Vlade says DMC will NOT be traded this year

[kingsboi]

Vlade is NOT going to broadcast his intention to trade Boogie to the NBA because he would lose his leverage. C'mon let's not be naive. You don't win at poker by showing your hand.

The question was put to Joerger "How are you going to coach Cousins?" and it was a ringing non-endorsement of said player. Paraphrasing Joerger said: "The roster is in flux and.... we are going to try to get the best players we can and go from there....I am excited I think Willie is a tremendous talent...."

Now let's breakdown this Q & A and read between the lines. Joerger was asked point blank about Boogie and the first player he mentions is WCS!!! If that does not give you a hint of the thought process and sentiment behind the scenes I don't know what does.

Joerger went onto say "I am going to talk to DeMarcus in a little bit" almost as afterthought, but nowhere in his response did he say anything resemble a commitment or endorsement along the lines of "Boogie is the best big man in NBA and I respect his game and talent and I cannot wait to help him become more dominant as we build around him...".

If anything the tone was "get on board or get out". It was an implicit ultimatum of sorts to Boogie and every player on the roster. But there is a long time between now and the first game of the season, The roster is going to look a lot different then and whether Boogie will still be around is far from conclusive.

You are nit picking a bit here IMO. However, I do agree with your last paragraph with the whole "get on board or get out" procedure. Joerger is not here to baby sit Cousins, we are past all that. It's time to get it together, not just Boogie either, whatever team gets put together by October.

 

[Gliesian]

Vlade is NOT going to broadcast his intention to trade Boogie to the NBA because he would lose his leverage. C'mon let's not be naive. You don't win at poker by showing your hand.

The question was put to Joerger "How are you going to coach Cousins?" and it was a ringing non-endorsement of said player. Paraphrasing Joerger said: "The roster is in flux and.... we are going to try to get the best players we can and go from there....I am excited I think Willie is a tremendous talent...."

Now let's breakdown this Q & A and read between the lines. Joerger was asked point blank about Boogie and the first player he mentions is WCS!!! If that does not give you a hint of the thought process and sentiment behind the scenes I don't know what does.

Joerger went onto say "I am going to talk to DeMarcus in a little bit" almost as afterthought, but nowhere in his response did he say anything resemble a commitment or endorsement along the lines of "Boogie is the best big man in NBA and I respect his game and talent and I cannot wait to help him become more dominant as we build around him...".

If anything the tone was "get on board or get out". It was an implicit ultimatum of sorts to Boogie and every player on the roster. But there is a long time between now and the first game of the season, The roster is going to look a lot different then and whether Boogie will still be around is far from conclusive.

Interesting... I felt that DJ chose to avoid singling out Cousins on purpose and said something like he would be treated like everyone else. It was as if the question was not merited, which I thought was an excellent way to respond. I feel like this is the rebirth of the Malone-Cuz type relationship <3

 

[hrdboild]

Its simple, this is it for Demarcus. Joeger will not be the one fired if "its not working". I hope this comes through loud and clear to Demarcus. This will either work or he will be the first one moved.

While I would agree that common sense says this is a kind of last chance for DeMarcus in Sacramento as far as the coaching relationship goes, it doesn't have to be a confrontational thing either. George Karl was terrible from day 1 and it doesn't bother me at all that DeMarcus got frustrated with him over the course of the season and started to show it. I wanted George Karl fired too just three weeks in and I shared in his growing frustration. It doesn't really bother me that the whole team basically quit last season either after Vivek made an ass out of himself by justifying a very controversial decision with strained music metaphors. That was a terrible situation created by the front office. Mike Malone obviously had his full support and buy-in and the coaches before that were fired because they were terrible coaches, not because they couldn't get along with DeMarcus.

