Demarcus Freaking Cousins

[bajaden]

Great article! At the beginning of this season there was a poll I believe about what it would take for this season to be considered a success. I don't recall what the consensus was, but I said at the time that a big season from Cousins and Coach Malone earning the trust of his players were the most important factors for me. It's been a long and bumpy journey to get here, but I feel pretty confident checking both of those boxes today. The new arena is moving forward as planned, we have our franchise guy, and it looks like we have our coach too. All in all, I couldn't really ask for much more.

About 30 more wins would be nice, but hey, why nit pic?

 

[Glenn]

I think this will be the last year Cuz does NOT get what he deserves. It seems the wind is shifting a bit as the media is catching on that the Cuz they have been writing about all year no longer exists. Also, there has to be a point where the pure statistical outpouring has to get people thinking that whatever this ugly reputation he earned in the first few years doesn't really mean much. Who were the stars who got a lot of techs? KG is one, I believe. KG has never had the kind of reputation that makes a writer add "but he's got a bad attitude" or "but he is immature" at the end of every positive comment about him.

Heck, writers on this forum have until recently praised his skills yet always feel the necessity to qualify the praise which in some ways negates the praise. As recently as a week ago a poster said that you never want to build a team around a guy like Cuz.

Cuz is exactly the kind of guy you want to build around. I am a Rudy Gay fan but Rudy is not a Cuz. Cuz leads by skill and effort.

Demarcus Cousins is one of the most versatile offensive big men to ever play the game. He has many years left to improve on his moves. There are other big men who have signature moves that enable them to score more like the sky hook and dream shake and Elvin Hayes' turn around jumper but none with the variety of moves.

Several years ago he said he wasn't the kind of guy who would leave Sacramento because the team wasn't winning. He said that before the Malone era. Now he has said that he will stay BECAUSE of Malone along with all the other reasons he has packed away in his head.

This team seems so close to becoming a winner especially if what we have seen from the McRookies can be trusted. If Gay would opt out and sign another contract with the Kings and leave us some cap breathing room, we are in a very good position. We may see a great team when the new arena opens and after all the angst us fans have been through in the last few years, we kinda deserve it.

 

[hrdboild]

About 30 more wins would be nice, but hey, why nit pic?

We're getting there. At the point when our GM was selling off our top 5 pick for expiring contracts last year I suppose I was forced to re-calibrate my standards for what "rock bottom" actually means. As long as Cousins keeps playing like a hall of famer, I have no doubt we'll be doing some damage in the playoffs some time soon.

BTW, I recall the one time I met up with you and CruzDude and the other SoCal kingsfans members at a Clippers/Kings game a few years ago we were walking to Staples from the ESPN Zone across the street and talking about draft picks. We both liked Wall and Turner but we also both thought DeMarcus Cousins was going to be the best player in the draft and we hoped he would somehow end up on the Kings. That was February of 2010 I believe. Evans was midway through his ROY season and Seattle-gate was still about a year away. Now only two players remain from that team (Jason Thompson and, ironically, Carl Landry) and Cousins just finished out his rookie contract with a 35pt 15reb 6ast 3blk 1stl masterpiece of a game. They grow old so fast. <sniff> ...And by they of course I mean me.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

Cousins finished off his monster season by going 32.3ppg 14rpg 4.3apg in his final 3 games.

 

[EJF]

I dont even want to think about how hopeless I would feel without Big Cuz on the Kings.

 

[Padrino]

I dont even want to think about how hopeless I would feel without Big Cuz on the Kings.

everybody remember to give credit where it's due, to former minnesota timberwolves gm david kahn, who selected wesley johnson with the 4th pick in the 2010 nba draft, just one spot ahead of demarcus cousins. since being drafted, johnson has bounced from the wolves to the suns to the lakers, where he is currently averaging 9 ppg (43% shooting), 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, and a PER of 10.93, while big cuz is averaging 22.7 ppg (50% shooting), 11.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 bpg, and a PER of 26.23...

now, cousins certainly would not have been a good fit next to kevin love, but kahn serves as a reminder that, as terrible as the maloofs were in their latter days as owners, and as hamstrung as geoff petrie was under their employ, the kings still managed to make the no-brainer selection back in 2010. so, once again, from the top, and with gusto, thank god for david kahn...

