Somebody needs to send Coachie some film on Shaq

[Showtime]

It seems no matter who the coach is or what talent the team does (or does not) have on the frontline, the kings always play their half court sets with their bigs way out on the elbows or top of the key. Now, I don't have a problem if that's a PF who can shoot opening up the court, but when the team has a guy like Cousins on a mis-matched defender, they should specifically ask him to establish deep post position and get him the ball.

I'm so tired of watching this trend. We finally have a legit low-post threat, a guy with the size of Bynum but more skilled, and they are sending him out to the 3 pt line to set screens and face up.

Get some tape of Shaq. Watch how the team ran their offense around him, and his ability to get inside and pin his man quickly and then his teammates get him the ball even quicker. I know they want to open up the court for Evans, but that will do two things negatively: first, it won't spurn Evans to develop a jumper if they cater the entire offense to forcing him to drive, and Cousins won't develop his low-block moves as quickly.

 

[SacTownKid]

I have no qualms about Cousins being at the elbow. More than I wish Coachie had film of Shaq is I wish Coach Westphal had film of Coachie, USE COUSINS AT THE ELBOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT HIM THERE. They rarely go to him for his passing when he's there. The basis of our entire attack should be predicated on the passing ability of Cousins at the both the high and low post. Everything is iso, iso, iso. What a way to dumb down an incredibly versatile talent.

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

Cousins is not Shaq. He doesn't have Shaq's size nor does he have Shaq's leaping ability. He is what he is, a brutish finesse player, not an overwhelming mammoth.

I think what you're asking for is Cousins with his back to the basket more often; I would argue that his face up game is superior right now than his post up game, so I can't agree with you there.

 

[Showtime]

Cousins is not Shaq. He doesn't have Shaq's size nor does he have Shaq's leaping ability. He is what he is, a brutish finesse player, not an overwhelming mammoth.

The quality of centers right now is low. He certainly does have the size and ability to finish down low. That's what sets him apart from guys who either don't have the size, or ability. For example, Blair has the ability to finish inside, but often times his lack of size limits that when he's facing larger centers. Like Shaq, Cousins can match up with anybody at the 5 position, and most of the time, he's bigger than his defender, so that's why I think they should focus more in developing that advantage.

I think what you're asking for is Cousins with his back to the basket more often; I would argue that his face up game is superior right now than his post up game, so I can't agree with you there.

Last season, people were crying about Hawes playing so far away from the basket. Well, we actually have a player with the size and strength to dominate down low, and once again the big men are 17 feet out. I totally disagree with you about keeping the bigs out on the perimeter, not when there's a rare advantage to be had down low. Effective low post players are not as common as effective high post forwards. When you have that kind of potential weapon, you should exploit it instead of ignore it. The Kings have bigs who can play the elbows, but they don't have anybody with the size and talent of Cousins down low.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

There's a huge difference between playing away from the basket, and camping out by the three point line.

 

[gunks]

On the NBATV broadcast, the announcers quoted Mario Elie at the start of the game as saying something along the lines of "we're working with Cousins to get him to shoot more jumpers"

WTF Kings org?!

I'm with you showtime, keep Coachie the hell away from our bigmen. He should be working with Reke, Greene, and Omri on their shots... Not our bigs. A couple years ago I read in the Bee a Coachie quote about how he wanted to help JT find his 3pt shot. Ugh. Yoda may have dementia.

 

[Showtime]

On the NBATV broadcast, the announcers quoted Mario Elie at the start of the game as saying something along the lines of "we're working with Cousins to get him to shoot more jumpers"

WTF Kings org?!

I'm with you showtime, keep Coachie the hell away from our bigmen. He should be working with Reke, Greene, and Omri on their shots... Not our bigs. A couple years ago I read in the Bee a Coachie quote about how he wanted to help JT find his 3pt shot. Ugh. Yoda may have dementia.

That play style has it's advantages depending on the personnel. But when you have a legit low post star, you don't ignore that potential to force the same play style. That's what the kings are doing: forcing a play style that isn't in line with their personnel IMO.

