[Grades] Grades v. Rockets 2/25/2014

[KingMilz]

While I am not blaming the loss on Malone at all it's all the players fault cause they are a bunch of clowns who quit. But one thing that really did annoy me, is you have two energy guys off the bench (Evans and Acy) and you can clearly see in the first quarter the team has already quit and is not getting back on D (not even crossing half court), why not sub out JT for them instead of Landry? When Evans came in he stemmed the tide somewhat and helped us, I honestly don't understand how the front office can be happy giving money to players with this type of effort. What the **** happend to earning a pay check?

Honestly if I'm Rudy Gay I'm opting out as quick as possible, Cousins is back to the same guy he was last three seasons and the team is just losers honestly I don't have another word for it. When you can't even expect a decent effort more than 50% of the time you watch a team you have to ask is it worth it to keep watching? Honestly thank god for league pass where I can watch a undermaned Bulls team scrap and claw there way to wins or competitve losses nearly every single game.

It's going to take a lot more than a shot blocker and pass first PG to fix this team there is just something wrong with them to many me first guys and sadly they are our best players. No player is bigger than the team people need to remember that.

I liked what I seen from Evans and Ray Mac everyone else sucked.

 

[Bricklayer]

sry.

Gay, JT, Cousins, Landry, Acy, Gray and Evans are up.

 

[Bricklayer]

This guy is a mess. Head case. Not sure how you build an improved "culture" around this center piece

I sometimes wonder how todays watered down weenie breed of fans would have survived the 80s and 90s when almost every elite team was helmed by one or more badasses who would throw down at the drop of a hat. Now our poor little sensibilities are hurt if somebody uses harsh language.

Which is not to say Cousins doesn't still have to improve his temper. It is to say that at 23 Kobe was busy feuding with Shaq (and somewhere back there may have even raped a girl), Barkley was spitting on fans and leading the league in suspensions, Webb was getting arrested for pot after he feuded with Nellie and got himself traded, Wilt was working on his second or third thousand women and just etc. Rather more bastards than gentlemen in the HOF. Do they have the talent? Do they want to win? That's what you ask. There's a reason that unless they parachute into a perfect situation, even the great ones don't normally start winning titles until well into their primes.

 

[Bricklayer]

Ben up

 

[FaStRmAn]

No, it can't be worse. I know the Pretty Girls threads are supposed to cheer all the guys up, but at this point it's just kinda pathetic. Is there a way we could have an alternate games thread for those who just don't want to see smiling faces after a game like this? I'd rather see something like worst disasters in history or epic train wrecks or biggest failures or something more fitting.

Just me with a cup overflowing with sour grapes. I got home late, turned on the game and wished I hadn't hurried home.

I've been a staunch defender of DMC since day 1. Right now, if I could, I would smack him up side the head. This crap has to stop. He did apologize on Facebook and Twitter:


I hope and pray that he's serious and that he's finally had an epiphany. He's too damned good to throw it all away.

I could not agree more ! This game was as ugly as:

I just hope this isn't an indication of things to come. There is still quite a few games to improve as a team. Time for Ben to improve his game. Time to see who is willing to improve and play and who is unwilling to make the effort.

Cousins is a real hothead. Now he is getting hammered a lot and it must be difficult to get hammered at one end and then see Howard get ticky tack fouls and get to the line on the other end. Ref's were pathetic but not as bad as the Kings were. Cousins MUST learn that nothing he says is going to change the dynamic he has put himself in. He HAS to SHADDUP and play. No more talking to the refs at ALL. Just play the game and stop acting like a privileged allstar, because he is NOT!

There was no fire or competitive spirit in this game. The team was more than flat, they were dead. It was an ugly game ! How Ugly? See above....

But Friday is another day, another game, another opportunity to improve as a team.

 

[Bricklayer]

outlaw and Dwill up

 

[Bricklayer]

IT up

 

[Hadlowe]

I sometimes wonder how todays watered down weenie breed of fans would have survived the 80s and 90s when almost every elite team was helmed by one or more badasses who would throw down at the drop of a hat. Now our poor little sensibilities are hurt if somebody uses harsh language.

It's almost enough for me to want to post my list of Karl Malone's greatest hits.

