Kings' Moves Setting Table for DeMarcus Cousins to Demand Escape - Ric Bucher

[moosehog]

I'm amazed at how much my own confidence in this FO has declined in the past few months. I was loving the Collison signing and the Rudy extension. I really felt they had a plan and were in complete control.

Fast forward to now and I have doubts whether Vivek and Pete could successfuly run so much as a hot dog stand. One misstep after another.

 

[Gary]

To those out there who want to pretend that everything is good and that none of this is a big deal and everything is going to work out then great, go with that. I wish that I could be that positive, but I can't ignore events occurring right in front of me. Now I'm not saying that I without a doubt know what is going and who is to blame, I can only go with the evidence presented. We've heard a multitude of reports from a multitude of sources, some of the reports are right and some are wrong. I'm sure that even some of the reports are flat out lies leaked intentionally to push an agenda or for someone to save face. The bottom line is that Malone was fired, that is a fact. I think we can also agree that firings don't just happen on a whim. Although perhaps I'm wrong and If I am then this organization really does have problems. We also know that the blame lies with either Ranadive, D'Alessandro, Mullin, or a combination of the three and whoever that is needs to be fired or step aside. We also know that many of the players have quit, that is evident. So I apologize, but I can't pretend that there are huge problems, some of which may not be fixable.

Now I can understand those that acknowledge the problems, but don't want to hear anymore of it. I'm with you, turn off the television, turn off the radio, and stop reading the web sites. The media is all about spinning things negatively, that's their main job description I think. I think a lot of what we're hearing now is the media trying to get as much out of this as they can since the story is just about over with Karl signing.

These "events" is just a bunch of people saying little things that get embellished by the next guy... It's like that game you used to play as a kid when you would say a line to someone at the start of a row and by the end it's been so twisted that it does not even resemble what the first person had said.

If I told you that Karl's first game coaching will be the 20th and that he will sign during the AS break and that Cousins is fine with it would you be happy? That's what CD is saying, and I think he's a little more on the inside than Bucher is.

So I think you're worried over nothing. Karl will be the coach here, and Cousins is under contract.

 

[IfAt1st]

One problem with that scenario. It would require collaboration. They may all be upset, confused ext. But beyond that you have fourteen individuals that have different agendas going into next season. Some have long term guaranteed contracts so they are safe, some are playing for their next contract or whatever. What would make you think they would sacrifice tomorrow on principle of today, when today is already lost.

I'm sure I'm just telling you what you already could figure out, but -
It doesn't take 14 players to deliberately play like crap for the Kings to lose, and lose badly.

I'm sure we all realize Rudy is in on the mutiny - his lackluster play speaks for itself.
Who else has been markedly worse, post-Malone?
JT is a ghost of his former play.
Darren Collison is very unimpressive.
McLemore has been forgettable.
Omri has been suspiciously unused questionable when played.

That's more than enough players to be in on a players' revolt to explain what we've all seen.
Heck, DMC alone is enough, but with Rudy, that's plenty.

 

[Glenn]

I'm amazed at how much my own confidence in this FO has declined in the past few months. I was loving the Collison signing and the Rudy extension. I really felt they had a plan and were in complete control.

Fast forward to now and I have doubts whether Vivek and Pete could successfuly run so much as a hot dog stand. One misstep after another.

My good feeling for PDA are coming back.

 

[IfAt1st]

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2015/02/11/20150210-inside-chuck-analytics.nba/

Oooooooh, man - this is some serious burn by Chuck vs analytics.

Shaq - Analytics don't work.
Chuck - Analytics don't work at all. That's just some crap that some people who were really smart made up to try to get in the game ...cuz they had no talent to be able to play. So smart guys wanted to fit in so they made up a term called analytics. Analytics don't work.
...
The NBA is about talent. All these guys who run these organizations who talk about analytics they have one thing in common - they a bunch of guys who never played the game, and they never got the girls in high school, and they just want to get in the game.

Damn, if that doesn't sound eerily like describing our front office...

Funny thing is - I'm positive that if he and Demarcus got to talking, they would bond over their disdain for analytics.
(BTW - this was cross-linked to/by NBA.com's Twitter account - which Pete D's Twitter account follows.)

 

[Larry David]

I don't think Cousins will try to force a trade over the next 2-14 months based upon this season. Even if he did, I don't think the Kings would bend. But, I think we've been such a dysfunctional dumpster fire for the past 5 years that, even assuming we improve a lot the next two years and make the playoffs in 16-17: (1) Cousins is most likely leaving as a free agent in the summer of 2018; and (2) therefore, the Kings will be compelled to trade him in the summer of 2017.

* Other than Gregg Monroe, basically all of the rookies offered the big rookie extensions end up taking them. As such, I think fans might be taking a huge leap to assume that Cousins decision to grab the security of his second contract will extend to a willingness to finish his prime in Sacramento in 2018.