If anything comes across loud and clear I would hope it's that Dave Joerger is the coach Vlade selected as the best man to run the team and there's going to be an expectation for all the players that they will work hard and compete every night. Anyone who's been paying attention knows that won't be a problem for DeMarcus. Also, starting the Dave Joerger era with "Okay Boogie, this is you last chance" would be a terrible decision for Vlade to make, even if it would make a number of fans (and one red-headed broadcaster) happy. The right tact here would be to tell DeMarcus that this is the coach we're bringing in to turn this team into a winner. He's proven in Memphis that his defense works if everyone buys in and you're the guy everyone is going to look to to set an example. Trust and loyalty are what he likes so show him some of both. George Karl poisoned the well in his first week on the job by trying to make a point that he's bigger than any one player. There's no need to repeat that mistake again.

 

[Blob]

Awwwww, I can hear poor little sour dumbass hearts breaking all over the valley.

Its a sweet sound.

You do not trade your franchise big man.

You do NOT trade your franchise big man.

YOU DO NOT TRADE YOUR FRANCHISE BIG MAN!

Fortunately we have Vlade. I don't have to shout at him.

Hearts aren't breaking because sophisticated fans know a GM does not reveal his intentions to the rest of the league. The late Flip Sanders never planned to trade Kevin Love until he did. By feigning a commitment publicly you hope to get $1.20 on the dollar, or at least $0.90. If everyone knows you intend to move him, which creates an untenable situation for player and coach and everyone involved, you get low ball offers and $0.50 on the dollar.

 

[Bricklayer]

Hearts aren't breaking because sophisticated fans know a GM does not reveal his intentions to the rest of the league. The late Flip Sanders never planned to trade Kevin Love until he did. By feigning a commitment publicly you hope to get $1.20 on the dollar, or at least $0.90. If everyone knows you intend to move him, which creates an untenable situation for player and coach and everyone involved, you get low ball offers and $0.50 on the dollar.

Okay, I was admittedly ignoring the desperate denial angle.

Really. At the point you need it to happen so desperately you actually lie to yourself, believe it, and preach it...you've got to get that under control or you could be setting yourself up to be desperately unhappy for a long time as a Kings fan. Or maybe not even a Kings fan. We just brought in a coach who's never missed the playoffs, in the West. Suffice it to say if he continues that streak here the odds of Cousins leaving, perhaps ever, shoot down dramatically. You could find yourself in the same untenable situation as some of the Kings fans of old who claimed to be trying to root for the team and against Webber. Its virtually impossible. There's not even the nationalist angle powering many of the Serb fans of that era.

 

[Tetsujin]

Okay, I was admittedly ignoring the desperate denial angle.

Really. At the point you need it to happen so desperately you actually lie to yourself, believe it, and preach it...you've got to get that under control or you could be setting yourself up to be desperately unhappy for a long time as a Kings fan. Or maybe not even a Kings fan. We just brought in a coach who's never missed the playoffs, in the West. Suffice it to say if he continues that streak here the odds of Cousins leaving, perhaps ever, shoot down dramatically. You could find yourself in the same untenable situation as some of the Kings fans of old who claimed to be trying to root for the team and against Webber. Its virtually impossible. There's not even the nationalist angle powering many of the Serb fans of that era.

But but but if we don't trade Boogie now, how're we gonna nab Sabonis in the draft?

 

[Blob]

Okay, I was admittedly ignoring the desperate denial angle.

Really. At the point you need it to happen so desperately you actually lie to yourself, believe it, and preach it...you've got to get that under control or you could be setting yourself up to be desperately unhappy for a long time as a Kings fan. Or maybe not even a Kings fan. We just brought in a coach who's never missed the playoffs, in the West. Suffice it to say if he continues that streak here the odds of Cousins leaving, perhaps ever, shoot down dramatically. You could find yourself in the same untenable situation as some of the Kings fans of old who claimed to be trying to root for the team and against Webber. Its virtually impossible. There's not even the nationalist angle powering many of the Serb fans of that era.

