Where do you think Cousins will be ranked for ROY?

[Uncia03]

Going based on what you know right now (player's talent, player's location, player's fit with team) where do you think Cousins might land for Rookie of the Year votes?

Potential Candidates for ROY

John Wall
Evan Turner
Derrick Favors
Wesley Johnson
Demarcus Cousins
Blake Griffen


1.) John Wall

John Wall is an elite talent and can certainly win this year's ROY. I think the biggest question is going to be his fit with Gilbert Arenas. Are the Wizards going to be forced to keep and play Arenas for the entire season?
If so, who's team is it going to be?
Will Arenas work to help make Wall as good as he can be, or will he be an impediment to Wall's development and on-court productivity?

2.) Evan Turner

Turner is another elite talent and was my personal choice as the best prospect for the Kings in this draft.
He's going to Philly and should add playmaking to that squad. The big question is going to be how well he and Iggy are going to mesh together. I think they'll be fine, but it certainly isn't the best fit for him or the team.

3.) Derrick Favors

I don't expect to see Favors in the running for ROY. He's actually a perfect fit in New Jersey along-side Lopez and Harris, but I don't expect him to have a major impact on the offensive end his first year. He should be very good defensively, but defense doesn't win the ROY award.

4.) Wesley Johnson

Johnson is another perfect fit for his team with Minnessota. They needed a wing who can shoot the lights out, and with his size, rebounding ability, and ability to run the floor for easy hoops, he should fit extremely well.
He should come in as the starting SF from day one, and I expect him to be a very strong candidate for the ROY award.

5.) Demarcus Cousins

Cousins has the potential to be a leading candidate for ROY. He was my 2nd favorite prospect for this King's team and he brings exactly what the Kings need in a big man. With Tyreke on the perimeter and Cousins in the post, they should form a very physical and formidable 1-2 punch.

One thing I keep on thinking about is the Rookie/Sophmore All-Star game. Remember how DeJaun Blair was closing in on his 20/20 game?
Tyreke, knowing this, was doing what he could help set up Blair to reach that goal.
I really think that Tyreke is going to work hard to help Cousins achieve ROY-level productivity.
Cousins has the talent, so we'll see if the coaching staff gives him the playing time, and if he's able to put it all together consistently through-out the season.

6.) Blake Griffin

Because he didn't play at all last season, the overwhelming favorite to win ROY last year has a chance to claim the prize this season.
I don't know what sort of line-up the Clippers are going to be trotting out on opening night, but Griffen should be the starting 4, with Kamen at the 5. They traded for Travis Outlaw, and though he was an expiring, I would expect for them to try and re-sign him. Obviously they want to be in the LeBron hunt, but I don't think there is any chance that LBJ would risk becoming a Clipper.
I don't know if this means that Aminu will be slotted into that starting 3 spot, but he just doesn't have the offensive game of a SF, so I don't see that working too well.
So with two very high draft picks both playing their first season in the NBA it will be interesting to see if they can both play on the court together.
I do expect Griffen to have a big year this year, and he could end up the winner of the ROY race when it's all said and done.



There are other players who could jump into the ROY race and you can mention your top sleepers for the award. But when it's all said and done, and the votes are in, where do you think Demarcus Cousins will be ranked for the ROY award?

 

[Megalodon]

But when it's all said and done, and the votes are in, where do you think Demarcus Cousins will be ranked for the ROY award?

I Don't know.

I feel as if Wall will take more time to develop than most people think, and that Favors will be too raw, but isn't that what they said about Tyreke? That leaves Turner and Griffin, and I'm not quite sure on how Turner will do this year, and Griffin will probably be injured again and I don't even know if he has the same athletic ability as before ... how serious was that surgery ?

In my opinion the rookie in the best scenario to win it is Cousins, if he gets the minutes ( if he can handle the minutes ), but of course there will be a guy or two that come out of nowhere from the draft who will legitimately compete for it.

But at the end of the day I feel we got the best player of any position in the draft and should be ready to contribute immediately.

For the more knowledgeable people on this board: What do you feel Cousins will need to put up (stat line) in order to be considered in a ROY race? I know it all depends on what the other rookies do, but what do you think is a good goal to look for from Cousins? What do you think he will get? Maybe he will go all Big O this season

 

[SacKings384]

Probably going to be difficult to steal if from Wall or Griffin. I'm not really sure he's going to get the minutes or the touches the other two are getting considering the amount of big men we have now. I imagine he'll finish 4'th.

 

[Gary]

This is what I see happening....

At the start of the year Cousins comes off the bench for about 20-25 minutes per game.. In those bench minutes he puts up 13ppg 9rpg 1bpg and shows flashes of domination. Westphal decides to start him at about the middle of the year, and Cousins goes 19ppg 12rpg 2bpg the rest of the way, and dominates.. End of year stats will be about 15ppg 10rpg 1.5bpg..

As for the others....

Wall will probably have some issues because the talent around him isn't that great. He does not have a go to guy like Cousins has. It might take a bit longer and his numbers might be closer to 15/5/5.

Johnson.... no.. He's going to have the most trouble..

Turner will probably be the one that competes with Cousins for ROY. I can see Turner just going off this year like Evans or Curry did last year.

As for Favors? Nah don't see much with Lopez there. Favors is going to have to earn the touches and I can't see him competing for ROY.

 

[Kings Faithful]

With Gilbert around I dont think Wall will have enough possesions to average the huge ppg and apg numbers he is going to need to win. Turner is kind of a jack of all trades and has a very good all around game... but I don't think that game is going to translate to huge scoring numbers right off the bat, especially with iggy around. I think the players with the best chances are going to be Cousins and Griffin. Both of them are in really good situations to come in, dominate, and make their teams significantly better. Griffin is a great scorer and ridiculous athlete, and his flashy style will make him the ROY, unless Cousins comes in and puts up 20 ppg in his first year... which he won't.

