Cousins SUSPENDED! (merged)

[VF21]

yes, but that time is certainly not game seven of year three...

and, as brick said, jimmer is a basketball insect compared to cousins. as presently constructed, this team will never break for jimmer the way it broke for peja over c-webb. the talent disparity is far too wide in this instance. of course, the fans can fracture themselves into whatever little subsets they want, but my point in comparing demarcus and jimmer was that you can make the safe, family-friendly pick 10 times out of 10, and it will probably never hurt your franchise in any direct manner. but it won't always help you either (see: minnesota's drafting of wesley johnson a single spot above demarcus cousins). however, making the unsafe pick can pay off big time if a team is willing to absorb the risk. demarcus' game speaks for itself. i hardly need to defend its potential...

Fair enough. I'll confess to being nervous when it comes to risk, however, because of how badly it turned out with Artest. And I see some similarities with DMC that I pray can be corrected before we end up losing him to suspension over something that could have been prevented. It's the "ounce of prevention vs. pound of cure" thing perhaps...

 

[jpsls]

DMC is the only player that would have been suspended because of this.

 

[Padrino]

Fair enough. I'll confess to being nervous when it comes to risk, however, because of how badly it turned out with Artest. And I see some similarities with DMC that I pray can be corrected before we end up losing him to suspension over something that could have been prevented. It's the "ounce of prevention vs. pound of cure" thing perhaps...

risk aversion has always been placed at too high a premium amongst kings fans, in my opinion. too many nice guys can sour a team's competitive streak. brand recognition and hanes commercials aside, michael jordan was one of the most unlikable players of his era. dude was mean. so is kobe bryant. they won. if demarcus learns to channel his me-against-the-world angst into domination on the court rather than distraction off the court, he'll win, too (either here or somewhere else). but let's get one thing straight: ron artest was and is a different animal altogether, psychologically speaking. demarcus cousins is immature, and has a nasty temper, but he's not an unhinged basketcase...

 

[Npliam]

DMC is the only player that would have been suspended because of this.

That is ridiculous.

 

[jpsls]

That is ridiculous.

When has anybody been suspended over an arguement? Maybe a fine but a suspension? Cmon.

 

[VF21]

There's an excellent article in the Kings News Link forum. http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/sho...-suspension-for-confronting-Spurs-commentator

Here's an excerpt:

Cousins is never going to be the establishment's ideal basketball player, but that doesn't mean he can't be a great athlete deserving of positive attention. To be sure, he won't get to that level if he doesn't mature, which really only involves tempering his emotions even a little and becoming a steadier force on the court and in the locker room. Yet it's not as if Cousins is an impossible presence — he's ultimately a 22-year-old kid with some emotional issues who could very well become the player many want him to be if he's given some space to grow. (It's also worth noting that Cousins has at least acknowledged his need to change.) Overreacting to every minor incident simply reinforces the prevailing narrative of his career and dooms Cousins to being called immature until well after he retires.

Cousins isn't beyond criticism — he needs to mature to fulfill his immense potential — but he also isn't a constant problem child. He may only start acting like more of an adult when we begin to treat him like one.

It's well written and it makes good sense. After reading it, I find myself agreeing that I have probably over-reacted and been too judgmental of DMC. I want him to be a success and I hope we can find a way to help it happen.

 

[PurpleHaze]

DMC is the only player that would have been suspended because of this.

Well, then he should have realized that obvious fact and how his volatile attitude, his stupid actions, his immaturity has direct, dire consequences - like probably causing his team to lose in LA tonight and maybe even next game, losing two game paycheck, losing respect in a variety of quarters. We keep hearing how incredibly smart Cousins is - really? When something like this happens repeatedly it shows that he does not have one of the most important marks of real, deep, intellect - emotional intelligence. Once again, Cousins shows he's just a big unruly kiddo, who has no seasoned common sense - yet - unfortunately.

 

[rainmaker]

Well, then he should have realized that obvious fact and how his volatile attitude, his stupid actions, his immaturity has direct, dire consequences - like probably causing his team to lose in LA tonight and maybe even next game, losing two game paycheck, losing respect in a variety of quarters. We keep hearing how incredibly smart Cousins is - really? When something like this happens repeatedly it shows that he does not have one of the most important marks of real, deep, intellect - emotional intelligence. Once again, Cousins shows he's just a big unruly kiddo, who has no seasoned common sense - yet - unfortunately.