* Unless they tweak the CBA, it would cost DMC big money to extend his Kings contract in the summer of 2017. So, the Kings will be looking at choosing between grabbing the best of many packages for DMC or the risk of getting nothing or sign and trade scraps later.

* We are a completely dysfunctional team with an eccentric owner. Even assuming Viveck nails the next two years, this total cluster season would have to give any player serious pause about entrusting the rest of his career to this group.

* I think it's possible to project the Kings as a playoff team in 16-17. At this point, it's a stretch to forecast the Kings as a favorite to advance to the second round and certainly not a contender that season. So, in the summer of 2017, Cousins isn't likely to view his leaving the Kings in 2018 as walking away from a contender like Webber would have (when the money was also radically different to stay)

* Starting now, teams are going to start lining up DMC packages for the summer of 2017. DMC will be well aware of his potential suitors and possible teams. Odds favor at least one or two will be enticing to DMC.

I don't think we should be nervous about DMC pushing for a trade this summer. I think the odds favor his camp will tell the team in the summer 2017, "We're leaving in the summer of 2018, so if you don't trade us to Teams A or B now, we'll sign with team B or C in the summer of 2018." If that happens, odds favor, we'll fold and DMC is gone in 28 months from now.

It's really easy to say "that's over 2 years away" "anything can happen" "you watch, we'll be a contender by then" but logic and the odds favor that DMC has 2 to 2 1/4 Sacramento seasons left. Bucher is wrong about when this hits, but he's correct that this season set the stage for DMC's eventual departure from Sacramento.

 

[ParniValjak]

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2015/02/11/20150210-inside-chuck-analytics.nba/

Oooooooh, man - this is some serious burn by Chuck vs analytics.

Damn, if that doesn't sound eerily like describing our front office...

Funny thing is - I'm positive that if he and Demarcus got to talking, they would bond over their disdain for analytics.
(BTW - this was cross-linked to/by NBA.com's Twitter account - which Pete D's Twitter account follows.)

You can hear Shaq in the background agreeing with him! I guess he will get a please explain phone call from Vivek!

 

[randymoss1881]

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2015/02/11/20150210-inside-chuck-analytics.nba/

Oooooooh, man - this is some serious burn by Chuck vs analytics.

Damn, if that doesn't sound eerily like describing our front office...

Funny thing is - I'm positive that if he and Demarcus got to talking, they would bond over their disdain for analytics.
(BTW - this was cross-linked to/by NBA.com's Twitter account - which Pete D's Twitter account follows.)

Chuck ripping moreywas funny as hell dude talking they got no girls in high school haha. I bet you malone thinking the same thing.

 

[Mike]

I guess Cousins' commitment to this team will come down to whether this front office turns the team around or not. So far we've seen moves made that haven't worked out [yet]. Maybe Karl will be the catalyst to this team becoming a play off team again. If that's the case, Cousins should want to stay because this is "his" team. However, if nothing changes and the team continues to remain a lottery bound team, then I wouldn't be surprised to see Cousins want to leave for a team that can offer him play off basketball. There's only so long players will stick it out in poorly run teams before wanting out, and if things don't change, Cousins will want out.

 

[Bricklayer]

I guess Cousins' commitment to this team will come down to whether this front office turns the team around or not. So far we've seen moves made that haven't worked out [yet]. Maybe Karl will be the catalyst to this team becoming a play off team again. If that's the case, Cousins should want to stay because this is "his" team. However, if nothing changes and the team continues to remain a lottery bound team, then I wouldn't be surprised to see Cousins want to leave for a team that can offer him play off basketball. There's only so long players will stick it out in poorly run teams before wanting out, and if things don't change, Cousins will want out.

Yeah, I suspect that's about where we are now. We can still save the Boogie era in Sacto, but only if we do what Minny never did with Love, and that's finally get him into the dance with his peers. Do that and his innate loyalty should be enough to want to win it here. But its simply not realistic that he is going to be sitting here in Yr 8 of his career never having won and just fine with it.

 

[whozit]

I'm sure I'm just telling you what you already could figure out, but -
It doesn't take 14 players to deliberately play like crap for the Kings to lose, and lose badly.

I'm sure we all realize Rudy is in on the mutiny - his lackluster play speaks for itself.
Who else has been markedly worse, post-Malone?
JT is a ghost of his former play.
Darren Collison is very unimpressive.
McLemore has been forgettable.
Omri has been suspiciously unused questionable when played.

That's more than enough players to be in on a players' revolt to explain what we've all seen.
Heck, DMC alone is enough, but with Rudy, that's plenty.

Players (as a unified group) revolt? It's possible, but I would guess unlikely. Too many non-starters with too much to lose. Demoralized, dis-engaged players seeing no hope and total dysfunction? Probable. The latter with a couple players falling in the former category? Most likely.