Kings @ Nuggets, 1/26/13

[wazzups]

The last thing i want is for our Cousins to become our Durant its not the player i promise

 

[wazzups]

Cousins will be great or even one of the greats if he is handled properly

 

[lwc]

TRob should be the only player not to get a D or F.

 

[wazzups]

Don't forget Hayes he was out there helping Trob be productive

 

[rainmaker]

While I have no doubt Smart is a complete moron, some of it has to fall on the players as well, everyone on the Lakers has been telling MDA even Pau himself that he needs the ball in the post not shooting outside(which has happend last 4 or so games). Its not Smarts fault Cousins just plays soft and takes WAY to many bad shots and he keeps doing it again and again. Can't Cousins himself see like most good/great players what works for him? Like the way he played during that 10 game period recently where he was facing up and posting for most the game.

You have a HOF PG in Nash and the 2nd best SG ever in Kobe, one of the strongest willed and stubborn players to ever lace them up, along with Pau, a two time NBA champion and repeat multiple time All Star who while they all know where Pau is most effective, still struggle to go against their coach's system and the spots the coach puts the players in to receive the ball and/or impact the game. Point being, the most veteran team in the league outside of maybe SA with the greatest player of his generation along with arguably the greatest PG of his generation are struggling to go against their coach's offense/system, and you expect a bunch of 22 and 23 yr olds to do it here?

Yes Cuz makes poor decisions, all our players do. But you're asking him to blow off Smart's offense, and not just him, but others on the court to blow off Smart's system in order to get Cuz the ball in different places. Cuz isn't in complete control of where he gets the ball and when, and more importantly isn't in control of the spacing when he does get the ball which is usually poor, nor the movement/cutters/faders/options he has when he gets it. Cuz doesn't just jack up bad shots simply because they're bad shots.

Many times he's given the ball 20ft away, with 7 secs or less on the shotclock, and everyone standing and watching and he has no options. He's a willing passer when there's options. He's pretty good when he and Reke play a two man game with a side of the floor cleared. But those instances are rare.

 

[KingMilz]

You have a HOF PG in Nash and the 2nd best SG ever in Kobe, one of the strongest willed and stubborn players to ever lace them up, along with Pau, a two time NBA champion and repeat multiple time All Star who while they all know where Pau is most effective, still struggle to go against their coach's system and the spots the coach puts the players in to receive the ball and/or impact the game. Point being, the most veteran team in the league outside of maybe SA with the greatest player of his generation along with arguably the greatest PG of his generation are struggling to go against their coach's offense/system, and you expect a bunch of 22 and 23 yr olds to do it here?

Yes Cuz makes poor decisions, all our players do. But you're asking him to blow off Smart's offense, and not just him, but others on the court to blow off Smart's system in order to get Cuz the ball in different places. Cuz isn't in complete control of where he gets the ball and when, and more importantly isn't in control of the spacing when he does get the ball which is usually poor, nor the movement/cutters/faders/options he has when he gets it. Cuz doesn't just jack up bad shots simply because they're bad shots.

Many times he's given the ball 20ft away, with the 7 secs or less on the shotclock, and everyone standing and watching and he has no options. He's a willing passer when there's options. He's pretty good when he and Reke play a two man game with a side of the floor cleared. But those instances are rare.

I agree with a lot of what you say but why during every halftime interview do we here coach Ray (I think thats his name the massive black dude), say we need to pound the ball inside against this team and it almost never happends, I can't think of another coaching staff that would allow Cousins to sit on the outside not bother battling for boards and let him take outside jumpers. As big a spastic as Coach Smart is there is no way they tell him to do what hes doing, they would ethier tell him to drive at the rim or pass out or try get deep post position. He amount of times hes missed this season from the mid range is mind blowing, wouldn't he himself see its not working and shoot less maybe?

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't think it takes too huge of a genius to see that DeMarcus playued this one like he was exhausted from the start.

You have back to back and altitutde, but I dunno, maybe he got in at 3:00am and stayed up until noon playing video games or something. Just was compeltey gassed. He didn't want any part of banging or inside play, and he normally thrives on it. Maybe he was sick.