Desperate denial sounds like the pot calling kettle black. You desperately defended Cousins all of last year only to witness his performance improve by about 100% in the month of January. What does that say about your defense of him prior to a 100% improvement? And prior to December when his putrid play dug the team a hole too big to dig out of? Your defense of him, and shifting blame and accountability, in retrospect, seems unwarranted, if not desperate denial. You are also are mischaracterizing my position. I don't want Boogie traded unless we can make out like bandits. I think that can happen for a number of reasons I have detailed previously,

 

[dude12]

Just hired a nice young coach and when everyone should be excited and most everyone is excited I know, some of you still have to beat this anti-Cuz drum. Gosh it must suck to be miserable rooting for your team.

 

[Sac.1989]

But there is a long time between now and the first game of the season, The roster is going to look a lot different then and whether Boogie will still be around is far from conclusive.

without nit picking, Vlades quote is as conclusive as it gets. At the start of next season Demarcus will be here.

Bringing in DJ was hardly a prelude to moving out our franchise cornerstone.

Playing both sides here, what valuable justification could we actually have gained in the non playing time between now and season tip off that would convince FO to move DMC ?

There's nothing that would lead to a trade beyond a make belief scenario whereby DJ comes in and arrives to the conclusion that Demarcus is a troll, isnt in the right headspace and hasn't got the mentality of a winner and therefore pushes for FO to trade demarcus. All of these points are faux as:

(a) we wouldn't have hired DJ if there was any inkling that he wouldnt look to back Demarcus and build a team around him - his offense, his defensive schemes - key aspects discussed at the interview stage would be his integration of demarcus, how to play to his strengths, how to get him to the next level and how to manage him.

(b) we wouldn't have hired DJ if we felt there were any preconceived notions in relation to Demarcus - there is no way you arrive to the above conclusions and advocate FO to trade Demarcus unless you've been reading the national media transcripts and have come into this scenario with a closed canvas and preconceived ideas.

 

[funkykingston]

Joerger described himself as a Midwestern, country guy who is hard-working and loyal.

"Those are the biggest qualities that mean the most to me, what you say, do and do what you say," Joerger said.

That doesn't quite jive with his GM saying he definitely won't trade a player this year only to turn around and do exactly that.

 

[New Era]

You really think if they would consider trading him this summer he would answer the question any differently? Vlade isn't an idiot. His statement is meaningless and nothing to get excited about if you have a Boogie man crush!

 

[Blob]

without nit picking, Vlades quote is as conclusive as it gets. At the start of next season Demarcus will be here.

Bringing in DJ was hardly a prelude to moving out our franchise cornerstone.

Playing both sides here, what valuable justification could we actually have gained in the non playing time between now and season tip off that would convince FO to move DMC ?

There's nothing that would lead to a trade beyond a make belief scenario whereby DJ comes in and arrives to the conclusion that Demarcus is a troll, isnt in the right headspace and hasn't got the mentality of a winner and therefore pushes for FO to trade demarcus. All of these points are faux as:

(a) we wouldn't have hired DJ if there was any inkling that he wouldnt look to back Demarcus and build a team around him - his offense, his defensive schemes - key aspects discussed at the interview stage would be his integration of demarcus, how to play to his strengths, how to get him to the next level and how to manage him.

(b) we wouldn't have hired DJ if we felt there were any preconceived notions in relation to Demarcus - there is no way you arrive to the above conclusions and advocate FO to trade Demarcus unless you've been reading the national media transcripts and have come into this scenario with a closed canvas and preconceived ideas.

What does hiring the best candidate available to coach the team have to do with personnel? You hire the guy who gives you the best chance to win, not to cater to a guy who has never accomplished anything but post hollow numbers at meddling efficiency and win a gold medal, which was also awarded to Mason Plumlee, who still happens to be competing while our "franchise guy" has been on vacation for a month.

Joerger was hired because he was the best coach available with the most impressive coaching resume, including championships in the IBL, CBA and D-League and three playoffs in a row in the brutal West. He was not hired explicitly to come in and work with Boogie. He was hired to turn the team into winners with or w/o Boogie. It is not his job to conform to a brooding malcontent. It is the said malcontent job to shape up or ship out.