 

[Kingster]

While I am not blaming the loss on Malone at all it's all the players fault cause they are a bunch of clowns who quit. But one thing that really did annoy me, is you have two energy guys off the bench (Evans and Acy) and you can clearly see in the first quarter the team has already quit and is not getting back on D (not even crossing half court), why not sub out JT for them instead of Landry? When Evans came in he stemmed the tide somewhat and helped us, I honestly don't understand how the front office can be happy giving money to players with this type of effort. What the **** happend to earning a pay check?

Honestly if I'm Rudy Gay I'm opting out as quick as possible, Cousins is back to the same guy he was last three seasons and the team is just losers honestly I don't have another word for it. When you can't even expect a decent effort more than 50% of the time you watch a team you have to ask is it worth it to keep watching? Honestly thank god for league pass where I can watch a undermaned Bulls team scrap and claw there way to wins or competitve losses nearly every single game.

The same thought has crossed my mind. In Rudy Gay's short stint as a King he's seen some a lot of the "pathetic" Cousins. He may not want to attach his wagon to that kind of dysfunction.

 

[Padrino]

I sometimes wonder how todays watered down weenie breed of fans would have survived the 80s and 90s when almost every elite team was helmed by one or more badasses who would throw down at the drop of a hat. Now our poor little sensibilities are hurt if somebody uses harsh language.

Which is not to say Cousins doesn't still have to improve his temper. It is to say that at 23 Kobe was busy feuding with Shaq (and somewhere back there may have even raped a girl), Barkley was spitting on fans and leading the league in suspensions, Webb was getting arrested for pot after he feuded with Nellie and got himself traded, Wilt was working on his second or third thousand women and just etc. Rather more bastards than gentlemen in the HOF. Do they have the talent? Do they want to win? That's what you ask. There's a reason that unless they parachute into a perfect situation, even the great ones don't normally start winning titles until well into their primes.

the issue for demarcus cousins is one of timing, plain and simple. he would have been the perfect franchise center of the 80's or 90's. hell, he probably could have made it in the earliest part of the 00's. but in this flop-festing, breathe-on-him-you-foul-him, dress-code-mandated, weenie-roast version of an nba? as part of this hyper-media-saturated, everybody-has-a-camera, gotcha-fueled outrage-machine of 2014? forget it. seriously, just forget it. as much as i am in complete agreement with you, as much as i prefer an nba that's much more rough around the edges, DMC will not survive if he cannot adapt. he has to reign it in. there is no other option...

in the first half of the season, we saw the beast we had all hoped to see; demarcus was playing tough, he was playing strong, but he was also playing smart. doing so allowed him to rise into his nearly undisputed role as the league's best center. there was, of course, the occasional technical foul, often quickly delivered on the basis of reputation, but, by and large, demarcus would bite his tongue through the bulk of those first-half games. he'd swiftly march to the other end of the court if he believed it would spare him from earning a technical foul. it was positive and important growth, and while the losses were piling up, there was hope for the future, right? the new front office was working diligently behind the scenes to bring cousins some help. and in comes rudy gay, who proceeds to play some of the best basketball of his career...

the team has competed fairly well when both cousins and gay are healthy. unfortunately, a brutal stretch of road games, some ill-timed injuries, and some tank-ready roster shuffling broke up any hope for sustainable momentum. now we're on the other side of a rather disappointing all-star break, with no all-star selection for demarcus and no acquisitions that will help to propel the kings forward in the immediate sense (while ben mclemore continues to look like yet another wasted draft pick). in the meantime, the team and its fans are left to stew in a toxic waiting room. the 2014 draft will be the next domino to fall (and we can only hope that the front office doesn't f*** up again), but there are still 25 games left to play, with demarcus fuming over the losses, his persecution complex firmly in tow...

by the way, this was always the danger with botching that first offseason. it's why so many of us here at kf.com were so overly critical of the new front office's failures last summer. they really blew it, and they were going to need to play serious catch-up during the season. now, mid-season trades can be exciting because they bring an unexpected jolt to the doldrums of "another losing season." however, it forces a team to learn on the fly, to build chemistry on the fly, which is a difficult prospect for a defense-averse basement-dweller with a young, volatile superstar-level talent at its center. the offseason is the time to create a path to winning. that said, if the kings are not on that path, if they are not poised to deliver a .500 or better season after a full training camp with whatever roster they've assembled for the 2014-2015 season, it could become exceedingly difficult to keep demarcus cousins [and his agent] "bought in."

