[Game] Kings @ Timberwolves - Friday, Dec. 18 - 5 PST, 8 EST
- Thread starter VF21
- Start date
You're not the only one I see the same thing. Boogie was a better player last year. I feel entitled to criticize Boogie because I have spent years defending him. I actually don't care much about some of the off-the-court antics and when he went after Karl post-game, I said it could be a blessing in disguise.
Cousins is maybe 70% of the player he has has been. He used to get 2 BPG. He doesn't get any lift now. He's not challenging shots like he used to. That's conditioning or health or both. Fans who want to defend him are not observant enough to notice or observant but I guess don't care.
It is important to look at efficiency at this point of Boogies career. 24 and 12 don't mean anything when you play lazy defense, dribble into traffic 4-5 times per game with no plan and score points equal to shot attempts and your assist to TO is less than 1:1 .
I do disagree that we have "a lot of problem". Our problems our (1) SG black hole and (2) Boogie's ability to lead this team by being efficient and smart. 24 points on 25 shots is bad efficiency against the Wolves. We should have dropped 110 points on this team and would have if Boogie was more selective with shot selection. His first half play was bush league.
There was one sequence that epitomizes what is wrong with his mind and body. KAT schooled him on an up and under in the first half. He felt disrespected so immediately wanted to respond. He did a spin move in the lane and airball'd a lay-up. It was selfish one-on-one basketball. It wasn't team basketball. It was "my ego is bruised so I am going to score on you".
Winners don't think like this. Winners think about making the smart high percentage play. Not "I am going to show you". Its the mindset of someone more about "me" than "team".
He compounded the play by not hustling back on defense and letting KAT get a dunk attempt that led to a foul. This is not "hating" on Boogie since he is my favorite player (along with Rondo Omri and Ben and DC and Willie lol I have a lot of favorites
). It is knowing the difference between winning and losing basketball.
Cousins is maybe 70% of the player he has has been. He used to get 2 BPG. He doesn't get any lift now. He's not challenging shots like he used to. That's conditioning or health or both. Fans who want to defend him are not observant enough to notice or observant but I guess don't care.
It is important to look at efficiency at this point of Boogies career. 24 and 12 don't mean anything when you play lazy defense, dribble into traffic 4-5 times per game with no plan and score points equal to shot attempts and your assist to TO is less than 1:1 .
I do disagree that we have "a lot of problem". Our problems our (1) SG black hole and (2) Boogie's ability to lead this team by being efficient and smart. 24 points on 25 shots is bad efficiency against the Wolves. We should have dropped 110 points on this team and would have if Boogie was more selective with shot selection. His first half play was bush league.
There was one sequence that epitomizes what is wrong with his mind and body. KAT schooled him on an up and under in the first half. He felt disrespected so immediately wanted to respond. He did a spin move in the lane and airball'd a lay-up. It was selfish one-on-one basketball. It wasn't team basketball. It was "my ego is bruised so I am going to score on you".
Winners don't think like this. Winners think about making the smart high percentage play. Not "I am going to show you". Its the mindset of someone more about "me" than "team".
He compounded the play by not hustling back on defense and letting KAT get a dunk attempt that led to a foul. This is not "hating" on Boogie since he is my favorite player (along with Rondo Omri and Ben and DC and Willie lol I have a lot of favorites
). It is knowing the difference between winning and losing basketball.
If you want to say he's a poor fit in the current system, fine! But your constant wailing about his conditioning is ridiculous. I saw him up close and personal at summer league and he didn't look fat or out of shape to me. As a matter of fact, he looked thinner than the year before to me.
Pretty much this. I'm not even opposed to trading Cousins due to the issues in this system, although ideally the coach should tailor a system to build around your best player. I don't know how people can expect a damn near 7 footer to run up and down the court at one of the quickest paces in the league, carry the offensive load and be the defensive anchor. That doesn't happen; Duncan, Dirk, Shaq, etc. were not even asked to do that.
The mistake of firing Malone and ultimately replacing him with Karl is going to haunt this franchise for many years.
The mistake of firing Malone and ultimately replacing him with Karl is going to haunt this franchise for many years.
VF21, you ignored the rest of my comment and just cherry picked the part you don't like.
It's not working, and either the coaching staff needs to be replaced with one that can utilize DMC properly, or the star needs to be traded and the team rebuilt in the image that the coach/front office seems to want.
It's not working, and either the coaching staff needs to be replaced with one that can utilize DMC properly, or the star needs to be traded and the team rebuilt in the image that the coach/front office seems to want.
Just because he is thinner than he was does not mean his conditioning is where it should be. I know plenty of thin ball players who's conditioning is terrible and sub par...Cousins is no different. It's about pacing yourself....which is why he always jogs up the court last so he doesn't fall into Karl's 100 miles an hour basketball pace. Either that or just play him less minutes, plain and simple, if the conditioning does not improve. Which I have no reason to believe it can't with some nutrition tweaks....I don't know his nutrition so I'm just speculating here but I'd love to see what kind of food he puts in his system.
The coming up last makes sense if we aren't going to post him, which of course Karl refuses to. Cousins is a trailer, walking into those threes up top, and there to draw out opposing bigs. We try to let give the lesser players a chance to score in the open court, if it does not work, Cousins arrives to dominate things. Meanwhile he's already behind the play to get back and protect the rim in case of a missed quick shot or turnover.
