[Grades] Grades v. Clippers 2/21/2015

[sdballer]

A few tidbits from Napier:

1) Kings will make massive changes in personnel over the offseason.

2) Nobody is guaranteed a spot on the team, including Cousins and Gay

3) He guarantees that Karl is going to put a stop to Cousins' pg role on this team; no more Magic Johnson show.

4) It all starts with Karl on this team. He is the starting point for decision making. He will be diligently assessing personnel over the remaining games this season. (My read: Cousins isn't the starting point; Karl is).

It's odd how this front office seems to be forgetting that it acquired almost every player on the team. I've been saying it since early last season that they never seemed to have a plan. They talked about pace and shooting and passing yet even when they ignored defense they still didn't put that kind of team together.

At some point, I really hope they stop and look at the gift they were given in cuz and build a team around him, which amazingly hasn't been done yet in his career.

 

[Bricklayer]

Went to the game... What a disappointment... Cousins needs to go. Terrible, just terrible.
He was, most of the time, mopping the floor with his uniform.

No perimeter shooters... What happened?...

Ugh....

Given the morons running the team, better not to even get into the pissing and moaning fans "Cousins has to go" kvetching. I might just delete it out of hand.

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

Went to the game... What a disappointment... Cousins needs to go. Terrible, just terrible.
He was, most of the time, mopping the floor with his uniform.

No perimeter shooters... What happened?...

Ugh....

Yeah Cousins definitely has to go. If it weren't for him, we'd be a .500 ball club.

 

[zip95843]

True. I'm going to channel my inner gqgabriel and suggest we trade any player that has a bad game. Some fans just don't make sense.

I don't think it was just a bad day for him. Granted, I've seen him only two-three times live on the court, when he got to the NBA, but yesterday was a really big disappointment. No passing game, can't stand on his legs, can't drive to the rim without being knockdown...

 

[zip95843]

Given the morons running the team...

Wait!... What?... Again "morons"? Didn't we got rid of "morons" just short while ago?

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't think it was just a bad day for him. Granted, I've seen him only two-three times live on the court, when he got to the NBA, but yesterday was a really big disappointment. No passing game, can't stand on his legs, can't drive to the rim without being knockdown...

Yep, that quite obviously describes DeMarcus Cousins and how he is averaging 24pts 12rebs, made the All Star team and will be on an All NBA team in a few months. Just sort of this scrubby dude with wobbly legs that falls down a lot and turns it over.

 

[Bricklayer]

Wait!... What?... Again "morons"? Didn't we got rid of "morons" just short while ago?

Alas, no. We just replaced them with Morons 3.0.

 

[zip95843]

Yep, that quite obviously describes DeMarcus Cousins and how he is averaging 24pts 12rebs, made the All Star team and will be on an All NBA team in a few months. Just sort of this scrubby dude with wobbly legs that falls down a lot and turns it over.

Frankly, I feel that Cousins making to All Star team as replacement appointment does not make him a good player. Feels more like someone needs to be represented from Kings and he made the cut.

I may be biased in a way, though...

 

[sdballer]

Frankly, I feel that Cousins making to All Star team as replacement appointment does not make him a good player. Feels more like someone needs to be represented from Kings and he made the cut.

I may be biased in a way, though...

Yes, because making sure the kings are represented is always a key league priority.

Biased in what way? Besides possibly not understanding the current nba.

 

[zip95843]

Yes, because making sure the kings are represented is always a key league priority.

Biased in what way? Besides possibly not understanding the current nba.

Biased, because I didn't like him from the start.

Could you please enlighten me on "understanding the current NBA"?

 

[sdballer]

Could you please enlighten me on "understanding the current NBA"?

In the span of 3-4 posts you suggested:

We trade cousins because he can't stand up and gets knocked down a lot

That he doesn't know how to pass

That his all star appearance doesn't suggest he's a good player

That we needed to be represented at the game

These things. But to be fair, I could be reading way too much into 3-4 posts.