 

[New Era]

the issue for demarcus cousins is one of timing, plain and simple. he would have been the perfect franchise center of the 80's or 90's. hell, he probably could have made it in the earliest part of the 00's. but in this flop-festing, breathe-on-him-you-foul-him, dress-code-mandated, weenie-roast version of an nba? as part of this hyper-media-saturated, everybody-has-a-camera, gotcha-fueled outrage-machine of 2014? forget it. seriously, just forget it. as much as i am in complete agreement with you, as much as i prefer an nba that's much more rough around the edges, DMC will not survive if he cannot adapt. he has to reign it in. there is no other option...

in the first half of the season, we saw the beast we had all hoped to see; demarcus was playing tough, he was playing strong, but he was also playing smart. doing so allowed him to rise into his nearly undisputed role as the league's best center. there was, of course, the occasional technical foul, often quickly delivered on the basis of reputation, but, by and large, demarcus would bite his tongue through the bulk of those first-half games. he'd swiftly march to the other end of the court if he believed it would spare him from earning a technical foul. it was positive and important growth, and while the losses were piling up, there was hope for the future, right? the new front office was working diligently behind the scenes to bring cousins some help. and in comes rudy gay, who proceeds to play some of the best basketball of his career...

the team has competed fairly well when both cousins and gay are healthy. unfortunately, a brutal stretch of road games, some ill-timed injuries, and some tank-ready roster shuffling broke up any hope for sustainable momentum. now we're on the other side of a rather disappointing all-star break, with no all-star selection for demarcus and no acquisitions that will help to propel the kings forward in the immediate sense (while ben mclemore continues to look like yet another wasted draft pick). in the meantime, the team and its fans are left to stew in a toxic waiting room. the 2014 draft will be the next domino to fall (and we can only hope that the front office doesn't f*** up again), but there are still 25 games left to play, with demarcus fuming over the losses, his persecution complex firmly in tow...

by the way, this was always the danger with botching that first offseason. it's why so many of us here at kf.com were so overly critical of the new front office's failures last summer. they really blew it, and they were going to need to play serious catch-up during the season. now, mid-season trades can be exciting because they bring an unexpected jolt to the doldrums of "another losing season." however, it forces a team to learn on the fly, to build chemistry on the fly, which is a difficult prospect for a defense-averse basement-dweller with a young, volatile superstar-level talent at its center. the offseason is the time to create a path to winning. that said, if the kings are not on that path, if they are not poised to deliver a .500 or better season after a full training camp with whatever roster they've assembled for the 2014-2015 season, it could become exceedingly difficult to keep demarcus cousins [and his agent] "bought in."

I like your post but I'm just curious, how did the FO "****" up the draft? Who should they have drafted instead of BMac? Seems to me he was pretty much considered the best choice on the board at that point in a HORRIBLE draft. Who was the obvious choice that they passed up? MCW?

 

[Spike]

I think the option to trade the pick for some better fitting pieces could have been explored a little more thoroughly. Would packaging IT with the #7 pick have been good enough to entice someone? Who knows? Hindsight is clearly 20/20 on this one, but it doesn't seem that the avenue was explored. That's probably the only thing I could think of, considering that (so far) this has turned out to be a dud of a draft year.

 

[Padrino]

I like your post but I'm just curious, how did the FO "****" up the draft? Who should they have drafted instead of BMac? Seems to me he was pretty much considered the best choice on the board at that point in a HORRIBLE draft. Who was the obvious choice that they passed up? MCW?

it was, indeed, a horrible draft class, but there were certainly known factors. the book had already been written on mclemore: sweet stroke, big time athlete, but very raw, can't dribble, can't create for himself, can't defend. hell, even ex-king/ex-jayhawk scott pollard was adamantly against anybody drafting mclemore in the top-10. if you picked him, you're likely bringing in a player who will not be able to contribute at the nba-level for some time. and when he can, it's likely to be in a very limited capacity. i said it at the time, and many others said it at the time, insiders and fans alike. to draft mclemore was to draft his athleticism and hope for the best...

now, if you're asking me who i would have picked instead, well, prior to the draft, my board was filled with players i would have gladly taken over mclemore. among the guards, i would have picked any one of carter-williams, burke, mccollum, or schroeder over mclemore. the kings had not yet acquired greivis vasquez via sign-and-trade, and i have always been unconvinced of isaiah thomas as anything other than a 6th man, so, personally, i was targeting ball handlers in the '13 draft...