And Joerger already has an opinion on Boogie as an outsider. But regardless of whether his impression is favorable or less so, nowhere did I suggest he would be so presumptuous to conclude definitively he cannot work with him, because he has not had that first hand experience. But my impression based on how he handled the question posed to him, is that in private conversations with Vlade and front office types their collective commitment to him is wavering. And after another season of one damn thing after another, who can blame them?

 

[peacelate]

I don't beleive Vlade intends to shop Cousins this summer, but what else is he going to say during an introductory press conference?

"Hi guys, this is the new coach...by the way I plan on trading our best player!"

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't beleive Vlade intends to shop Cousins this summer, but what else is he going to say during an introductory press conference?

"Hi guys, this is the new coach...by the way I plan on trading our best player!"

There wouldn't even be an introductory press conference were it not for DeMarcus Cousins.

I know people are really truly and sincerely deluded on this point. I went over to STR last week and had to take a shower to wash the stupid off before it got into my pores and caused pimples. But NO quality coach is going to come to coach the train wreck Kings coming off 10 years of no playoffs wiht a twitchy owner and in a full rebuild. None.

Dave Joerger is here because DeMarcus Cousins is here. He's not here to follow up his Memphis stint with a career crushing string of rebuild seasons before Vivek feels a twitch and cans him.

I shouldn't even have to explain this. I really shouldn't. I don't think there is much if any disconnect between the actual members of the franchise on this. Vlade, Joerger, Cuz, they are all on the same page.

A certain segment of the fanbase hasn't even been reading the right book for some time now. Having some desperate hack like Ailene just flat spinning and lying to cover the fact she bet on the wrong horse and now has about as much access as I do doesn't help. But at a certain point people have to just use their heads. We've never heard one bad word about Boogie from Vlade, or about Vlade from Boogie. We've heard the opposite. Karl felt that Vlade sided with Boogie over him. you know what? He was right. And good. When at the end of the season Vlade finally suspended Cousins for a game, he was almost apologetic, and Boogie immediately came out and said it wasn't Vlade suspending him, it was Karl. At the end of the season they didn't even bother with an exit interview, with Boogie just chuckling and saying they were on the same page. Vlade then hires an underling, from a franchise built around a big center BTW. He then hires a coach, from a franchise built around a big post playing frontline BTW. And STILL some people haven't realized they are reading 50 Shades of Grey rather than War & Peace.

 

[New Era]

There wouldn't even be an introductory press conference were it not for DeMarcus Cousins.

I know people are really truly and sincerely deluded on this point. I went over to STR last week and had to take a shower to wash the stupid off before it got into my pores and caused pimples. But NO quality coach is going to come to coach the train wreck Kings coming off 10 years of no playoffs wiht a twitchy owner and in a full rebuild. None.

Dave Joerger is here because DeMarcus Cousins is here. He's not here to follow up his Memphis stint with a career crushing string of rebuild seasons before Vivek feels a twitch and cans him.

I shouldn't even have to explain this. I really shouldn't. I don't think there is much if any disconnect between the actual members of the franchise on this. Vlade, Joerger, Cuz, they are all on the same page.

A certain segment of the fanbase hasn't even been reading the right book for some time now. Having some desperate hack like Ailene just flat spinning and lying to cover the fact she bet on the wrong horse and now has about as much access as I do doesn't help. But at a certain point people have to just use their heads. We've never heard one bad word about Boogie from Vlade, or about Vlade from Boogie. We've heard the opposite. Karl felt that Vlade sided with Boogie over him. you know what? He was right. And good. When at the end of the season Vlade finally suspended Cousins for a game, he was almost apologetic, and Boogie immediately came out and said it wasn't Vlade suspending him, it was Karl. At the end of the season they didn't even bother with an exit interview, with Boogie just chuckling and saying they were on the same page. Vlade then hires an underling, from a franchise built around a big center BTW. He then hires a coach, from a franchise built around a big post playing frontline BTW. And STILL some people haven't realized they are reading 50 Shades of Grey rather than War & Peace.