 

[zip95843]

In the span of 3-4 posts you suggested:

We trade cousins because he can't stand up and gets knocked down a lot

That he doesn't know how to pass

That his all star appearance doesn't suggest he's a good player

That we needed to be represented at the game

These things.

Oh. OK. Sorry to embarrass you. Feel free to not refer me as your best friend.

 

[King Baller]

Given the morons running the team, better not to even get into the pissing and moaning fans "Cousins has to go" kvetching. I might just delete it out of hand.

Please do.

 

[King Baller]

Went to the game... What a disappointment... Cousins needs to go. Terrible, just terrible.
He was, most of the time, mopping the floor with his uniform.

No perimeter shooters... What happened?...

Ugh....

Are you a Lakers fan by chance?

 

[pshn80]

Because he's lost almost any credibility he had with the way his radio personality interferes with whatever basketball knowledge he may possess.

True but I never gave up and I find timely and interesting Kings info. Hang in there.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

It's odd how this front office seems to be forgetting that it acquired almost every player on the team. I've been saying it since early last season that they never seemed to have a plan. They talked about pace and shooting and passing yet even when they ignored defense they still didn't put that kind of team together.

At some point, I really hope they stop and look at the gift they were given in cuz and build a team around him, which amazingly hasn't been done yet in his career.

f------- newbies. they don't watch the games i tell you, review only the stat sheet and put it in a software program to determine what other areas are needed.. (shooting so vivek doesn't get embarrassed his bff wins the 3 point contest in training camp again)

 

[Big Cuz 15]

I'm guessing point #2 is mostly lip service. Sure, "no one is safe", but in reality, you don't just dump elite players.

this IS grant napear.. if you listened to the show prior to the new regime taking over. he was ripping demarcus every chance he got. once they deemed him as the franchise player.. he backed off his stance and said it was a clean slate. he's a total jackass mouthpiece and cannot be trusted.

 

[Liontech]

Since this thread seems to have morphed into a debate about whether Cousins is tradeable, here are my thoughts, which have changed. I used to be of the mind that the FO would not trade Cousins under any circumstance, and then it dawned on me that there was a precedent in professional sports that might be instructive: Herschell Walker and the Dallas Cowboys. If the Kings truly could get the kinds of assets in return for Cousins that the Cowboys got for Walker, I would strongly consider it,*especially* given the lack of assets that we currently have. The most critical variable in this calculus is the FO's evaluation of whether Cousins can become the kind of leader that inspires his teammates. I haven't seen it yet, but I obviously don't know what happens in the locker room. If the judgment is that Cousins isn't or won't ever be the kind of leader a championship team needs, I would absolutely consider making the kind of franchise-altering move the Cowboys made (and I hate the Cowboys btw). It is not without risk of course and depends on the ability to identify and draft for or trade for talent, but can anyone say that the status quo is without risk?

 

[Albatros]

Stan van gundy made dwight a star just running that high pick and roll duck in set and surrounding him with shooters.

Honestly if you mesh that with Karl's probable idea of up tempo athletic ball handlers/shooters you've got something very interesting.

But cuz is the starting point for all of this I hope Karl and the FO remember that asap.

 

[IfAt1st]

A few tidbits from Napier:

1) Kings will make massive changes in personnel over the offseason.

2) Nobody is guaranteed a spot on the team, including Cousins and Gay

3) He guarantees that Karl is going to put a stop to Cousins' pg role on this team; no more Magic Johnson show.

4) It all starts with Karl on this team. He is the starting point for decision making. He will be diligently assessing personnel over the remaining games this season. (My read: Cousins isn't the starting point; Karl is).

This posturing by Napier needs to be watched VERY closely.

He has been used extensively as a mouthpiece and crowd control by Kings management. I believe this is a matter of public record.

He has a history of personally (and/or professionally) attacking Cousins quite viciously, and using his show as a bully-pulpit to trumpet anti-Demarcus callers and to hang up and not allow pro-Cousins callers to have airtime or fairly respond.