 

[swisshh]

Same goes for Landry. Using Carl at the high post for jumpshots is not using him correctly. Just in this game, all his work came on the low post or on putbacks and dropoffs. He hurts teams from the inside. That is what he did in Houston and that is where his best games come from here. Why they immediatly put him at the high post when he comes in? Failure in adjusting to the players you have instead of the system you can't let go of.

 

[SacTownKid]

That play style has it's advantages depending on the personnel. But when you have a legit low post star, you don't ignore that potential to force the same play style. That's what the kings are doing: forcing a play style that isn't in line with their personnel IMO.

It fits, Cousins has looked wonderful when manning the mid to high post as a passer. They just don't use him as a playmaker nearly enough! That's when he has to settle into shooting jumpers. It should be pass first, then shoot. Not stick him up there and wait for soemthing to happen. If that's what you want Carl Landry is your man, not someone as dynamically skilled as Cousins.

 

[Showtime]

It fits, Cousins has looked wonderful when manning the mid to high post as a passer. They just don't use him as a playmaker nearly enough! That's when he has to settle into shooting jumpers. It should be pass first, then shoot. Not stick him up there and wait for soemthing to happen. If that's what you want Carl Landry is your man, not someone as dynamically skilled as Cousins.

So he's skilled, so that means he has to play away from the basket? Shaq was skilled as well, and was able to use his court vision and passing ability to great advantage in LA with the triangle surrounded by shooters and a young Kobe. I am not saying Cousins is as good as Shaq, but Cousins can be used in a similar fashion to be a force on the low block instead of a face up high block center. And I hate to see that potential wasted.

 

[bajaden]

So he's skilled, so that means he has to play away from the basket? Shaq was skilled as well, and was able to use his court vision and passing ability to great advantage in LA with the triangle surrounded by shooters and a young Kobe. I am not saying Cousins is as good as Shaq, but Cousins can be used in a similar fashion to be a force on the low block instead of a face up high block center. And I hate to see that potential wasted.

On one hand I'm going to agree with you. If the idea is to have Cousins in isolation for a post play, then you need to set him up closer to the basket. But if the idea is to use his passing skills first and iso second, then you have to set him up where he has the room to work, in the high post. Lets face it. The moment he touches the ball in the low post he's doubled. In some cases tripled. In those cases it comes down to decision making, and many times he makes the wrong decision. Its a learning process, and when his skill level in the post improves he'll be more effective there.

I don't have a problem with him in the high post, as long as others are moving without the ball. And in may cases, they aren't. Which leaves Cousins with only one option, either shoot the ball from there, or try and drive to the basket. I admit that there are times when I'm not sure what play they're running.

Now comparing him to Shaq is another story alltogether. When Shaq came into the league he measured 7'1" without shoes. That would put him at 7'2" with shoes at minumun. He weighed 303 pounds and had a 7'7" wingspan. He has a max vertical leap of 36" and a max verticl reach of 12'5". That my friend, is a freak of nature. Go find me another player with that size that could jump that high and with that agility. You'd have to go all the way back to Wilt and he didn't weigh that much coming into the league. These stats are from the combine by the way.

That aside, Shaq didn't then, and still doesn't, have any game away from the basket. So your wern't going to play him anywhere but under the basket. So to compare him to Cousins is a long reach, other than to say that Cousins comes a lot closer to being Shaq like, than Hawes does.

Cousins is Cousins, and Shaq is Shaq. So lets see where Cousins takes us, and where he ends up in his career historicaly. I understand your desire for a low post presence. I share it, and I think Cousins will provide it. We just need to give him time to develop.

 

[vikinginferno]

Cousins is much more like a brutish version of Pau Gasol, not as smooth, but a lot more powerful and physical. If Cousins can have a career like Pau's (without being traded), I will be very happy.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Cousins is not Shaq. He doesn't have Shaq's size nor does he have Shaq's leaping ability. He is what he is, a brutish finesse player, not an overwhelming mammoth.

I think what you're asking for is Cousins with his back to the basket more often; I would argue that his face up game is superior right now than his post up game, so I can't agree with you there.

His face up game is better than his post up game because he doesn't work on his post up game. Playing with his back to the basket is a far more valuable and effective trait for a big, and it worked so well for him at Kentucky. Face-up bigs are a dime a dozen.