 

[VF21]

A snarky bunch on this board today. What I meant is that I have always been in the "just win" and don't worry about the stupid hand-wringing over tanking, "lins," etc... My thought is that it is much more fun to rot for wins in March/early April when you don't know what impact any one win or loss will have. However, when you have 81 games in the books, and know that a win in the last game IS GUARANTEED to decrease your lottery odds, and makes it a 50/50 shot that another team moves ahead of you on the lottery list, it is a lot harder to get in the "win at all costs" mentality.

Seriously, imagine we win the game on Wednesday, lose the coin flip with Detroit, and neither of us moves up. Let's assume no one else moves up. They draft #7 and take Vonleh (or whoever else is the current flavor of the month at #7). We go 8th, clearly wanted Vonleh, and get stuck taking Tyler Ennis, Aaron Gordon, or someone else who is not a good fit. In that case, winning that last game might have cost you big time (much like the difference between one late season game got us Hawes instead of Noah).

Or imagine that we win, give up lottery combinations to Detroit, and Detroit moves into the top 3. This board will be apoplectic with the possibility that one of the combinations we gave up by beating the Suns was the one that gave Detroit the top 3 pick. Would you want to win a game against the Suns and sacrifice your chance at Embid? I sure don't. Of course we would never know if the combination we gave up was the winning ticket, but why take that risk?

I get that nothing is guaranteed, and it is often more fun to root for the win. But here, we know that a win will have definite negative impact on our lottery rights.

The whole thing is a crap shoot. Portland got the number one pick and look how much that helped them when they picked the sure thing Greg Oden. I say let the stupid ping pong balls fall where they may. What will be will be and all that.

I hope our team manages to blow Phoenix out of the arena as a tribute to DMC.

 

[upinsmoke]

everybody remember to give credit where it's due, to former minnesota timberwolves gm david kahn, who selected wesley johnson with the 4th pick in the 2010 nba draft, just one spot ahead of demarcus cousins. since being drafted, johnson has bounced from the wolves to the suns to the lakers, where he is currently averaging 9 ppg (43% shooting), 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, and a PER of 10.93, while big cuz is averaging 22.7 ppg (50% shooting), 11.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 bpg, and a PER of 26.23...

now, cousins certainly would not have been a good fit next to kevin love, but kahn serves as a reminder that, as terrible as the maloofs were in their latter days as owners, and as hamstrung as geoff petrie was under their employ, the kings still managed to make the no-brainer selection back in 2010. so, once again, from the top, and with gusto, thank god for david kahn...

I remember Kahn did a interview with Dan Patrick the day of the draft and flat out said he was going to pick Johnson and then later that day when he actually did I did the happy dance all over the living room.

 

[Bricklayer]

I hope our team manages to blow Phoenix out of the arena as a tribute to DMC.

I don't think you have thought through how that will be spun.

Remove the ogre and see?

 

[VF21]

I don't think you have thought through how that will be spun.

Remove the ogre and see?

Not sure what you mean, but what I mean is I want to see all our role players step up and play their hearts out as a tribute to the effort DMC has shown all year, and in the process knock Phoenix back to Arizona with a final L for their efforts.

 

[Bricklayer]

Not sure what you mean, but what I mean is I want to see all our role players step up and play their hearts out as a tribute to the effort DMC has shown all year, and in the process knock Phoenix back to Arizona with a final L for their efforts.

no no.

All the roleplayers will be stepping up because they are free of the oppressive, and negative, influence of DMC and finally free to play their games. DMC isn't a leader. He's a distraction. Etc. etc.

If they truly want to support him they'll tank, finish the season 0-11 without him, and perpetuate the idea that he's absolutely necessary for victory.

 

[KingMilz]

Not sure what you mean, but what I mean is I want to see all our role players step up and play their hearts out as a tribute to the effort DMC has shown all year, and in the process knock Phoenix back to Arizona with a final L for their efforts.

They should be more concerned about having a job in the near future than playing hard for DMC.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

The whole thing is a crap shoot. Portland got the number one pick and look how much that helped them when they picked the sure thing Greg Oden. I say let the stupid ping pong balls fall where they may. What will be will be and all that.

I hope our team manages to blow Phoenix out of the arena as a tribute to DMC.

It's kind of hard to anticipate how that game is going to go; it's not like Phoenix has anything to play for, either.