If the FO is remotely thinking of getting rid of Demarcus, they WILL use Napier's mouth and airtime to stir the fanbase and goad them into a mindset accepting of "that poisonous Demarcus".

Reality check:
There is no way in hell this FO will get anything of value for trading Demarcus.
Just refer to what bounties they extracted for Tyreke and IT. OOOoooohhh..... makes you just giddy with the rebuild possibilities there!

Demarcus could shut down anything the FO could try to whip up if he simply played solidly and didn't lose his control. Simply play like he did in the start of the year.
Which means - if Demarcus keeps barking at the officials after every play the rest of the year, gets technicals, is thrown out of games..... then IMO he is TRYING to get traded from here, and this script will play out pretty predictably.

 

[206Fan]

The only next level is Top 10 all time. That's it.

If he does absolutely nothing but settle in under Karl and start duplicating 24-12 seasons for a decade he'll go down as one of the 10 or 15 best centers of all time.

I was going to start a thread on this anyway, so I'll give a preview.

On Top 10 All Time List
Wilt
Kareem
Russel
Shaq
Hakeem
On Top 20 All Time List
Moses
Admiral
On Top 30 All Time List
Ewing
Others HOFs
Mikan
Cousins <--------healthy Cousins, playing at this level for full prime.
Reed
Mourning
Bellamy
Dwight
Thurmond
McAdoo
Cowens
Gilmore
Walton
Arvydas
Yao
Sampson
Mutumbo
Unseld
Daugherty

Whatever on the exact order, I was just throwing them up there superstars to great roleplayers, with short career guys pushed down the list. Mikan is impossible to rate.

For Cousins to ever reach that, he has to be more of an efficient scorer. That's a need from him. Centers aren't supposed to be shooting .470 from the floor...that number is absurd. I think Cousins really needs to pick it up on his fg%. It's pretty bad when guys like Curry and CP3 have better career fg% than you.

Another thing that could argue Cousins against being a top 15 center of all time is the fact that Cousins plays in an era where the game isn't focused on big men.


Even if Cousins plays at the current level he's at for the next 6-8 years, it still would not be enough to justify a top 10 center. Especially if his defense stays the way it is and his efficiency doesn't increase. Arguments can be he gets doubled and tripled team, but isn't that the argument for why he's so dominant? The fact that he can fight and bull it out?

I think if Cuz improves his fg% and defense, he's a top 15 center. As long as he takes his team to the playoffs at least twice.

 

[206Fan]

Since this thread seems to have morphed into a debate about whether Cousins is tradeable, here are my thoughts, which have changed. I used to be of the mind that the FO would not trade Cousins under any circumstance, and then it dawned on me that there was a precedent in professional sports that might be instructive: Herschell Walker and the Dallas Cowboys. If the Kings truly could get the kinds of assets in return for Cousins that the Cowboys got for Walker, I would strongly consider it,*especially* given the lack of assets that we currently have. The most critical variable in this calculus is the FO's evaluation of whether Cousins can become the kind of leader that inspires his teammates. I haven't seen it yet, but I obviously don't know what happens in the locker room. If the judgment is that Cousins isn't or won't ever be the kind of leader a championship team needs, I would absolutely consider making the kind of franchise-altering move the Cowboys made (and I hate the Cowboys btw). It is not without risk of course and depends on the ability to identify and draft for or trade for talent, but can anyone say that the status quo is without risk?

