Should we build with Cousins at C or PF?

[jcwkings]

I think his game is best suited at PF, I think one of the reasons he gets in foul trouble is that he feels he has to be the defensive anchor. I would much rather have another rim blocking 7 footer next to him like Dalembert. Hes very quick, and his size would bother the majority of other pf's in the league. If we ever want to be a good defensive team, it will not be with Cousins as your primary rim protector. I would have liked to see the Cousins Dalembert frontcourt this season, we would have been a solid defensive team, just with that and Evans and Salmons on the perimeter. I see Cousins more in the Duncan/Gasol mold, both have the size to play center, but are much more effective at pf.

If we somehow win the lottery, this thread should be locked though.....

 

[Spike]

Regardless of size (to an extent), I think you're right that the player needs to be defense-oriented. I don't care if he's 6'9 with massive hops or 7'0, as long as he does the dirty work effectively. It's just like pairing Evans with the right complementary player.

 

[DesertFox]

I don't think position really matters too much. A shot blocker next to Cousins would be nice, be it a 7 foot tree or a 6-9 athlete. And Duncan/Gasol play just as much center as pf, and are very solid shotblockers.

Cousins honestly needs someone more mobile next to him, and technically that means he would be better served defending the least athletic player on the other team, usually the center. A lot of times Daly would guard the opposing PF next to Cousins. Cousins is quick enough to draw charges and such but I would hate for him to chase around forwards very much.

 

[Bricklayer]

Yeah, I think he can do either, but the path to foul troubles for him lies with him having to try to protect the rim, which is maybe the one basketball skill that just does not come naturally to him. So in an ideal world he is paried with a shotblocker, and call whichever whatever positon you want.

Now a shotblocker at PF or at C? Well, I think the overwhelmingly importnat trait is a shotblocker period, so I'll take either postion. But if given a choice the factors would be a) Cousins having to chase a mobile PF around; vs. b) Cousins having to muscle guys. And between those two I think he's more liekly to be successful muscling guys. Petrovic aside, the huge behemoths give him far more problems on defense than they do on offense. So that weighs toward him being the center if possible with a mobile shotblocking PF. But of course the fact is there are more impact shotblocking centers than PFs, and if our interior shotblocker also has to be our guy chasing mobile PFs around the perimeter, its going to cut down on his ability to focus on locking down the middle -- one of the reasons why Daly's blocks were down a bit last year.

So...I will take either, and frankly feel we will be MILES better the instant we finally reacquire one of those guys. Unless of course it turns out to be either Darko or Hawes, who I could almost see us picking up in our normal "ooh look they have offensive skills and the NUMBERS say they block shots...we can have our cake and eat it too!" fashion.

 

[SacTownKid]

Call him whatever you want, just don't call him your pick and roll stopper because that's too much to ask. He can guard quicker smaller players but you'd prefer more quickness out of the player next to him. Don't really know too many C's that fit both criteria.

 

[Tetsujin]

Cousins at PF or C debate is the new "Is Reke a PG or SG?"

 

[The_Jamal]

Bring in Dally. He'll solve all our problems

 

[ParniValjak]

Either really! Its important that the guy next to him is a shot blocker that can pick up the oppositions best front court player regardless of whether they are a PF or a C. Daly was a good fit from that perspective. He could guard Dirk one night, and Howard another. Offensively he could work off Cousins.

If you put someone like Ibaka next to Cousins then he is a C but if you put someone like Dalembert or Camby next to him, Cousins is a PF a lot of the time. The negative is that Cousins in not a defensive anchor but a positive in the way is that you could pair him with an athletic shotblocking C or a shotblocking PF. Either way, it could work.

 

[kingjatt]

athletic PF? i heard JJ Hicksons may be available

 

[ParniValjak]

athletic PF? i heard JJ Hicksons may be available

Shotblocker he ain't!

 

[CruzDude]

So we're talking about Whiteside stepping up to a next level eh? JT is an average shot blocker and a very good team player. Doesn't make a lot of mistakes. but Whiteside has quite a ways to go to first get 15-20 min/gm much less part of regular rotation.

So first, what lottery picks come close to a defending, shotblocking big?

Second, what FA's are out there that could be enticed to come play for the Kings?

Lastly, what would it take to trade for what they need?

 

[TyFreak Evans]

Why not use him as a PF/C combo? We can easily build around him playing either position at any given time...Don't see why we can't bring in a PF who can start along with Cuz at C, and then bring in a C from the bench and move Da Big Cuz over to the PF position...we need to make DeMarcus as versatile as we can, as this will result in him being a far more dangerous, and effective, overall player...

 

[bajaden]

I believe in playing to a players strengths. If you do, Cousins is a center. As a center, he has an advantage in mobility on most of the centers in the league. But at the same time, he's as strong, if not stronger than 2/3's the centers in the league. There's no doubt that he has to improve his post game around the basket on both ends of the court. But for a second year player, he's sniffing the rare air of only a few before him. So yes, obviously this is the guy you build around. And blessed we are!

Its much easier to build around a center, than it is a SG, or a SF. Not knocking those guys, its just hard to find a big men like Cousins. So we're very lucky to have him. He could easily be on the T. Wolves roster right now. Thank you Khan! I might add, for those of you that are so willing to just trade away our 1st round pick for an aging veteran if its not a top 2 pick, Cousins was a 5th round pick and Tyreke was a 4th round pick.