This is not how I play DeMarcus Cousins. I believe that the way I play DeMarcus Cousins beats how Karl plays DeMarcus Cousins. However, if you are going to coach as a senile old Nellieballer, Cousins' positioning makes sense, and him not wasting his energy racing up and down court is a good thing, not a bad one.
The system is a bad one, but it makes sense. I can tell you why virtually everything we do out there is being done. It just comes from the place of a broken ideology.
This is not how I play DeMarcus Cousins. I believe that the way I play DeMarcus Cousins beats how Karl plays DeMarcus Cousins. However, if you are going to coach as a senile old Nellieballer, Cousins' positioning makes sense, and him not wasting his energy racing up and down court is a good thing, not a bad one.
The system is a bad one, but it makes sense. I can tell you why virtually everything we do out there is being done. It just comes from the place of a broken ideology.
No, I didn't cherry pick anything. I highlighted the first part of your comment because I found it mind-boggling. I would NEVER consider trading a player of the caliber of DMC because the system isn't working. I personally would crapcan the entire coaching staff before I did that.
I still firmly believe that Vlade does not want to see DMC continue to be misused as Karl seems to insist on doing. It will be George Karl IMHO who leaves long before Cousins.
The thing is I pretty much agreed with the rest of your post. It was just that one phrase, the one that set the tone, that I strenuously object to.
I still firmly believe that Vlade does not want to see DMC continue to be misused as Karl seems to insist on doing. It will be George Karl IMHO who leaves long before Cousins.
The thing is I pretty much agreed with the rest of your post. It was just that one phrase, the one that set the tone, that I strenuously object to.
I strenuously object? Is that how it works? Hm? "Objection." "Overruled." "Oh, no, no, no. No, I STRENUOUSLY object." "Oh. Well, if you strenuously object then I should take some time to reconsider.
******
PLEASE tell me someone gets this. Everytime I hear "strenuously object" I can't help myself. I'm screwed for life.
He's not jumping as high. That's just fact. I am not wailing constantly. I am pointing out the obvious. He went through a period last year where he was average over 2 BPG. He was challenging above the rim and Top 10 in swats. That just isn't happening right now.
I really wonder what his diet looks like. There's no reason for him to consume a lot of carbs except fast acting glucose pre-workout and primarily post-workout or post-game to restore glycogen. My guess is he is consuming unhealthy carbs early in the day and late night and got bit more rotund. You can see it in his waist line and lack of definition in the upper body. Remember this is a guy who became an all-star because he got into a really good shape when he was fat as a rookie.
Boogie knows what to do in terms of diet or he should. Getting an injury is not an excuse to gain fat. Reduced activity reduces caloric need not a license to pop open bag of Tostitos. I don't think it is a major issue but I do think for someone who claims he hates losing worse than anyone that he should show more of commitment to his body.
You are perfectly entitled to disagree but I know what my eyes tell me. Boogie is never going to a svelt athlete like Anthony Davis or Serge Ibaka but right now he looks a little chunky running up and down the court and it ain't helping our playoff odds.
I really wonder what his diet looks like. There's no reason for him to consume a lot of carbs except fast acting glucose pre-workout and primarily post-workout or post-game to restore glycogen. My guess is he is consuming unhealthy carbs early in the day and late night and got bit more rotund. You can see it in his waist line and lack of definition in the upper body. Remember this is a guy who became an all-star because he got into a really good shape when he was fat as a rookie.
Boogie knows what to do in terms of diet or he should. Getting an injury is not an excuse to gain fat. Reduced activity reduces caloric need not a license to pop open bag of Tostitos. I don't think it is a major issue but I do think for someone who claims he hates losing worse than anyone that he should show more of commitment to his body.
You are perfectly entitled to disagree but I know what my eyes tell me. Boogie is never going to a svelt athlete like Anthony Davis or Serge Ibaka but right now he looks a little chunky running up and down the court and it ain't helping our playoff odds.
You and I sir see the same thing. I can't believe as many intelligent posters we have on here that they refuse to see how slow Cousins looks and how much he is dragging out there. I too would love to see what kind of carbs he is intaking...it makes a big difference. Also, I don't like when a ball player eats an hour or two before tip off...the body needs a good amount of time to digest the food you eat unless it's a quick digesting food such as a banana or having something like a whey protein shake. Whatever the case may be, he does need to commit more to his conditioning and I don't need to see a ripped and shredded Cousins out there, he isn't that type of player with that determination in terms of body composition. However, what I do expect and what a lot of us SHOULD expect is for Cousins to work on his weaknesses and that does not just correlate in terms of his on court weaknesses, off court weaknesses is just as crucial and we see what it is. Now we can go ahead and be labeled Cousins haters because we expect our franchise player to be in better condition, and the fans will continue to bring up the injury excuse.
You sir have no clue...
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer...-paleo-diet-takes-hold-for-variety-of-reasons
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer...-paleo-diet-takes-hold-for-variety-of-reasons
Did you even read the article I provided to you? You do know injuries can also be a cause of not just style of play but the type of nutrition a player eats. You don't think his body is easily acceptable to injuries because maybe his immune system isn't strong enough? maybe his stretching isn't where it should be? It can be a number of factors. Stop using injuries, players play through them all the time.
Injuries can also come from getting the hell beat out of you every game for the last five years. Cousins plays a very physical game of basketball, and most big men that play that way pay a price for it at some point in time. You can criticize all you want and believe what you want, but sometimes the body just breaks down from to much abuse.