If Cousins is not the leader he should be, and or is ever a locker room problem, he's probably expendable. There are still wide open questions about Cousins' ability to lead. I believe that Cousins is the leader on this team, while others disagree. Cousins' body language on the floor has been a little discouraging at times. He likes to scream and yell at Nik a lot... I think screaming at someone doesn't necessarily boosts their confidence. We will still see how Cousins does has a leader. Right now, he seems alright. Nothing bad nor good to say about him. I don't think he's demonstrated that he can lead this team yet though. His attitude and body language is really preventing him from taking the next level

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

If Cousins is not the leader he should be, and or is ever a locker room problem, he's probably expendable. There are still wide open questions about Cousins' ability to lead. I believe that Cousins is the leader on this team, while others disagree. Cousins' body language on the floor has been a little discouraging at times. He likes to scream and yell at Nik a lot... I think screaming at someone doesn't necessarily boosts their confidence. We will still see how Cousins does has a leader. Right now, he seems alright. Nothing bad nor good to say about him. I don't think he's demonstrated that he can lead this team yet though. His attitude and body language is really preventing him from taking the next level

He looked good leading the team when we were 5-1 and 9-6. Maybe three coaches in four months has frustrated him, considering he is only 24?

 

[206Fan]

He looked good leading the team when we were 5-1 and 9-6. Maybe three coaches in four months has frustrated him, considering he is only 24?

He looked good for 15 games? I'm not arguing the fact that he can lead, I just think his body language and attitude on the floor doesn't help his leadership role. I believe Cousins is the leader of our team. He's our franchise player.

 

[Tetsujin]

He looked good leading the team when we were 5-1 and 9-6. Maybe three coaches in four months has frustrated him, considering he is only 24?

Bah, he's 24? He's way too old to be of any use to us anymore.

 

[Chupacabra]

Bah, he's 24? He's way too old to be of any use to us anymore.

Agreed. He'll be in his prime in a couple of years. Lets hurry up and trade him....to the celtics...in an extremely lopsided deal that only serves to benefit them.

 

[ppine]

The Kings are third in the NBA in turnovers. Cousins leads the league. He has many talents and continues to improve. Why in God's name does he try to handle the ball on fast breaks? If Cousins could learn to handle the ball less he can cut his turnovers in half.

The Kings' defense was really exposed in this game. Karl has a lot of work to do. The patented stand around and rest offense is not going to get the team to the next level.

 

[pshn80]

this IS grant napear.. if you listened to the show prior to the new regime taking over. he was ripping demarcus every chance he got. once they deemed him as the franchise player.. he backed off his stance and said it was a clean slate. he's a total jackass mouthpiece and cannot be trusted.

Interesting. I find the "jackass" provides me good info, good interviews on Kings matters.

 

[VF21]

A few tidbits from Napier:

1) Kings will make massive changes in personnel over the offseason.

2) Nobody is guaranteed a spot on the team, including Cousins and Gay

3) He guarantees that Karl is going to put a stop to Cousins' pg role on this team; no more Magic Johnson show.

4) It all starts with Karl on this team. He is the starting point for decision making. He will be diligently assessing personnel over the remaining games this season. (My read: Cousins isn't the starting point; Karl is).

Napier = last name of player named Shabazz.

NAPEAR = last name of broadcaster named Grant.

 

[Chubbs]

For Cousins to ever reach that, he has to be more of an efficient scorer. That's a need from him. Centers aren't supposed to be shooting .470 from the floor...that number is absurd. I think Cousins really needs to pick it up on his fg%. It's pretty bad when guys like Curry and CP3 have better career fg% than you.

Another thing that could argue Cousins against being a top 15 center of all time is the fact that Cousins plays in an era where the game isn't focused on big men.


Even if Cousins plays at the current level he's at for the next 6-8 years, it still would not be enough to justify a top 10 center. Especially if his defense stays the way it is and his efficiency doesn't increase. Arguments can be he gets doubled and tripled team, but isn't that the argument for why he's so dominant? The fact that he can fight and bull it out?

I think if Cuz improves his fg% and defense, he's a top 15 center. As long as he takes his team to the playoffs at least twice.

His defense is elite now, right? Look at the numbers. He's well above average defensively. He anchors a top ten defense when he's on the floor, last I checked.

He was 5th in PER last season, and he's 7th right now.

How much more efficient can he get?