Really? No one even knows what was said between the two. Do you know something everyone else doesn't? How about filling us in?

 

[PurpleHaze]

Really? No one even knows what was said between the two. Do you know something everyone else doesn't? How about filling us in?

I have absolutely no idea what Cousins said just as you don't know either. I do know Cousins tarnished history as was cited here tonight and those are facts - and facts can be stubborn things and also instructive. Unfortunately, those previous facts have not apparently been instructive enough to Cousins or he would not over and over get himself into jams WITHOUT THINKING FIRST.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

The penalty imposed by the NBA is a complete and utter farce. Aside from being blatantly hypocritical, it is over-the-top excessive considering that the confrontation was merely verbal and not physical in nature.

• Charles Barkley, who also had a checkered past, once spat on an 8-year old girl yet was only suspended for ONE game.
  
• Just a few days ago, Steve Blake uses inappropriate language toward a fan yet receives no suspension at all.
  
• Matt Barnes resists arrest and interferes with a peace officer yet receives only a ONE game suspension.
  
• Last season, Arron Afflalo receives a 1 game suspension for throwing and landing an elbow to Gordon Hayward's head (yet our rookie gets 2 games for a first time offense to the neck).
  
• Hedo Turkoglu only received a 1 game suspension for making contact with a ref.
  
• Kevin Love received a 2 game suspension for intentionally stomping on Luis Scola's head.
  
• Rajon Rondo received a 2 game suspension for throwing the ball at a ref.
  
• Joakim Noah directs a homosexual slur toward a fan and is fined but not suspended.
  
• Marvin Williams was suspended 2 games and Shawne Williams was suspended 1 game for throwing punches at each other.

All of the above occurred within the last 2 years.

How is what Cousins was involved in remotely equal to or worse than any of these incidents?

All of the suspensions listed above involved some sort of physical confrontation. Each of the verbal confrontations, involving fans mind you, received fines but NO suspension whatsoever.

I could not find a single 1 game suspension by the league for any type of verbal confrontation, let alone a 2 game suspension. A few teams have suspended there own players for a game or two for verbal confrontations with a coach or fellow player, but nothing by the league itself.

As I stated before, this suspension was overly excessive and inconsistent with penalties handed out in the recent past. Furthermore, many of the players listed above had an equal or worse reputation than Cousins when the incident took place so that's a bogus excuse as well.

 

[rainmaker]

Really? No one even knows what was said between the two. Do you know something everyone else doesn't? How about filling us in?

I have absolutely no idea what Cousins said just as you don't know either. I do know Cousins tarnished history as was cited here tonight and those are facts - and facts can be stubborn things and also instructive. Unfortunately, those previous facts have not apparently been instructive enough to Cousins or he would not over and over get himself into jams WITHOUT THINKING FIRST.

I don't think you understand the definition of fact. Asking a camera man to get a camera out of his face while dressing somehow helps factually prove he's some unruly kiddo? It's a fact Westy was right in the way he handled things with Cuz around that time? Without knowing the facts in the situation involving Elliot, you imply it's another factual example of him being a loose cannon?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Where's Red Foreman when you need him?

 

[HereWeBoogie]

The penalty imposed by the NBA is a complete and utter farce. Aside from being blatantly hypocritical, it is over-the-top excessive considering that the confrontation was merely verbal and not physical in nature.

• Charles Barkley, who also had a checkered past, once spat on an 8-year old girl yet was only suspended for ONE game.
  
• Just a few days ago, Steve Blake uses inappropriate language toward a fan yet receives no suspension at all.
  
• Matt Barnes resists arrest and interferes with a peace officer yet receives only a ONE game suspension.
  
• Last season, Arron Afflalo receives a 1 game suspension for throwing and landing an elbow to Gordon Hayward's head (yet our rookie gets 2 games for a first time offense to the neck).
  
• Hedo Turkoglu only received a 1 game suspension for making contact with a ref.
  
• Kevin Love received a 2 game suspension for intentionally stomping on Luis Scola's head.
  
• Rajon Rondo received a 2 game suspension for throwing the ball at a ref.
  
• Joakim Noah directs a homosexual slur toward a fan and is fined but not suspended.
  
