Evaluating the Cousins Trade.
- Thread starter kingdivac
- Start date
Here is another #SilverLining for everyone. 
During the entire 2018-2019 Season, we don't have to worry about people talking about Tanking at ALL for one whole season!!!
Because, we don't own our own draft pick for the 2019 NBA Draft!!!
During the entire 2018-2019 Season, we don't have to worry about people talking about Tanking at ALL for one whole season!!!
Because, we don't own our own draft pick for the 2019 NBA Draft!!!
Talent matters. If you are trading a highly talented player for a rookie over which the owner creams his pants and labels him as the next Steph Curry then you better make damn sure that you are getting a high quality player in return. We failed to do it and fairly or unfairly Buddy will get judged for as long as he is in Sacramento. It's not his fault, it is the fault of the owner and the front office for placing that expectation on him by their comments and/or behaviour.
All I am saying is that Kings might have got themselves a low level starter/role player here. The dude cannot handle the ball under pressure and to Mike Malone's credit he kept doubling up Buddy as soon as he put the ball on the floor. The last couple of days, he has had how many turnovers and in how many minutes? The numbers look UGLY for a player who was the center piece of the trade.
All I am saying is that Kings might have got themselves a low level starter/role player here. The dude cannot handle the ball under pressure and to Mike Malone's credit he kept doubling up Buddy as soon as he put the ball on the floor. The last couple of days, he has had how many turnovers and in how many minutes? The numbers look UGLY for a player who was the center piece of the trade.
To his credit after that flub Buddy handled the double off the pick and roll much better. He looks like a quick learner. I really think people should put into context how Buddy is playing overall right now. He's looked like a blue chipper so far. He's got a long way to go but there is talent there and some serious scoring potential.
I read that and cannot agree with the bolded parts because treat them just about as given.
No matter what Vlade and his dummies say, TALENT WINS in this league and it sure as hell matters. Play off teams are built around all-star level talent at the least and contenders around superstars. There is not one team in the play offs that don't have the all-star level talent or superstar talent on their roster so this talk about "getting away with a couple of good starters" is just fantasy level stuff out of Peaches' PR book. Last time I checked, the culture matters bullcrap did not exactly help us play better as a team since the trade despite the talent level. Bottom line it, as coach Joerger said, TALENT MATTERS!
You make it given that we will get the Pelican's pick......we probably will next year the way things are going as Pelicans are closer to getting a top 3 pick than they are for pushing to the play offs for a number of reasons but I am sure people be label Cousins as the main reason.
Potentially you could get 2 very good players with the two picks provided that you get Pelican's pick this year. Potentially you can also get Robinson and Jimmer types. We have no idea what we will get and given this franchise's track record, I am not confident that they will get good players.....especially if Vivek goes into a lust mode for a player Stauskas style.
No matter what Vlade and his dummies say, TALENT WINS in this league and it sure as hell matters. Play off teams are built around all-star level talent at the least and contenders around superstars. There is not one team in the play offs that don't have the all-star level talent or superstar talent on their roster so this talk about "getting away with a couple of good starters" is just fantasy level stuff out of Peaches' PR book. Last time I checked, the culture matters bullcrap did not exactly help us play better as a team since the trade despite the talent level. Bottom line it, as coach Joerger said, TALENT MATTERS!
You make it given that we will get the Pelican's pick......we probably will next year the way things are going as Pelicans are closer to getting a top 3 pick than they are for pushing to the play offs for a number of reasons but I am sure people be label Cousins as the main reason.
Potentially you could get 2 very good players with the two picks provided that you get Pelican's pick this year. Potentially you can also get Robinson and Jimmer types. We have no idea what we will get and given this franchise's track record, I am not confident that they will get good players.....especially if Vivek goes into a lust mode for a player Stauskas style.
1. I said you can get away with a couple of good starters, meaning you don't need five all stars. Unfortunately I missed adding the latter to my post. As long as you have two or three all stars / borderline all stars, then yes you can get away with good players filling the other spots.
2. Yes it's not a given that we will get the Pelicans pick. As I said, we need the lottery Gods on our side. If our picks end up being #1 and #11 we have no pick and no star talent, but we could end up with #4 and #5. It's down to luck. Hopefully we are lucky.
3. Obviously our front office could screw up, but with the team arguably not heading anywhere with Cousins they had to make a decision: stay the course and hope something changes, or move on and rebuild. They picked the latter and while I could sit here and write a number of negative things about this team and front office, I am trying to be positive about the potential outcome. I'd rather post about how our rebuild can lead to better things rather than us being an Orlando Magic like team (ie some good talent but ultimately still one of the worst teams after a number of years of rebuilding).
2. Yes it's not a given that we will get the Pelicans pick. As I said, we need the lottery Gods on our side. If our picks end up being #1 and #11 we have no pick and no star talent, but we could end up with #4 and #5. It's down to luck. Hopefully we are lucky.
3. Obviously our front office could screw up, but with the team arguably not heading anywhere with Cousins they had to make a decision: stay the course and hope something changes, or move on and rebuild. They picked the latter and while I could sit here and write a number of negative things about this team and front office, I am trying to be positive about the potential outcome. I'd rather post about how our rebuild can lead to better things rather than us being an Orlando Magic like team (ie some good talent but ultimately still one of the worst teams after a number of years of rebuilding).