I can think of 12 million other reasons that he's here. I seriously doubt DMC had anything to do with his decision. Why would it? The guy won 30 games for the first time in his career.

 

[Padrino]

man, some of you will find just about any way to convince yourselves that the kings' are itching to pull the trigger on a cousins trade, even when there's every indication of a commitment on the part of the organization. vlade flat-out says he's not trading demarcus this year, and joerger himself says that one of the reasons he found the kings' job so compelling is that it's not a team in tear-down-and-rebuild mode. there is a starting point for building a winner here that joerger is clearly enthusiastic about; he sounds ready to compete with the pieces that the kings are likely to retain, and i think it's a pretty fair assumption that he's including the kings' lone all-star in his assessment...

more to the point, dave joerger competed in the playoffs each of his three seasons as head coach of the memphis grizzlies. i imagine he'd prefer to get back to the playoffs as head coach of the sacramento kings, and trading cousins to initiate a full-scale rebuild isn't likely to result in a playoff berth anytime soon, not when a few sensible roster adjustments and the installation of a strong defensive culture can propel this team to an 8th seed, at the very least. due to a massive rash of injuries, joerger gave burn to an nba-record 28 players during his final season in memphis. many of those guys were on 10-day contracts. they still managed to finish above .500, at 42-40, and made the playoffs. if demarcus and the rest of the finalized roster buy in from day 1 of training camp this offseason, then there's no reason that the playoffs should be out of reach...

of course, none of this is to say that the kings won't trade demarcus cousins eventually, but it seems rather clear to me that they intend to give a joerger/cousins partnership at least this season to mature into something worthwhile, a la malone/cousins. if it fails, then big cuz may very well hit the trading block. until then, however, perhaps it's not the most flattering course of action to perform mental gymnastics with the words of kings' officials in a disingenuous attempt to claim that the team is prepared to trade him...

 

[KingMilz]

Well it makes sense this year is 2016 and the next trade deadline is 2017 why wouldn't he want to give Dave and Cousins a chance to see if it works? No downside really of giving it a chance it's basically zero risk high reward type situation.

Could we please not use DJ for the coach it reminds me of DeAndre Jordan and I hate the Clippers.

 

[kingsboi]

There wouldn't even be an introductory press conference were it not for DeMarcus Cousins.

I know people are really truly and sincerely deluded on this point. I went over to STR last week and had to take a shower to wash the stupid off before it got into my pores and caused pimples. But NO quality coach is going to come to coach the train wreck Kings coming off 10 years of no playoffs wiht a twitchy owner and in a full rebuild. None.

Dave Joerger is here because DeMarcus Cousins is here. He's not here to follow up his Memphis stint with a career crushing string of rebuild seasons before Vivek feels a twitch and cans him.

I shouldn't even have to explain this. I really shouldn't. I don't think there is much if any disconnect between the actual members of the franchise on this. Vlade, Joerger, Cuz, they are all on the same page.

A certain segment of the fanbase hasn't even been reading the right book for some time now. Having some desperate hack like Ailene just flat spinning and lying to cover the fact she bet on the wrong horse and now has about as much access as I do doesn't help. But at a certain point people have to just use their heads. We've never heard one bad word about Boogie from Vlade, or about Vlade from Boogie. We've heard the opposite. Karl felt that Vlade sided with Boogie over him. you know what? He was right. And good. When at the end of the season Vlade finally suspended Cousins for a game, he was almost apologetic, and Boogie immediately came out and said it wasn't Vlade suspending him, it was Karl. At the end of the season they didn't even bother with an exit interview, with Boogie just chuckling and saying they were on the same page. Vlade then hires an underling, from a franchise built around a big center BTW. He then hires a coach, from a franchise built around a big post playing frontline BTW. And STILL some people haven't realized they are reading 50 Shades of Grey rather than War & Peace.

You must of been a fly in the room when they were doing the negotiations and paper work huh. If you really think that's the only reason he is here, you are entitled to your opinion of course but I don't see it to be honest. David is what he is, which would be an honest and loyal man, therefore the impression I got from his press conference wasn't primarily a single reason of being here but multiple reasons. I know you have to back up your boy Boogie by all means so you go ahead and do your thing mate.