 

[New Era]

it was, indeed, a horrible draft class, but there were certainly known factors. the book had already been written on mclemore: sweet stroke, big time athlete, but very raw, can't dribble, can't create for himself, can't defend. hell, even ex-king/ex-jayhawk scott pollard was adamantly against anybody drafting mclemore in the top-10. if you picked him, you're likely bringing in a player who will not be able to contribute at the nba-level for some time. and when he can, it's likely to be in a very limited capacity. i said it at the time, and many others said it at the time, insiders and fans alike. to draft mclemore was to draft his athleticism and hope for the best...

now, if you're asking me who i would have picked instead, well, prior to the draft, my board was filled with players i would have gladly taken over mclemore. among the guards, i would have picked any one of carter-williams, burke, mccollum, or schroeder over mclemore. the kings had not yet acquired greivis vasquez via sign-and-trade, and i have always been unconvinced of isaiah thomas as anything other than a 6th man, so, personally, i was targeting ball handlers in the '13 draft...

Yeah, I forgot about CJ McCollum. For awhile there, it looked like the Kings were high on him too. Sadly, he's already done more in 21 games with the Blazers in limited minutes than BMac has done all year.

 

[Kingster]

the issue for demarcus cousins is one of timing, plain and simple. he would have been the perfect franchise center of the 80's or 90's. hell, he probably could have made it in the earliest part of the 00's. but in this flop-festing, breathe-on-him-you-foul-him, dress-code-mandated, weenie-roast version of an nba? as part of this hyper-media-saturated, everybody-has-a-camera, gotcha-fueled outrage-machine of 2014? forget it. seriously, just forget it. as much as i am in complete agreement with you, as much as i prefer an nba that's much more rough around the edges, DMC will not survive if he cannot adapt. he has to reign it in. there is no other option...

Timing? "Just forget it"? According to you, he's just too rough a beast slouching to Bethlehem for this sensitive flower league. If he just can't be himelf, then what's the use, hugh? Apparently Cousins is taking your advice and "forgetting it." He certainly forgot it last night.

I completely disagree with you on the picture. The picture is not the rough tough neanderthal Cousins in the soft weenie league. It's absolutely just the opposite. Cousins is a little baby in swaddling clothes, mentally weak, sorry for himself, the victim, low self esteem, who is his own worst enemy. As Napier said last night: "It's sad." Oh woe is me says Cousins, I didn't make the All Star team. He buckled under the snub. He didn't man up to be the fierce warrior. He did just the opposite. He shrunk. He stopped playing.

 

[pshn80]

I sometimes wonder how todays watered down weenie breed of fans would have survived the 80s and 90s when almost every elite team was helmed by one or more badasses who would throw down at the drop of a hat. Now our poor little sensibilities are hurt if somebody uses harsh language.

Which is not to say Cousins doesn't still have to improve his temper. It is to say that at 23 Kobe was busy feuding with Shaq (and somewhere back there may have even raped a girl), Barkley was spitting on fans and leading the league in suspensions, Webb was getting arrested for pot after he feuded with Nellie and got himself traded, Wilt was working on his second or third thousand women and just etc. Rather more bastards than gentlemen in the HOF. Do they have the talent? Do they want to win? That's what you ask. There's a reason that unless they parachute into a perfect situation, even the great ones don't normally start winning titles until well into their primes.

Quit forgiving Cuz within 24 hours of the event. He deserves at 24 hours of unmitigated dump. You say call it off and I haven't even commented yet.

