Cuz down low this year, stats prediction

[The Truth Hurts]

I don't know about you guys, but watching how the team is utilizing Cousins this preseason is very encouraging to me. Per min he is dominating. If he can stay out of foul trouble and average 35+ min a game, I can easily see him average 25 12 and 3 this season if they keep consistently going to him in the paint.

I think with Vasquez as the point you're going to see a controlled half-court offense pounding the ball into Cuz, and he almost always has an advantage in the post every night in today's lack of big men NBA. Vasquez looks very confident out there despite his lack of playing time, setting the tone by making the right passes to start the set, almost always leading to Cuz in the post as far as I can see thus far.

Cuz is not settling for that jumper he loves so much the past few games. Instead, he's getting his behind in that post which is something we've really never seen before in Sacramento; a big who can dominate the post.

So I ask you guys this: what do you expect from Cuz stat-wise if he gets 35+ min a game with the team focusing on him in the post? I think 25, 12 and 3 is not out of reach, shooting 50% from the field. If that happens, look for the Kings to go close to .500 this year and staying competitve night in and night out.

 

[PurpleHaze]

No doubt Cuz will have dominate year stats wise as long as he stays on the court - for 35+ mins a game. The fact that he got 18 free throw attempts tonight was VERY encouraging. Just heard Vasquez say besides Cuz domination so far the probable starting PG is worried starting center being such a great passer could average more assists than him - tongue in cheek I think

 

[KingMilz]

I expect him to hover between 18-20 points with improved shooting %, assist numbers and more offensive rebounds (close to league leader).

 

[Hadlowe]

I expect him to hover between 18-20 points with improved shooting %, assist numbers and more offensive rebounds (close to league leader).

I'd bump that up to about 25 ppg. There are only a handful of big men in the league who give him trouble. On any big man not built like Pekovic, Cousins can score 30 every night.

 

[ESP47]

I'll go with 18pts and 11reb on 47% shooting.

 

[Bricklayer]

You're asking a lot for Cuz to all of a sudden average 25-12 -- those are clear HOF big man numbers, and while I have for years tried to tell people that's exactly what he is capable of being, its a big jump. Still, between his own improvement, the way we are using him, and the possibility of Grevis actually running the offense geared to him, rather than IT or whoever treating him as an afterthought, he could blow up bigger than I had expected, and I have previously been tagging him at 20-22pts 10+rebs.

Bring on the Big Cuz era of NBA big men. Dwight and Yao were never as dominant as the 90s guys, be a great thing for the league if Cuz ever got to the point where he could remind people of just how destructive a truly elite big can be.

 

[Gary]

I like GV saying that Cousins can average more assists than he does. You know where GV's head is.. It's with assists! That's where it should be with our PG. As long as he can get Cuz some easy shots or if he can get Cuz down low enough and recognize mismatches then I don't care how many assists GV averages.

 

[Bricklayer]

For those who haven't been able to watch the preseason stuff, peeps out there have been nice enough to collect all of Cousins preseason performances:

 

[The_Jamal]

The talent for Cousins to go be 20-12 has always been there. For me, it's a matter of how he responds to our first 4-5 game losing streak or when he goes into his first big scoring slump. Does he take that next step and contribute in other ways, continue to hustle on D, like franchise players do? or does he revert back to old ways?

Basically, I want to see the Cousins we've seen this preseason when our team or him hits their first stretch of adversity. That will be the biggest indicator if he's taken the leap to being an elite player

 

[Kingster]

The talent for Cousins to go be 20-12 has always been there. For me, it's a matter of how he responds to our first 4-5 game losing streak or when he goes into his first big scoring slump. Does he take that next step and contribute in other ways, continue to hustle on D, like franchise players do? or does he revert back to old ways?

Basically, I want to see the Cousins we've seen this preseason when our team or him hits their first stretch of adversity. That will be the biggest indicator if he's taken the leap to being an elite player

Couldn't agree more.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

Cousins has looked so much more comfortable in the paint. not just facing up every play. he only took 2 jumpshots last night and one of them was at the buzzer he had no choice.

not only that, it was VERY encouraging to me that he dominated Gortat in the paint, when he has struggled against Gortat in the past. and also has struggled against a lot of "gortat like" players because he goes up too soft around the rim.
maybe the improved paint play is partly credit to Shaq?

im gonna guess 25/12/4.