 

[Glenn]

So how much would we have to lose by for Keith Smart to have to be fired?

Earlier this year the Maloofs were asked if Smart could get fired and I took the question as meaning under ANY circumstance. The answer was "no." The impression I got was that we were stuck with Smart no matter what. It made sense to me at the time from an economic stand point but, man, can I see how helpless it makes our team. Are we really expected to put up with this team for the next 40 games or whatever it is. It's pitiful. We are hopeless.

As to draft picks, we are in the never never land of being too good to get a great pick. I'm ready for this season to be over. Isn't that awful?

 

[rainmaker]

I agree with a lot of what you say but why during every halftime interview do we here coach Ray (I think thats his name the massive black dude), say we need to pound the ball inside against this team and it almost never happends, I can't think of another coaching staff that would allow Cousins to sit on the outside not bother battling for boards and let him take outside jumpers. As big a spastic as Coach Smart is there is no way they tell him to do what hes doing, they would ethier tell him to drive at the rim or pass out or try get deep post position. He amount of times hes missed this season from the mid range is mind blowing, wouldn't he himself see its not working and shoot less maybe?

My guess is because even though the coaches understand the problem, they don't have the system in place or ability to put a system in place which attempts to solve those problems. We don't have structure. We don't run many sets other than two with a little variation off either. Both have Cuz on the perimeter.

Why after those halftime interviews, do we not see Cuz on the block with options? JT setting a cross screen and hitting Cuz on the move? Cuz at the elbow with he an Reke working a two man game? Cuz at the elbow with Salmons coming off screens for a mid range jumper? It's coaching. Our players have little direction and little structure to follow.

Just look at the roles of our backcourt as an example. IT/Brooks/Jimmer all seem to think their job is to score and shoot first. We rarely see any of them actually getting the team into any offense or running sets. We do get it to Cuz/JT at the elbow, but after the first option it all falls apart. Usually it goes right back out to the guard and they go 1v1. No matter how unsuccessful it is, those guys either gunning or being passive, iso'ing Cuz/Reke or Outlaw/JJ, there's no rhyme or reason to what they do, nor accountability from the coaching staff. All goes back to little structure and players being where they shouldn't be.

Cuz is a smart player. He will shoot too much at times but he's shown he's a willing passer with options. The larger issue to me is why we keep iso'ing him with no options. He has little choice. The only reason he doesn't take more jumpers is sheer talent, talent no other center has, where he can take his man off the dribble.

 

[jpsls]

Earlier this year the Maloofs were asked if Smart could get fired and I took the question as meaning under ANY circumstance. The answer was "no." The impression I got was that we were stuck with Smart no matter what. It made sense to me at the time from an economic stand point but, man, can I see how helpless it makes our team. Are we really expected to put up with this team for the next 40 games or whatever it is. It's pitiful. We are hopeless.

As to draft picks, we are in the never never land of being too good to get a great pick. I'm ready for this season to be over. Isn't that awful?

I can put up with it. The drama off the court has been more compelling.

 

[Glenn]

Is Cousins a complete ****ing idiot? All season he shots mid range shots which he has little to no chance of making and refuses to post up or do anything hard wtf is wrong him? Hes developing habits that will more than likely make him an underachiever his whole career. The times where he has refused shots and passed/posted up/ attacked the rim hes had success like the team. Dude has not cared in to many of the games this season for his talent hes been a disgrace for the most part.

That's a pretty cruel comment. I don't have anything more to say except I think that's a very odd way to describe your best scorer and rebounder.

 

[Tetsujin]

I don't think it takes too huge of a genius to see that DeMarcus playued this one like he was exhausted from the start.

You have back to back and altitutde, but I dunno, maybe he got in at 3:00am and stayed up until noon playing video games or something. Just was compeltey gassed. He didn't want any part of banging or inside play, and he normally thrives on it. Maybe he was sick.

According to Grant and Jerry, the team arrived in Denver a whopping hour before the game tipped-off.

 

[Bricklayer]

According to Grant and Jerry, the team arrived in Denver a whopping hour before the game tipped-off.

what?