 

[chief bromden]

At least Cousins didn't 'allegedly' threaten his girl/wife with a gun? There are more serious issues in life than someone yelling/cussing out a ref, but there is no reason to go ballistic on refs when there are more serious issues in life ... hopefully Gay's comments about him learning that the fire is hot will come to fruition by the end of the season or the start of the next.

Aside from that, this was a sad game considering they came off a win-win weekend ... 'same ole Kings'

 

[pshn80]

I like your post but I'm just curious, how did the FO "****" up the draft? Who should they have drafted instead of BMac? Seems to me he was pretty much considered the best choice on the board at that point in a HORRIBLE draft. Who was the obvious choice that they passed up? MCW?

Agree. BMac wasn't a mistake. His pick NOW looks like an unfortunate one. But no indicting the FO on this one.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Timing? "Just forget it"? According to you, he's just too rough a beast slouching to Bethlehem for this sensitive flower league. If he just can't be himelf, then what's the use, hugh? Apparently Cousins is taking your advice and "forgetting it." He certainly forgot it last night.

I completely disagree with you on the picture. The picture is not the rough tough neanderthal Cousins in the soft weenie league. It's absolutely just the opposite. Cousins is a little baby in swaddling clothes, mentally weak, sorry for himself, the victim, low self esteem, who is his own worst enemy. As Napier said last night: "It's sad." Oh woe is me says Cousins, I didn't make the All Star team. He buckled under the snub. He didn't man up to be the fierce warrior. He did just the opposite. He shrunk. He stopped playing.

Agreed. The "bully" is being exposed, as mentally weak, which they always are. His antics against Humphries in the Celtics game, which was totally uncalled for and "bush league", was just the start of what was coming.

At this point, thinking that this character is going to "lead" this team and the new ownership, with it's goal of an improved culture and winning attitude, is a recipe for a lot of disappointment. Very unfortunate

 

[sdballer]

Agreed. The "bully" is being exposed, as mentally weak, which they always are. His antics against Humphries in the Celtics game, which was totally uncalled for and "bush league", was just the start of what was coming.

At this point, thinking that this character is going to "lead" this team and the new ownership, with it's goal of an improved culture and winning attitude, is a recipe for a lot of disappointment. Very unfortunate

Again, not an excuse for Cousins but NBA bully behavior isn't really a new thing. Some of the best bigs in history did this and worse (see KG). Doesn't mean Cousins doesn't need to get his maturity under control but to pretend poor behavior on the court is a sign he'll always be a loser doesn't really pan out. If anything, his over competitiveness is a good thing (compared to some of the problem children of the past that had issues with laziness, not caring and whose behavior spilled off the court). He just needs to do a much better job of harnessing it.

 

[CruzDude]

Well everyone has an off night in the NBA. Too bad most of the Kings shared the same "off" night when the Rockets had their "on" night. Kings did split season series with Rockets 2-2 so that is something. But, Cuz has to get under control. Sure, he likely did not foul Howard on that play but the refs do seem to favor the big stars on their guesswork. Still, you have to grow up Cuz that's it.

The first quarter was a mistake all the way around but none more so than keeping MLM on Harden. Probably didn't matter tho' cause when your on your on, kinda like Jimmer in New York, eh? The Kings got it down to 7 I think then stopped going for the jugular and let the game slip capped off by Cuz going ballistic.

 

[The_Jamal]

Again, not an excuse for Cousins but NBA bully behavior isn't really a new thing. Some of the best bigs in history did this and worse (see KG). Doesn't mean Cousins doesn't need to get his maturity under control but to pretend poor behavior on the court is a sign he'll always be a loser doesn't really pan out. If anything, his over competitiveness is a good thing (compared to some of the problem children of the past that had issues with laziness, not caring and whose behavior spilled off the court). He just needs to do a much better job of harnessing it.

The difference is KG won. Kobe won. Shaq won. MJ was one of the biggest assholes in NBA history. Cuz hasn't won 30 games yet. Those guys trash talked you/scowled on the court, played the "bully" because they simply were going to show you up on the floor and beat you. Cuz hasn't earned the right to be a "bully" when he's proven nothing in terms of wins, or even consistent play. The wins obviously aren't all on him, but when your a franchise player, you're also accountable for your team having success on the floor.