• Marvin Williams was suspended 2 games and Shawne Williams was suspended 1 game for throwing punches at each other.

All of the above occurred within the last 2 years.

How is what Cousins was involved in remotely equal to or worse than any of these incidents?

All of the suspensions listed above involved some sort of physical confrontation. Each of the verbal confrontations, involving fans mind you, received fines but NO suspension whatsoever.

I could not find a single 1 game suspension by the league for any type of verbal confrontation, let alone a 2 game suspension. A few teams have suspended there own players for a game or two for verbal confrontations with a coach or fellow player, but nothing by the league itself.

As I stated before, this suspension was overly excessive and inconsistent with penalties handed out in the recent past. Furthermore, many of the players listed above had an equal or worse reputation than Cousins when the incident took place so that's a bogus excuse as well.

wow this is very eye opening. now im even more pissed off then i was before.

and if i remember correct, the Rondo thing was he threw a shoulder check at a ref. unless that was a totally separate incident

 

[Padrino]

I have absolutely no idea what Cousins said just as you don't know either. I do know Cousins history as was cited here tonight and those are facts - and facts can be stubborn things and also instructive. Unfortunately, those previous facts have not apparently been instructive enough to Cousins or he would not over and over get himself into jams WITHOUT THINKING FIRST.

yeah, obviously. because no 22 year old has ever had difficulty triumphing over his shortcomings...



no great athlete exists on an island. they all stand on the shoulders of those who have come before. and every single one of them had someone in their corner on the path to greatness: a coach, a mentor, a family member, a true friend, etc. i don't know who cousins surrounds himself with, personally, but it's not clear that the kings organization is providing him with the kind of mentoring necessary for his maturation--both as a player and as a man. early in his career, kobe bryant clashed endlessly with phil jackson. now, kobe's taken to quoting jax in post-game interviews, even with the zen master retired, however brief that sabbatical may be. though he's hardly a perfect specimen, kobe grew up, kicking and screaming, under the tutelage of one of the all time great head coaches. and now kobe will go down in history as one of the nba's all time great guards. there is a correlation. jax helped kobe channel his emotions into an unstoppable competitive drive. demarcus need not become a great citizen of the world. he needs only a little guidance in shepherding him towards a productive nba career. i am amazed at the lack of empathy or grace on display here. maybe it's because i was a confused 22 year old not so long ago, and became a better man on the backs of those willing to help me get there...

 

[jpsls]

wow this is very eye opening. now im even more pissed off then i was before.

and if i remember correct, the Rondo thing was he threw a shoulder check at a ref. unless that was a totally separate incident

Besides, why did the NBA suspend him when their "investigation" wasn't even finished?

 

[Kingster]

But, at some point, don't you start to worry about whether or not said fiery young player can, in fact, become that franchise center?

Teams need a variety of players and personalities. I hate that this is becoming a DMC v. Jimmer situation. It's heart-breakingly reminiscent of the Peja-CWebb debates that became so disruptive and meaningless.

DMC needs to find a way to get past his problems. And he needs to do so quickly before he becomes such a target of the officials and the league that he's lost forever.

Yes, you do have to worry. The thing that gets me about Cousins is that I really think he can control his behavior. I've seen him do it, really modulate his expressions, control himself, and lay off the refs. He can do it. He just doesn't want to.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

He can do it. He just doesn't want to.

the unfair treatment he's receiving from the refs and now the league sure isnt helping him either

 

[xrzn]

Imagine paying $165 for 2 tickets for yourself and gf (along with your friend and his gf) for tonight's game to only hear an hour later that DMC got suspended. Ridiculous luck.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

Imagine paying $165 for 2 tickets for yourself and gf (along with your friend and his gf) for tonight's game to only hear an hour later that DMC got suspended. Ridiculous luck.

i woulda sold those tickets out front of the arena

 

[Fear the Putin]

Didn't pay for others, but still dropped 270 and found out 20 min prior that cousins was suspended for some irrelevant conversation with Sean Elliot

 

[est.1999]

What a load of s***! Went on YouTube to find a link to this and I stumbled across a video about the rigging of game 6 in the WCF against the lakers. What a terrible way to end my Sunday. I guess I did it to myself.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

^ya that memory will always pee you off. i heard Michael Wilbon on ESPN the other day talking about the Princeton offense that Mike Brown was trying to use in LA, talking about how it was most successful with the glory days Sacramento team, he proceeded to say "the Sacramento team that was robbed out of a trip to the finals by the officials"

i was happy, right on Wilbon, tell it like it is!