 

[New Era]

man, some of you will find just about any way to convince yourselves that the kings' are itching to pull the trigger on a cousins trade, even when there's every indication of a commitment on the part of the organization. vlade flat-out says he's not trading demarcus this year, and joerger himself says that one of the reasons he found the kings' job so compelling is that it's not a team in tear-down-and-rebuild mode. there is a starting point for building a winner here that joerger is clearly enthusiastic about; he sounds ready to compete with the pieces that the kings are likely to retain, and i think it's a pretty fair assumption that he's including the kings' lone all-star in his assessment...

more to the point, dave joerger competed in the playoffs each of his three seasons as head coach of the memphis grizzlies. i imagine he'd prefer to get back to the playoffs as head coach of the sacramento kings, and trading cousins to initiate a full-scale rebuild isn't likely to result in a playoff berth anytime soon, not when a few sensible roster adjustments and the installation of a strong defensive culture can propel this team to an 8th seed, at the very least. due to a massive rash of injuries, joerger gave burn to an nba-record 28 players during his final season in memphis. many of those guys were on 10-day contracts. they still managed to finish above .500, at 42-40, and made the playoffs. if demarcus and the rest of the finalized roster buy in from day 1 of training camp this offseason, then there's no reason that the playoffs should be out of reach...

of course, none of this is to say that the kings won't trade demarcus cousins eventually, but it seems rather clear to me that they intend to give a joerger/cousins partnership at least this season to mature into something worthwhile, a la malone/cousins. if it fails, then big cuz may very well hit the trading block. until then, however, perhaps it's not the most flattering course of action to perform mental gymnastics with the words of kings' officials in a disingenuous attempt to claim that the team is prepared to trade him...

When you haven't sniffed the playoffs with DMC as your centerpiece in 6 years, and you just now won 30 games, how can you say that getting rid of him is a "full-scale rebuild?" I mean, do you think we would do much worse than ~26 wins with the haul that we would get for DMC?

I'm not necessarily saying that they should dump him right now but I wouldn't be against it. I personally am interested to see what DJ can do with this roster but I've been burned so many times by DMC that I just don't trust him.

 

[Padrino]

I can think of 12 million other reasons that he's here. I seriously doubt DMC had anything to do with his decision. Why would it? The guy won 30 games for the first time in his career.

wow. ya know, i think brick can go overboard from time to time in his Defense-of-Cousins, but i have an extremely hard time disagreeing with his assessment of the ludicrous confirmation bias that some of you wield in your commentary. it is, indeed, beyond delusional to claim that a head coaching candidate wouldn't give adequate consideration to an elite, two-way superstar center when making the decision to coach a particular team, regardless of said superstar's temperament. joerger has existing experience getting the best out of an elite two-way center in marc gasol, and he also has experience coaching challenging personalities like zach randolph, lance stephenson, and matt barnes. there is simply no way that joerger peeked at the kings' roster and downplayed, overlooked, or ignored the 27/11 all-star center as he made his decision to coach this team...

 

[Bricklayer]

You must of been a fly in the room when they were doing the negotiations and paper work huh. If you really think that's the only reason he is here, you are entitled to your opinion of course but I don't see it to be honest. David is what he is, which would be an honest and loyal man, therefore the impression I got from his press conference wasn't primarily a single reason of being here but multiple reasons. I know you have to back up your boy Boogie by all means so you go ahead and do your thing mate.

Stop.

Really its just foolish sounding.

OF COURSE A TEAM'S LONE ALL STAR AND ALL NBA CENTER IS GOING TO BE A HUGE MOTIVATOR FOR AN INCOMING COACH! OF COURSE IT IS!

And if you look inside yourself honestly, you know that too.

Joerger was a hot commodity. He was going to get interviews with every team looking. He didn't even bother taking them. He wanted us. Its not because he was hoping for a rebuild.