Last night showed a lot for me about Cuz's ability to lead and what his mind-set is right now. When the team was in the dumps and playing like crap, he mailed it in and got himself stupidly kicked out of the game. Literally, that mentality and attitude is exactly the opposite of what we want to see. The Indy game comes to mind, when he dropped 31-9 or something close with everyone else sucking. That performance is what beign a franchise player is all about. Never mailing it in and always continuing to play hard.

 

[Glenn]

I'm waiting for IT to lead us to the promised land.

 

[Spike]

They all won right away, too, which makes this even more enraging!

The difference is KG won. Kobe won. Shaq won. MJ was one of the biggest assholes in NBA history. Cuz hasn't won 30 games yet.

Can you believe KG had to carry the likes of Gugliotta, Marbury, and that dud of a coach Flip Saunders?
Or Kobe? Yeah, he had to deal with scrubs, too.

The nerve! Why hasn't Cousins overcome the same obstacles?!

In all seriousness, Cousins hasn't been placed into the same position as the guys you mentioned. Even MJ had a rough go in terms of W/L until about year 3. It's been a turnstyle of players and coaches since he's been here, so I'm not judging W/L. Can you judge attitude? Sure, and last night Cousins blew a gasket. Who knows what led to it.

I guess the Gay/Cousins duo is now 14-15. Having a true #2 option helps more than many of us seem to admit. Was last night an aberration? I don't know, but I do know that if we don't play a lick of defense, it will never matter how many points we score.

 

[mcsluggo]

Funny that I was getting blasted just last week for suggesting that maybe just maybe Demarcus Cousins is a small part of the problem (as to why the team is losing). I had the audacity to say not all the blame should fall on Isaiah Thomas (the scapegoat who I admitted has big deficiencies) and that Cousins as the face of the franchise must at least share a little of the responsibility for the losing. I also said that Cousins is not yet a finished product, he's not yet a true leader, he doesn't yet make his teammates better, and he's not yet a "winning" player that essentially wills his team to victory. All things that people either argued about or made excuses for him.......... but you all better hope he improves at because if not that means this franchise is going nowhere

Yet here we are a week later, Cousins starts to boil over the weekend and he blows up tonight like a child showing no leadership in a bad loss.

How am I wrong again about Cousins? Oh yeah I'm not just like I wasn't about Tyreke Evans (how is his career doing since 20-5-5 ?)

It's time for so many on this forum to finally start realizing that success in basketball is about so much more than just stats and raw talent. There are so many incredibly talented players around the league that lose games and have even made a long career of losing games because they don't possess those rare intangibles that only true leaders and "winners" have. Sure talent and stats are incredibly important but at the end of the day what ultimately leads to wins (instead of losses) is leadership and composure from your best players.

A player like Tim Duncan is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Is Tim Duncan more talented than Demarcus Cousins right now? No not even close. Was Tim Duncan in his prime really that much more talented than Cousins right now? No not really, talent wise they are very comparable. So why has Tim Duncan kept winning all of these years and why was he winning literally right from the start????? Cue up the "Tim Duncan has always had a more talented supporting cast than Cousins ever has" arguments.

You can make that argument about supporting cast and it has plenty of merit but I can also make the same argument that so many of Tim Duncan's supporting cast (turned all-stars) over the years were late first round picks, second round picks, and even un-drafted castways or supposed scrubs from the D-League. What is the one constant over the years where the Spurs continually get lucky and turn all of this trash to treasure? Probably a little bit the coach and probably even a little bit luck........but the one constant is that the "face of the franchise" Tim Duncan is a true leader that makes his teammates better, is coachable, leads by example, plays consistent defense, and has acted like a professional since Day 1 when he entered the league. That is why the Spurs win, that's why they have been winning so long, and that is why so many of his teammates have turned into this "great supporting cast". I say this as a guy that doesn't even like Tim Duncan by the way, the dude is kind of smug and he annoys me but I recognize all of the immeasurable intangibles that he possesses. Quite simply Tim Duncan is a winner and he does things that winners do. They don't show up in the stat sheet, on the highlight reel, or in an interview but they do showup in the standings.

So far Demarcus Cousins has proven to be a loser, he does things that losers do, and people makes excuses for him like losers do.

