The Kings Should Build A Team Around...
- Thread starter KeepTheKingsInSacramento
- Start date
As an aside, what do people realistically think Big Cuz numbers will be next year?
At the rate of improvement he's going, if:
1. The refs ease up on him.
2. He continues to do well in keeping fouls down.
3. His conditioning continues to steadily improve.
4. He averages 32-35 minutes a game, minimum.
5. The team and coaches recognize our offense flows very well through him.
Given all the above, I no longer think it a longshot that Cousins could average 22/12/5/1/1 while shooting 80 percent from the stripe and something like 52 percent form the field.
And it's just too fun to think that those numbers could be higher if qualifiers 4 and 5 above are high. 24/13/6 ??? I see this as a completely attainable set of numbers for the big guy. And soon.
At the rate of improvement he's going, if:
1. The refs ease up on him.
2. He continues to do well in keeping fouls down.
3. His conditioning continues to steadily improve.
4. He averages 32-35 minutes a game, minimum.
5. The team and coaches recognize our offense flows very well through him.
Given all the above, I no longer think it a longshot that Cousins could average 22/12/5/1/1 while shooting 80 percent from the stripe and something like 52 percent form the field.
And it's just too fun to think that those numbers could be higher if qualifiers 4 and 5 above are high. 24/13/6 ??? I see this as a completely attainable set of numbers for the big guy. And soon.
This is true, at least since the first of the year. Numbers for whole year he's at 14 and 8 on 26 minutes. Break that out to 36 minutes and it's about 20 and 11. Numbers get more impressive for January.
I didn't say those big numbers were what I thought he would average. I said I no longer view them as a longshot or, I could also say, out of the realm of possibility. And I consider the fun I'm having thinking about that possibility to be good return on my entertainment dollar.
Also, the qualifiers 1 through 5 were supposed to figure into people's thinking. Hypothetical people. Just go with it.
I didn't say those big numbers were what I thought he would average. I said I no longer view them as a longshot or, I could also say, out of the realm of possibility. And I consider the fun I'm having thinking about that possibility to be good return on my entertainment dollar.
Also, the qualifiers 1 through 5 were supposed to figure into people's thinking. Hypothetical people. Just go with it.
Last edited:
The problem is that your premise is flawed. Neither Tyreke or Cousins is a guy that you would build a team around.
Evans doesn't have the court vision (or shooting) to be a Steve Nash/Chris Paul type PG. And quite frankly I don't see him ever being the well rounded scorer that you build around ala Kobe or Durant.
And Cousins is not the kind of center that is so dominant that you just space the floor and let them work. He's incredibly skilled but he's not huge (6'9.5" w/o shoes) doesn't have eye popping athleticism and will never solely be a post player. And he's a willing defender, but he isn't a shotblocker or a true defensive anchor the way the vast majority of star centers have been.
Both guys are special talents, but quite frankly I wouldn't build a team solely around either of them. That said, they are great compliments for one anothe and both have the kind of games that are actually better suited for the playoffs than regular season ball.
Tyreke is a physically punishing guard and Cousins is a great rebounder that can operate in the high or low post. I'd surround them with a SF who can flat out shoot, a second guard with good size and decent to good shooting, ballhandling and defense and a rotation at PF of a rebounder/shotblocker and a shooter who can stretch the floor.
That's how I'd build a team around these two guys. I think Dalembert can fill the role of shotblocker/rebounder and I'd liike to see him retained. With trades, cap room and another lottery pick Geoff can probably fill the others.
Evans doesn't have the court vision (or shooting) to be a Steve Nash/Chris Paul type PG. And quite frankly I don't see him ever being the well rounded scorer that you build around ala Kobe or Durant.
And Cousins is not the kind of center that is so dominant that you just space the floor and let them work. He's incredibly skilled but he's not huge (6'9.5" w/o shoes) doesn't have eye popping athleticism and will never solely be a post player. And he's a willing defender, but he isn't a shotblocker or a true defensive anchor the way the vast majority of star centers have been.
Both guys are special talents, but quite frankly I wouldn't build a team solely around either of them. That said, they are great compliments for one anothe and both have the kind of games that are actually better suited for the playoffs than regular season ball.