 

[kingsboi]

Stop.

Really its just foolish sounding.

OF COURSE A TEAM'S LONE ALL STAR AND ALL NBA CENTER IS GOING TO BE A HUGE MOTIVATOR FOR AN INCOMING COACH! OF COURSE IT IS!

And if you look inside yourself honestly, you know that too.

Joerger was a hot commodity. He was going to get interviews with every team looking. He didn't even bother taking them. He wanted us. Its not because he was hoping for a rebuild.

Last I checked Indiana and Houston had two coaching vacancies available as well with lone all stars on their respective teams. I guess coaching Paul George and James Harden aren't as enticing. I can understand James Harden though.

 

[Padrino]

When you haven't sniffed the playoffs with DMC as your centerpiece in 6 years, and you just now won 30 games, how can you say that getting rid of him is a "full-scale rebuild?" I mean, do you think we would do much worse than ~26 wins with the haul that we would get for DMC?

I'm not necessarily saying that they should dump him right now but I wouldn't be against it. I personally am interested to see what DJ can do with this roster but I've been burned so many times by DMC that I just don't trust him.

um... because trading demarcus cousins would, indeed, constitute a "full-scale rebuild." this isn't rocket science. that the kings haven't made the playoffs in the last six years does not belie the fact that, in trading demarcus cousins, they would be pursuing young players and draft picks, which is usually the first step in, ya know, a "full-scale rebuild." instead, the kings want to reconfigure their roster around cousins once again. the hope is that they won't fail this time, and that dave joerger will better maximize whatever talent the kings do acquire, and that he will do so with respect to both sides of the ball, rather than the single side that this franchise has fetishized to no end across the last ten years at the complete expense of the other...

i mean, do we really have to get into this when it's just so mind-numbingly obvious why the kings haven't made the playoffs in a decade? demarcus' best teammates since he arrived in sacramento have been rudy gay and tyreke evans. let me repeat that: rudy gay and tyreke evans!! big cuz has never been surrounded by adequate defenders. he's rarely been surrounded by adequate shooters. he's hardly even been coached by someone up to the task of turning this team around. paul westphal and george karl were has-beens by the time they got here, and keith smart could be generously categorized as a "never was." mike malone certainly showed promise, but he was canned before his vision could even get off the ground. as always, demarcus cousins is an imperfect superstar, but he represents the very literal last problem for a franchise that has transformed shooting itself in the foot into an art form...

 

[jcwkings]

um... because trading demarcus cousins would, indeed, constitute a "full-scale rebuild." this isn't rocket science. that the kings haven't made the playoffs in the last six years does not belie the fact that, in trading demarcus cousins, they would be pursuing young players and draft picks, which is usually the first step in, ya know, a "full-scale rebuild." instead, the kings want to reconfigure their roster around cousins once again. the hope is that they won't fail this time, and that dave joerger will better maximize whatever talent the kings do acquire, and that he will do so with respect to both sides of the ball, rather than the single side that this franchise has fetishized to no end across the last ten years at the complete expense of the other...

i mean, do we really have to get into this when it's just so mind-numbingly obvious why the kings haven't made the playoffs in a decade? demarcus' best teammates since he arrived in sacramento have been rudy gay and tyreke evans. let me repeat that: rudy gay and tyreke evans!! big cuz has never been surrounded by adequate defenders. he's rarely been surrounded by adequate shooters. he's hardly even been coached by someone up to the task of turning this team around. paul westphal and george karl were has-beens by the time they got here, and keith smart could be generously categorized as a "never was." mike malone certainly showed promise, but he was canned before his vision could even get off the ground. as always, demarcus cousins is an imperfect superstar, but he represents the very literal last problem for a franchise that has transformed shooting itself in the foot into an art form...

Rondo and IT are both better than Tyreke Evans and Gay.

 

[ParniValjak]

I don't beleive Vlade intends to shop Cousins this summer, but what else is he going to say during an introductory press conference?