The big question is he willing to change?

you are your biggest fan, aren't you?

 

[The_Jamal]

They all won right away, too, which makes this even more enraging!


Can you believe KG had to carry the likes of Gugliotta, Marbury, and that dud of a coach Flip Saunders?
Or Kobe? Yeah, he had to deal with scrubs, too.

The nerve! Why hasn't Cousins overcome the same obstacles?!

Yes, that's a practical approach isn't it?

"It's ok to act like an immature child Boogie. That $15 mil/year contract we gave u is simply to put up with us not surrounding you in ideal conditions. Proceed to do whatever you want."

Roster problems don't excuse behavior. Especially when you don't have the resume of a Kobe, Duncan, KG, LeBron etc to make roster demands. Cuz has had the full support of the team/coach/FO from day 1. Hell, coach was right there arguing on Cuz's behalf when he got kicked out.

 

[Spike]

Roster problems DO excuse winning though, no? Isn't that the argument you're referencing?

 

[The_Jamal]

They all won right away, too, which makes this even more enraging!


Can you believe KG had to carry the likes of Gugliotta, Marbury, and that dud of a coach Flip Saunders?
Or Kobe? Yeah, he had to deal with scrubs, too.

The nerve! Why hasn't Cousins overcome the same obstacles?!

In all seriousness, Cousins hasn't been placed into the same position as the guys you mentioned. Even MJ had a rough go in terms of W/L until about year 3. It's been a turnstyle of players and coaches since he's been here, so I'm not judging W/L. Can you judge attitude? Sure, and last night Cousins blew a gasket. Who knows what led to it.

I guess the Gay/Cousins duo is now 14-15. Having a true #2 option helps more than many of us seem to admit. Was last night an aberration? I don't know, but I do know that if we don't play a lick of defense, it will never matter how many points we score.

I'm not really talking about wins. I'm talking more about "profile" of guys. KG, Kobe and those guys got away with their "bully" attitudes because they won and lived in the playoffs year in and year out. Cuz hasn't. Obviously, not his fault, but doesn't change the "profile" of him being a "loser" in this league. The attitude just exemplifies that persona of him.

All we can hope for is last night being an aberration. But it's not like the outburst came out of the blue. His attitude/energy on the floor has been rather poor for weeks now. He's still had big games, but it's abundantly clear he's not playing the same way he was earlier in the year. Perhaps the injury has something to do with that.

 

[The_Jamal]

Roster problems DO excuse winning though, no? Isn't that the argument you're referencing?

Roster problems excuse winning to an extent. At some point, you have to start looking deeper and mainly at who your best player is. Minny with Kevin Love comes to mind. What kind of example and tone he sets for the team. It's been referenced many times that we've basically purged the entire maloof era of FO and players, yet we seem to be the same team. Is that on coaching? Is that on Cuz's attitude permeating through the whole team? Or is it simple unfamiliarity the player's have with each other.

 

[Spike]

I'm not really talking about wins. I'm talking more about "profile" of guys. KG, Kobe and those guys got away with their "bully" attitudes because they won and lived in the playoffs year in and year out. Cuz hasn't. Obviously, not his fault, but doesn't change the "profile" of him being a "loser" in this league. The attitude just exemplifies that persona of him.

All we can hope for is last night being an aberration. But it's not like the outburst came out of the blue. His attitude/energy on the floor has been rather poor for weeks now. He's still had big games, but it's abundantly clear he's not playing the same way he was earlier in the year. Perhaps the injury has something to do with that.

I mostly agree, as it's the Harbaugh principle. "Sure, he's an butthead, but he's our butthead." If he didn't win right away, we'd have shipped him out by now. Cousins doesn't have the same luxury, though. Until Gay's arrival, there was really no one to help out. (and when we had Evans, we also had coach Smart). Now, we see that with Gay and Cousins, there's potential for wins. They could be a .500 team next year. If/when that happens, then maybe much of his petulance gets swept under as he becomes "our butthead" again.

Again, last night's outburst was a step back. He'll probably have a few more, but I'm willing to live with it until our roster is at the point that his antics are holding back the team.

Edit: as a side note, I'm kinda fond of how crap is automatically changed into poopoo, and butthead becomes butthead