 

[KingsCitizen]

If Cousin played in the era of Bill Laimbeer. He would be a candidate for HOF for being such a witty personality that plays the game with burning passion.
If Cousins played in the era of Rodman and Karl Malone, he will get an invitation for WWE for being such a feisty personality.
And these guys are Hall OF Famers.

The league is too soft now to ensure legacies of pussies.
But even for this incident, I will never put a finger pointing to Boogie as the bad guy here. Shame on the officiating for ensuring a Lakers win.

Kevin Garnett should be suspended for months in every season for trash talking on rookies every season.

 

[kennadog]

Not all 22-year-olds are as immature as Cousins. Not even all 22-year-old NBA basketball players.

I'm not ready to jump all over Cousins. I think he is a basically good kid, who just can't seem to control his emotions. He keeps talking about changing, but hasn't so far. Still, I hope he will get it at some point. I really want him to succeed and live up to his potential. I like him.

Like they say, "don't get mad, get even." By that, I mean Cousins has to learn to channel the energy of his emotions into his play out on the court. Use his emotions, master them, instead of letting them master him and take him out of the game.

Do I think the penalty was rather extreme? Yes, to my mind and I really don't understand such a harsh penalty. Mostly what I feel, however, is disappointment that Cousins let his emotions get the better of him AGAIN. He will not reach his potential as a player (or a person, either) by continuing to behave this way. He hurt himself, but if that was all, then fine, go hurt yourself Cousins. But he hurt his teammates, the Kings organization and Kings fans.

So c'mon Cousins. Be a good teammate. Don't just talk about the need to get control of yourself, start doing it. If you want to achieve something, you have to start moving in the right direction.

 

[mac]

Ridiculous suspension, stupid actions by Cuz. Can Cuz change how the league is treating him? No. Can he stop putting himself in such situations that allow him to be treated unfairly? Yes. The due course of action seems pretty clear to me.

 

[ParniValjak]

This is bull****!

 

[JB_kings]

Cousins was out of line. No question. And he should have been punished. The problem is that the league punished the team and it's fans along with Cousins. Since the NBA is setting a precedent here, there was no way that that he knew that he would be facing suspension by confronting Elliott.

The appropriate action should have been a fine.

 

[spudfan]

Cousins was out of line. No question. And he should have been punished. The problem is that the league punished the team and it's fans along with Cousins. Since the NBA is setting a precedent here, there was no way that that he knew that he would be facing suspension by confronting Elliott.

The appropriate action should have been a fine.

What was out of line? I don't believe we have seen/heard a transcript of the conversation. Even if the conversation was a full blown yelling match, two grown men talking after a game? Did someone beat the other one up? Someones feelings hurt? Don't see what the big issue is. The amount of swearing and trash talk that comes through my TV from players during games is pretty absurd. If they are not going to start suspending people for it DURING the games, I see no reason for it after the games. If it was a fan talking trash, like the Steve Blake incident I may feel different... but this wasn't a fan. It was another NBA employee who was also a long time player, the guy talks for a living on tv so I am pretty confident he can handle a conversation with Cousins.

 

[UK_King]

But what did he say on the air that was so bad he felt the need to confront him?

If he was slandering me or my family I might feel the urge to have a quiet word with him but otherwise i wouldn't give a ......

all he said was cousins was wrong to trash talk duncan, thats just his opinion... who cares.

I don't know what was said and will never claim to but i imagine it was something questionable, if it wasn't, the league is setting the precedent that it's unacceptable to approach anyone under any circumstance.

Skip Bayless and Stephen A make a living "blasting" players, coaches and teams, it's "entertainment" it's pantomime. If these kind of things are going to make you blow up, well, IMO it's a bit daft. The answer, as always is to let your GAME do the talking.

 

[treach1976]

has no bearing whatsoever on the fairness of the suspension, but wow... 2 games without DMC is probably tougher on the Kings than probably any other team would have with losing their star player... Possible exception may be Dirk and the Mavs.