Tyreke is a physically punishing guard and Cousins is a great rebounder that can operate in the high or low post. I'd surround them with a SF who can flat out shoot, a second guard with good size and decent to good shooting, ballhandling and defense and a rotation at PF of a rebounder/shotblocker and a shooter who can stretch the floor.
That's how I'd build a team around these two guys. I think Dalembert can fill the role of shotblocker/rebounder and I'd liike to see him retained. With trades, cap room and another lottery pick Geoff can probably fill the others.
It's a good thing that he, like everyone else in the NBA, wears shoes while playing basketball. His freakishly long arms (His standing reach was half a foot longer than Joakim Noah's, three inches more than Andrew Bogut's, an inch longer than Greg Oden's standing reach, and equivalent to some midget named Shaq. Hell, the only person in last years draft who managed to have the same standing reach as Cousins was some guy named Hassan Whiteside. His height should be of little concern.) more than make up for any "shortness" problems he may have. He may also grow a bit taller in the next couple of years, considering the fact that he is only 20 years old (Peja, Hedo, and Donte are a couple of examples of Kings players who have grown whilst in uniform. Hell, Dwight Howard probably grew a bit taller since his rookie season
I think attaining a great big man (and Cousins can be GREAT) is harder than attaining a great guard, and I think that a team that builds from the inside out is better suited to win than a team that does it the other way around, so for that reason I voted for Cousins.
The luxury we have is that we don't have to choose one or the other. We have both, and as long as we make smart decisions when it comes to our auxiliary players, both can thrive here.
The luxury we have is that we don't have to choose one or the other. We have both, and as long as we make smart decisions when it comes to our auxiliary players, both can thrive here.
Ok, well I guess I will end this convo by saying that I shoulda better stated my question at the beginning. I agree with everyone that both Cousins and Reke are great players, and I absolutely think we need both to succeed (not sure how some of you are under the notion that my poll was meant to "get rid of" one of the guys, but that was not my intention at all....)...With that being said, I still think Cousins is a better person to build a team around (maybe not THIS team, since he seems to be working well with Tyreke)
BUT.....
If, lets say next season, due to the lockout, we are forced to get rid of some of our contracts, and in order to make things work for us, one of those contracts has to be either 'Reke or 'Cuz, I'd let Evans go just because I see way more upside in Cousins, and he is starting to show that he can hang with some of the big guys down low. Tyreke, to me, gets into that shell of his called a one-on-one game quite a bit. Cousins is young, and a bit immature, but once he matures and gets a good 2-3 years experience under his belt, there's no doubt in my mind that this guy is gonna be a BEAST of an NBA player.
If we can keep both, hell, build the team around both, but if we had to chose between one or the other, I say D-Cuz hands down...
I apologize for the confusion and, as I said, maybe a restatement of my question would have been better.
PS: I just thought about another poll that I will be posting here shortly, and dont worry, this time I will restate my question a little better...
BUT.....
If, lets say next season, due to the lockout, we are forced to get rid of some of our contracts, and in order to make things work for us, one of those contracts has to be either 'Reke or 'Cuz, I'd let Evans go just because I see way more upside in Cousins, and he is starting to show that he can hang with some of the big guys down low. Tyreke, to me, gets into that shell of his called a one-on-one game quite a bit. Cousins is young, and a bit immature, but once he matures and gets a good 2-3 years experience under his belt, there's no doubt in my mind that this guy is gonna be a BEAST of an NBA player.
If we can keep both, hell, build the team around both, but if we had to chose between one or the other, I say D-Cuz hands down...
I apologize for the confusion and, as I said, maybe a restatement of my question would have been better.
PS: I just thought about another poll that I will be posting here shortly, and dont worry, this time I will restate my question a little better...
And what if the numbers get inverted? I know we have the most salary, and thats why I added the comment right after that if we are able to (which we should be) keep both of em, then by all means, we should keep both of them. But my question is situational. What would you do if you were Geoff Petrie and those numbers do get inverted and you are forced to get rid of one???? That's my question...