 

[Tetsujin]

what?

Maybe I misheard. I honestly stopped paying attention about three minutes into the game.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

According to Grant and Jerry, the team arrived in Denver a whopping hour before the game tipped-off.

No. They arrived at 3am. He tweeted

 

[LWP777]

I don't think it takes too huge of a genius to see that DeMarcus playued this one like he was exhausted from the start.

You have back to back and altitutde, but I dunno, maybe he got in at 3:00am and stayed up until noon playing video games or something. Just was compeltey gassed. He didn't want any part of banging or inside play, and he normally thrives on it. Maybe he was sick.

Yep or maybe he just doesn't have the mental makeup to be a star in this league. Not many players do. It's just like anything in life. Only the exceptional people are the very best at what they do because it takes more than just talent. It takes mental fortitude and toughness and an incredible amount of discipline.

 

[Npliam]

Yep or maybe he just doesn't have the mental makeup to be a star in this league. Not many players do. It's just like anything in life. Only the exceptional people are the very best at what they do because it takes more than just talent. It takes mental fortitude and toughness and an incredible amount of discipline.

It is way too soon to tell that.

 

[KingMilz]

Yep or maybe he just doesn't have the mental makeup to be a star in this league. Not many players do. It's just like anything in life. Only the exceptional people are the very best at what they do because it takes more than just talent. It takes mental fortitude and toughness and an incredible amount of discipline.

Normally I disagree with you put you make a great point, the mental makeup is the big question for mine to often when hes not playing well or the team is not playing well he gives up and goes out there and throws up garbage shots and passes which have little to no chance of going in. Its all great and well to put up numbers when your playing well but the BEST players when things are not going well don't quit like he has to many times this season for my taste. No one will ever queston DMC's talent and regardless if he ever becomes a All-Star or not he will always be my favourite player, but so far into his NBA career hes shown hes mentally fragile which is not a good thing and the hardest thing to turn around.

That's a pretty cruel comment. I don't have anything more to say except I think that's a very odd way to describe your best scorer and rebounder.

I might have gone overboard on the comment but its hard for me to see such a talent waste itself by having poor shot selection and not doing those hard things required if he wants to be a elite big man. I would just love one game where he uses that half hook 4-5 times and battles for boards like he did in the Suns game thats all. To often we blame everyone else and not Cousins, with the gifts he has he to often plays soft and very rarely if ever plays to his full potential.

 

[panda]

If the team arrived at 3am, they would be exhausted, not that I can blame the players anymore. If the coach has no accountability, then he has no authority either, no reason for the players to pretend to support him as long as they appear to do what they are told.

 

[Glenn]

Normally I disagree with you put you make a great point, the mental makeup is the big question for mine to often when hes not playing well or the team is not playing well he gives up and goes out there and throws up garbage shots and passes which have little to no chance of going in. Its all great and well to put up numbers when your playing well but the BEST players when things are not going well don't quit like he has to many times this season for my taste. No one will ever queston DMC's talent and regardless if he ever becomes a All-Star or not he will always be my favourite player, but so far into his NBA career hes shown hes mentally fragile which is not a good thing and the hardest thing to turn around.


I might have gone overboard on the comment but its hard for me to see such a talent waste itself by having poor shot selection and not doing those hard things required if he wants to be a elite big man. I would just love one game where he uses that half hook 4-5 times and battles for boards like he did in the Suns game thats all. To often we blame everyone else and not Cousins, with the gifts he has he to often plays soft and very rarely if ever plays to his full potential.

I'd like to leave this alone but how do you know what his full potential is?

 

[KingMilz]

I'd like to leave this alone but how do you know what his full potential is?

The best bigman in the NBA imo is his full potential, the way hes playing and the positions he and the coaching staff are putting him now won't allow for that. Im sure he can do better than 17-18 points on 43-44% shooting if he cut down on those mid range shots and did other things. I mean no one knows what his full potential is but I don't see why he shouldn't be getting 20 and 10 on 50% shooting at least if he plays above average. Unless im grossly overrating him and maybe expecting to much out of him to soon, but heading into this season I expected a bit more than hes delivered so far.