"Hi guys, this is the new coach...by the way I plan on trading our best player!"

Do you REALLY think that this was not brought up at all during the discussions between Vlade and Joerger?

I am certain that the direction of the team, roster moves and in particular DeMarcus Cousins would have been discussed among other things.

People are absolutely dreaming if they believe in the slightest that DMC will be shopped this summer. Just not going to happen. Part of Joerger's attraction to the job is exactly because of Cousins. He will work with him and they will be good pairing.

If you listen to Joerger's presser he mentioned specifically that there is a lot of work to do for us but we are further along than many teams because our foundation is set. When he was talking about that, he sure the **** wasn't talking about Ben McLemore. Make no mistake both Vlade and Joerger see Cousins as a building block going forward. Does that mean that DeMarcus is let off the hook for everything? Hell No!!!!

This is Vlade telling Cuz, listen up big guy, I got you a great coach who will be upfront with you and who has players' back. He will not get you running up and down the court like a rabbit in the headlights. This is a coach who is a players coach, blue collar, up front, plays to his players' strengths. We now have certain standards that expect you to oblige by. We don't expect you to turn into an angel over night but there are certain standards that we expect and we expect everyone to stick to those. And you know what, I have no doubt what so ever that Cousins will play for this man like he went to war for Malone. Absolutely no doubt!

 

[ParniValjak]

There wouldn't even be an introductory press conference were it not for DeMarcus Cousins.

I know people are really truly and sincerely deluded on this point. I went over to STR last week and had to take a shower to wash the stupid off before it got into my pores and caused pimples. But NO quality coach is going to come to coach the train wreck Kings coming off 10 years of no playoffs wiht a twitchy owner and in a full rebuild. None.

Dave Joerger is here because DeMarcus Cousins is here. He's not here to follow up his Memphis stint with a career crushing string of rebuild seasons before Vivek feels a twitch and cans him.

I shouldn't even have to explain this. I really shouldn't. I don't think there is much if any disconnect between the actual members of the franchise on this. Vlade, Joerger, Cuz, they are all on the same page.

A certain segment of the fanbase hasn't even been reading the right book for some time now. Having some desperate hack like Ailene just flat spinning and lying to cover the fact she bet on the wrong horse and now has about as much access as I do doesn't help. But at a certain point people have to just use their heads. We've never heard one bad word about Boogie from Vlade, or about Vlade from Boogie. We've heard the opposite. Karl felt that Vlade sided with Boogie over him. you know what? He was right. And good. When at the end of the season Vlade finally suspended Cousins for a game, he was almost apologetic, and Boogie immediately came out and said it wasn't Vlade suspending him, it was Karl. At the end of the season they didn't even bother with an exit interview, with Boogie just chuckling and saying they were on the same page. Vlade then hires an underling, from a franchise built around a big center BTW. He then hires a coach, from a franchise built around a big post playing frontline BTW. And STILL some people haven't realized they are reading 50 Shades of Grey rather than War & Peace.

And when Cousins said he didn't believe that the suspension came from front office and believed it came from the coach, when reporters asked Vlade about it he smiled and said "I love DeMarcus!"

People really need to look at things with some unbiased perspective. Vlade knows that is it easier to get Joerger and Cousins working together than getting another talent as good as Cousins. That talent level is ridiculously difficult to get. When good franchises get it, they build dynasties around it. Stupid franchises trade it away! Once upon a time Sacramento was a stupid franchise!

 

[theclash4u5]

Technically the trade deadline is in 2017

 

[Double-K]

Desperate denial sounds like the pot calling kettle black. You desperately defended Cousins...

Looking at this, I can finally understand how the national media be so bias on us for so long, so consistently.

 

[ParniValjak]

I can think of 12 million other reasons that he's here. I seriously doubt DMC had anything to do with his decision. Why would it? The guy won 30 games for the first time in his career.

You don't think he would get that in Houston or Indy?

 

[Merdiesel]

He also made a point to say "you are either in or you are out"...

I feel like that was 100% meant for DeMarcus.