection from a guy blowing out his knee over the summer or whatnot.

 

[Hadlowe]

What is it about the makeup of this team that makes you so certain that there will be more ball movement? Certainly not the switch of Vasquez for Evans, who are ball dominant players (albeit in different ways). The rest of the "me first" players are still here, and we've added another one in Landry.

If the idea is to bring in a pass-first PG to run the offense, then odds are he's going to run the offense, which based on personnel, is not likely to be a motion offense, because it would not suit the "talent" that exists on this team. Who's going to play away from the ball and move to an open spot? McLemore and Patterson are the only ones that fit that bill, but again, once they get the ball, I'm hoping it's because they're open and they're going to shoot.

I think people see gaudy assist numbers from one player and assume ball movement. I'd posit that it means quite the opposite. Truth is, we're not really going to know what it looks like until the season starts, so assumptions in both directions are purely sausage, but, hey, that's what message boards are for.

Patterson, McLemore, Thornton, Fredette, Salmons, and (blech) Outlaw are all decent spot-up shooters all the way out to the three point line. Cousins and Thompson both have respectable mid-range games. That's a lot of targets for a pass-first point guard to work with.

Still, I think a lot of people overinvest in the idea of the point guard as floor general. Other than Rondo on the '08 Celtics, I can't think of a championship team that had a ball-dominant, non-scoring guard as the primary playmaker. When Kidd got his ring, it was when he gave up being the primary playmaker and played in a motion offense.

 

[Spike]

Patterson, McLemore, Thornton, Fredette, Salmons, and (blech) Outlaw are all decent spot-up shooters all the way out to the three point line. Cousins and Thompson both have respectable mid-range games. That's a lot of targets for a pass-first point guard to work with.

The first two are, the next two can be (although that's not their game, although, again, that should probably be what Fredette aims for)...and then there's Outlaw, who would be great if our only opponent for 82 games was the Portland Trailblazers.

 

[Fear the Putin]

Jason Jones: Just saw DeMarcus Cousins and he looks like he's in great shape. Twitter @mr_jasonjones

 

[bajaden]

I am always amused by people who think the only important consideration in a contract is the money. There are numerous other serious considerations involved. Trade clauses, morals clauses etc.

Such as opt out clauses, and whether its a team option, or a player option. Or an early termination option, and what year those options appear. The other issue is the designated player label. I believe that's what its called. The team is allowed to use that on only one player on the team, and as long as that player is still on the team, they can't use it on any other player. They can trade for a player that has that label from another team, but that's the only way to have two players on the team at the same time with that designation.

In short, I'm agreeing with you. There's a lot more to be settled than people think.

 

[Kingster]

What is it about the makeup of this team that makes you so certain that there will be more ball movement? Certainly not the switch of Vasquez for Evans, who are ball dominant players (albeit in different ways). The rest of the "me first" players are still here, and we've added another one in Landry.

If the idea is to bring in a pass-first PG to run the offense, then odds are he's going to run the offense, which based on personnel, is not likely to be a motion offense, because it would not suit the "talent" that exists on this team. Who's going to play away from the ball and move to an open spot? McLemore and Patterson are the only ones that fit that bill, but again, once they get the ball, I'm hoping it's because they're open and they're going to shoot.

I think people see gaudy assist numbers from one player and assume ball movement. I'd posit that it means quite the opposite. Truth is, we're not really going to know what it looks like until the season starts, so assumptions in both directions are purely sausage, but, hey, that's what message boards are for.

To underline your point, there has been quite a bit of discussion with Malone about defense and the new culture. Not so much about the offense. I've never read anything or heard anything where Malone has said much about the offense other than the team needs to share the ball and they plan to run with discipline. The offense is the great unknown going forward.

 

[Bricklayer]

To underline your point, there has been quite a bit of discussion with Malone about defense and the new culture. Not so much about the offense. I've never read anything or heard anything where Malone has said much about the offense other than the team needs to share the ball and they plan to run with discipline. The offense is the great unknown going forward.

He has said repeatedly he intends to run the offense through Cousins, but what that looks like in practice can vary greatly. However when you combine pure PGs, dominant centers, defensive minded coaches and use the term "run with discipline" it can often be a slower more halfcourt oriented post offense. That's just reading tea leaves though, and frankly I'm not sure that suits most of the holdover personnel who were chucking and ducking just 6 months ago.

 

[dude12]

He has said repeatedly he intends to run the offense through Cousins, but what that looks like in practice can vary greatly. However when you combine pure PGs, dominant centers, defensive minded coaches and use the term "run with discipline" it can often be a slower more halfcourt oriented post offense. That's just reading tea leaves though, and frankly I'm not sure that suits most of the holdover personnel who were chucking and ducking just 6 months ago.

I think the coach would like to see how the group will work together before more moves are to come....unless someone really wants Hayes or Jimmer or Outlaw....I think the current core has an opportunity to show if they fit the vision, if not, then hopefully we can move guys.

 

[CruzDude]

Signing Cuz now before training camp gets going will be a major step in the new culture direction and good for the team overall. I think he can and will be a leader they need. Not necessarily "the" leader as we need to see how Vasquez and Cuz (mini-shaq?) work together. But we know he can be vocal on the court, if only now directed appropriately to his mates. This can be Shaq-Penny v2.0 and the start of something really big. We'll see I guess in a year or two.

 

[sdballer]

Signing Cuz now before training camp gets going will be a major step in the new culture direction and good for the team overall. I think he can and will be a leader they need. Not necessarily "the" leader as we need to see how Vasquez and Cuz (mini-shaq?) work together. But we know he can be vocal on the court, if only now directed appropriately to his mates. This can be Shaq-Penny v2.0 and the start of something really big. We'll see I guess in a year or two.

More like skiles/shaq which is quite a bit different.