There were many on this fourm that lobbied against drafting Cousins, and there were many of you that knew little, if anything about Evans prior to the draft. My point is, you could be throwing away someone with the same kind of potential. A player thats young, and (just for the Maloof's,) cheap for a 4 yr period. Yes, patience is required, but would you rather have Cuz or Nene right now? (not a deal that was passed up, just an example)

As far as Cuz playing PF? Sure, he can in the right matchups. But in general your playing away from his strengths. Yes, he can shoot the 15 footer, and put the ball on the floor. But putting the ball on the floor against Marc Gasol is different than putting the ball on the floor against Patrick Patterson. (example of a strong, mobile PF that gave Cuz fits this year when he guarded him.) Not to mention, having Cuz trying to guard some of the very athletic mobile PF's in the league.

Its not a matter of whether a player can play different positions or not. If he can, he's certainly more valuable. The question is, should he? Circumstances aside, when Shaq came into the league, at 300 lbs, he was an athletic freak, with a 36 inch vertical, great lateral quickness, and at 7'1", with a 7'7" wingspan, great length and size. Could he have guarded most of the PF's in the league? Your damm right he could have. Did he? Of course not, he was a center!

I'm not comparing Cuz to Shaq. Just their circumstance. I suspect that one day in the future, players will be compared to Cousins.

 

[ParniValjak]

So we're talking about Whiteside stepping up to a next level eh? JT is an average shot blocker and a very good team player. Doesn't make a lot of mistakes. but Whiteside has quite a ways to go to first get 15-20 min/gm much less part of regular rotation.

So first, what lottery picks come close to a defending, shotblocking big?

Second, what FA's are out there that could be enticed to come play for the Kings?

Lastly, what would it take to trade for what they need?

Whiteside is still a long way away but I am more confident counting on him to. E part of the long term future now than I was 6 months ago!

That said we need help NOW! If we can't draft draft one this year (Davis) then we need to sign one or trade for one! Now perfect ones would not be easy to get and eve if they were available (which they are not) they would cost an arm and a leg (Ibaka).

So our next best thing is to sign or trade for an old guy who can give us a year or 2 while Whiteside develops! Two players I had in mind are Dalembert (trade since HOU are likely to pick up his option) or sign a FA (Camby or Daly in the event HOU doesn't pick up his option)

Re-sign JT and roll out a big 3 man rotation with length, rebounding and some shotblocking. Give Whiteside some minutes to continue developing and when your old shotblocker is ready to hang them up, Whiteside will be ready for 20-25mpg!

 

[gunks]

So we're talking about Whiteside stepping up to a next level eh? JT is an average shot blocker and a very good team player. Doesn't make a lot of mistakes. but Whiteside has quite a ways to go to first get 15-20 min/gm much less part of regular rotation.

So first, what lottery picks come close to a defending, shotblocking big?

Second, what FA's are out there that could be enticed to come play for the Kings?

Lastly, what would it take to trade for what they need?

Maybe we can do trade backsies with Charlotte. Jimmer for Biyombo!

 

[Prince_XY]

There were many on this fourm that lobbied against drafting Cousins, and there were many of you that knew little, if anything about Evans prior to the draft.

If I remember it right, THERE WEREN'T THAT MANY that lobbied against drafting Cousins. Almost ALL of us wanted to draft Cousins rather than Monroe or Wes J, and Petrie did draft Cousins, and it made almost everyone in this board happy.

As to Cousins "should be playing" C or PF, I think we shouldn't be obsessing too much about it. Those 2 positions can be interchangeable during a game depending on match-ups, switching, and whether you are playing offense or defense. So YES. Cousins should learn the ropes of both positions and not just limit him on being a center, especially this early on his career.

 

[Svidza]

PF, in 5-6 years when he improves his body he might be ready do play center. Hes bad at defending both 4 and 5 but as 5 he needs to be atleast solid defender. On offense hes better when he has size advantage and can overpower ppl. Quicker defenders dont bother him at all compared to playing finesse vs big centers who give him trouble.
Imo best lineup we had in last few years was Dalembert, Cousins, Garcia, Thornton, Udrih with Thompson as pf/c backup last season after Evans got injured and Petrie should try to build something similar this offseason.

 

[VF21]

If I remember it right, THERE WEREN'T THAT MANY that lobbied against drafting Cousins. Almost ALL of us wanted to draft Cousins rather than Monroe or Wes J, and Petrie did draft Cousins, and it made almost everyone in this board happy.

As to Cousins "should be playing" C or PF, I think we shouldn't be obsessing too much about it. Those 2 positions can be interchangeable during a game depending on match-ups, switching, and whether you are playing offense or defense. So YES. Cousins should learn the ropes of both positions and not just limit him on being a center, especially this early on his career.

Refresher course on the Cousins discussion:

http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?37158-Cousins-vs-Hassan

http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/showthread.php?37501-Monroe-over-Cousins-ISN-T-A-BASKETBALL-DECISION

I'm sure there are more but those are the two I found first.

 

[Rookie]

It's hard to go through the thread to see how many for or against Cuz but I remembered wathcing the news and seeing ppl were jumping and cheering when we drafted him.

So I agreed with Prince__XY in both regards. There were more ppl loving the pick and that Cuz can play both and should learn to play both positions.