Not bad but not perfect. Come to the oldster or wait for Capt.
It is mostly a matter of statistical probability with the lottery gods determining if we are screwed totally or treated like a King. (good pun!). We have our pick which is totally under control of the Kings except for the chance that we trade with Philly. So far they have no reason to trade as their record is worse than ours. We must hope for Philly to fold and also the Kings to fold. A swap may not be terribly important if our records are darn near similar. Then there is the NO pick which is ours unless they end up a top three pick at which time it is theirs. I curse this almost routine "top three protected" fad in so many trades. This for me would be incredibly sad. We would have their pick next year but I am in no mood for waiting given the strength of this year's draft AND the likelihood NO will be better next year. The addition of Boogie and a top three pick is a massive improvement in talent for the Pels. Worse than a top 10 pick for the Kings means we get no pick in a deal long since forgotten by me.
Sooooo, the best we could do is #2 (which means either we finished #1 and Philly finished #2 and there was a swap or Philly finished #1 and we finished #2). The NO pick could be be no lower (higher?) than #4 because of the top 3 protection. Then on the devilish side of things is if NO finished top 3 and we get nothing from them this year and we finished worse than #10 and we get nothing from our own pick.
On this date, March 8, we seem to be in good shape depending on ping pong balls which could help or hurt us. The statistical probability seems favorable.
Then there must be factored in fate as some tremendous athletes (Embiid and Odem anyone?) who may never play decent minutes. Finally there is the skill of the FO and its meddlesome owner. A simple pick of a pg and sf seems safe.
It is mostly a matter of statistical probability with the lottery gods determining if we are screwed totally or treated like a King. (good pun!). We have our pick which is totally under control of the Kings except for the chance that we trade with Philly. So far they have no reason to trade as their record is worse than ours. We must hope for Philly to fold and also the Kings to fold. A swap may not be terribly important if our records are darn near similar. Then there is the NO pick which is ours unless they end up a top three pick at which time it is theirs. I curse this almost routine "top three protected" fad in so many trades. This for me would be incredibly sad. We would have their pick next year but I am in no mood for waiting given the strength of this year's draft AND the likelihood NO will be better next year. The addition of Boogie and a top three pick is a massive improvement in talent for the Pels. Worse than a top 10 pick for the Kings means we get no pick in a deal long since forgotten by me.
Sooooo, the best we could do is #2 (which means either we finished #1 and Philly finished #2 and there was a swap or Philly finished #1 and we finished #2). The NO pick could be be no lower (higher?) than #4 because of the top 3 protection. Then on the devilish side of things is if NO finished top 3 and we get nothing from them this year and we finished worse than #10 and we get nothing from our own pick.
On this date, March 8, we seem to be in good shape depending on ping pong balls which could help or hurt us. The statistical probability seems favorable.
Then there must be factored in fate as some tremendous athletes (Embiid and Odem anyone?) who may never play decent minutes. Finally there is the skill of the FO and its meddlesome owner. A simple pick of a pg and sf seems safe.
The Pelicans have not exactly been knocking anybody dead since they got number 0.
Buddy can play. It is such a relief to have a talented shooter that can move without the ball.
Evans may have trouble staying healthy.
This is a great year to have a shot at some high draft players.
The Warriors wasted no time in picking up Barnes and getting him into their line-up.
Buddy can play. It is such a relief to have a talented shooter that can move without the ball.
Evans may have trouble staying healthy.
This is a great year to have a shot at some high draft players.
The Warriors wasted no time in picking up Barnes and getting him into their line-up.
I can appreciate this and still be damn upset and frustrated at how the ownership/FO has handled recent things, right? You can't keep giving away talent and expect to get better. And you have to nail your draft picks. I don't know why this is so hard for the Kings to understand. Year after year we make the same stupid mistakes. I put more of that on Vivek than Vlade, though.
So while our style (and effort/attitude) is easier on the eyes than it used to be, we don't have the talent to actually pull out many wins. Make it entertaining (and ultimately very frustrating), yes. But a winning season sometime before the next two leap years have passed would be appreciated. Given our ownership track record, I'm not holding my breath on that actually happening.
So while our style (and effort/attitude) is easier on the eyes than it used to be, we don't have the talent to actually pull out many wins. Make it entertaining (and ultimately very frustrating), yes. But a winning season sometime before the next two leap years have passed would be appreciated. Given our ownership track record, I'm not holding my breath on that actually happening.
Hield's ball handling is frustrating to watch. He easily gets trapped and his handles are really loose. We see him settle for mid-range a lot because he doesn't have the quickness to get to the rim. However, if he can knock down 3s at a great rate, then I think he has a good chance of being a solid starter. I think that's all we can ask for.
I think Vlade has been an OK drafter. WCS was a below average pick(in comparison to what else was on the board). Malachi was a good pick. Skal was a very good pick. Papagiannis..jury is still out on this Kosta-Koufos looking player.
I think Vlade has been an OK drafter. WCS was a below average pick(in comparison to what else was on the board). Malachi was a good pick. Skal was a very good pick. Papagiannis..jury is still out on this Kosta-Koufos looking player.