 

[Bricklayer]

Cousins has looked so much more comfortable in the paint. not just facing up every play. he only took 2 jumpshots last night and one of them was at the buzzer he had no choice.

not only that, it was VERY encouraging to me that he dominated Gortat in the paint, when he has struggled against Gortat in the past. and also has struggled against a lot of "gortat like" players because he goes up too soft around the rim.
maybe the improved paint play is partly credit to Shaq?

im gonna guess 25/12/4.

As I mentioned in the game thread, he's actually dominated Gortat throughout his career to the tune of 21.7pts 10.7reb per game. I'm guessing Gortat just doesn't have that one physical trait to bother Cuz like a Hibbert does with his height, or an Ibaka does with his quickness/shotblocking.

 

[Dank]

Cousins has looked so much more comfortable in the paint. not just facing up every play. he only took 2 jumpshots last night and one of them was at the buzzer he had no choice.

not only that, it was VERY encouraging to me that he dominated Gortat in the paint, when he has struggled against Gortat in the past. and also has struggled against a lot of "gortat like" players because he goes up too soft around the rim.
maybe the improved paint play is partly credit to Shaq?

im gonna guess 25/12/4.

Struggled against Gortat in the past? I don't know about that one hes always dominated against Gortat, scored his career high against em actually. I believe Playing 35 min a game as the focal point of the offensive DMC could get 22/12/3 49% pretty easy. I think one of the biggest things he has to change to achieve those numbers though is not settling, he took way to many jumpers last year and just had too many plays where he didn't want to put in the effort to get a better shot. Hes also gotta stay out of foul trouble.

 

[Sniggles]

What are his averages so far this pre-season? He had a below par game first up but since then it seems like he's dominated.

 

[Bricklayer]

What are his averages so far this pre-season? He had a below par game first up but since then it seems like he's dominated.

A cool:

26.0min 21.3pts (.518 .771) 9.0reb 2.5ast 2.8stl 0.8blk 3.5TO 2.8Fl

per 36 BTW that is:
36.0min 29.5pts (.518 .771) 12.5reb 3.5ast 3.9stl 1.1blk 4.9TO 3.9fl

 

[The_Jamal]

A cool:

26.0min 21.3pts (.518 .771) 9.0reb 2.5ast 2.8stl 0.8blk 3.5TO 2.8Fl

per 36 BTW that is:
36.0min 29.5pts (.518 .771) 12.5reb 3.5ast 3.9stl 1.1blk 4.9TO 3.9fl

Amazing. Those P/36 numbers are what Shaq was doing in his prime. Kind of puts in perspective of what Shaq was doing to the NBA year in and year out. And we've only gotten 3 preseason gamse of it.

 

[bajaden]

I have touted Cousins since his freshman year at Kentucky. His talent was never in question in my mind. I've been right, and I've been wrong in my judgments of some players, but I never doubted Cousins ability to be one of the best centers in the NBA. The only thing stopping Cousins, was Cousins. Don't get me wrong, he had a lot of help. An unforgetful media, that constantly reminded him, and us, of past transgressions. Head coaches that were more than willing to sacrifice any player to their own benefit. Especially Westphal, an insecure individual, surviving on a false, and dubious reputation.

Its time for Cousins to go from whipping boy, to a potential HOH player. Yes, I think he has that in him. It won't be easy! There will be self-serving critics around every corner just waiting for a story. He'll be hated by every opposing teams fans. But if he can stay the course, even those fans will begin to love him in the same way they eventually loved the Barkley's and Bird's of the world. Both, bigger than life characters. Eventually his personality will come out of the shadows and the real Cousins will emerge. We've seen glimpses of it here and there. I think the man child is starting to grow up, and the rest of the league will soon take notice.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

A cool:

26.0min 21.3pts (.518 .771) 9.0reb 2.5ast 2.8stl 0.8blk 3.5TO 2.8Fl

per 36 BTW that is:
36.0min 29.5pts (.518 .771) 12.5reb 3.5ast 3.9stl 1.1blk 4.9TO 3.9fl

scary

 

[yeehee]

As long as he increases his efficiency and rebounding the points will come.