 

[Andriod_KiNg]

I think he will get minutes maybe not enough throught the season, all depends on how Dalembert plays.

 

[rainmaker]

I don't think he'll get it, but he'll be in the running. I see him starting from day one. Wesphal will say all the right things publicly, but after a full training camp and seeing what Cousins can do, I don't see how he won't be in the starting lineup.

Going on that assumption, and it is only my opinion, but if he starts, I see him putting up around 17/9. Some where around there. But the keys to the Wizards franchise have been handed over to Wall. He'll be there guy from day one. He'll have great stats. Combine that with all the hype surrounding him, I would definatly say Wall is the favorite for ROY.

 

[sono]

Tyreke is the one who was rooting for DeMarcus to get him from the roster and he knows what it means to win the ROY. I'm sure he'd do everything to help DeMarcus to snatch ROY. His PPG, RPG, and BPG need to be in the range of the elite centers.
Here will come another suspenseful season to root for the rookie. I see more national coverages and spotlights, exciting.

 

[Aenadin]

Cousins rose to the top picks and blossomed and that with his offcourt red flags and weight issues. he played not even a quarter of games in the NBA. that will affect his overall physique he will lose weight through out the year and will feel more comfortable. Working out with shapiro would do wonders for DMC and he'll probably hover around the top rookies in the year..

if he starts and pans out i see him posting 15ppg 10rpg

 

[UK_King]

Do not like the fact Griffin is back... can see him quietly taking the award

 

[Kings Fan Gerard]

I think Turner or Griffin would win the award. Both of them have very polished games already. I like DMC to get all rookie 1st team honors though.

 

[jimbodan]

I just don't think DMC gets the minutes to win the award, but he will still be very good.

 

[mac]

I expect Cousins to finish the season with somewhere around 13/9/4 ... Not really ROY material. in contention sure, but I think he'll be outperformed by guys who will get more minutes and touches. Then again it really depends on Tyreke's improvement as well and also our team's overall performance W-wise. For all we know, Cousins may end up being a huge beneficiary of opponents collapsing on Tyreke. I see Tyreke and Cousins averaging a combined 40+ points a game given regular starter minutes. I just think that the larger share will go to Tyreke for now.

 

[Aenadin]

the joy here is once cousins adjusts in the league you have two players that can draw double teams. if these guys reke and cousins can coordinate their locations in the court i see a lot of open shots or back door cuts going our way. that IS if cousins starts drawing double teams cause we know tyreke will draw double teams.

 

[Prince_XY]

I would like to see first the final make-up of the Wizards, 76ers, T'wolves, and Nets teams. Right now with the exception of Turner, it looks like Cousins, Johnson, Favors, and Wall will have plenty of playing time and touches on the ball. Those four I think have a very good chance on winning the ROY award. It really is too early to tell.

 

[mac]

IMO the race will be between Wall, Turner, Griffin and Cousins. Don't think Favors will be at the top of the discussion. Nor Wesley Johnson because the Twolves are a little ... messed up. Johnson won't really get much touches in the triangle I think.

 

[Andre87]

He will be only in top5 (from 3rd to 5th) due to the lack of playing time due to the strong competition in our frontcourt this year

 

[Boogie - Big Cuz]

As a BIG TIME Kentucky (and CBB) fan, here's my take;

It will come down to Griffin, Wall, Cuz, and Turner;

All four have valid reasons to earn ROY.

Griffin - I would say most likely to get it based on readiness. Though I believe the votes will be slanted toward a 'true' rookie.

Turner - Great chance, just not so sure he's going to be able to get his shot off like he's been accustomed in the Big 10. I say he struggles with shooting % in year 1, shows exceptional promise but falls short.

Wall - May be unpopular, but Wall IS ready for the NBA. He may be even better in his rookie year than he was last year in college. This is where I see ROY landing.

Cousins - An absolute BEAST and has the BEST hands I have EVER seen. Will dominate the boards from day 1. Defense will take a couple years, imo. I LOVE his attitude on the court (and off) but he does need to work his butt off and get in top condition. If he does, he has the tools to be a top 3 center in year 1, imo, and therefore a real shot at ROY. However, I feel his fouling and, at times, struggling defense will limit minutes to earn the top spot. The Kings fans will be in love though.

My prediction is Wall by clear margin with the other three being very even for the 2nd spot.

 

[dmj]

If he gets minutes, then I think he has a decent chance of winning the award. You can make a pretty strong argument that Cousins is the best rebounding big man prospect over the last 20 years, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him average 15 and 11 his rookie year. That is dependent on him playing around 30 MPG though, a number that might be difficult for him to achieve considering the logjam at 4/5.

The main competition will be Wall, Griffin and Turner, in that order I believe.

With Wall the question is how does he adapt to sharing the backcourt with a very high usage player like Arenas. I don't think he will have the same chance to put up big numbers like Rose and Evans did in their rookie seasons. On the other hand, the ROY award is based on popularity as much as anything else and Wall is sure to be a SportsCenter staple regardless of his production.

The issue with Griffin is whether or not he will be able to play the entire season: he has had 3 knee injuries in the last 3 years, one of which was season ending. If he can stay healthy, however, I would give him the edge over Wall.

Turner I believe will see a significant drop in his numbers from his last season at Ohio State. Ohio State had an unusal make-up last year and Turner was asked to be the primary distributor for his team while also being the tallest player on the court most of the time. Of course, the 76ers will have a more traditional team and Turner likely won't be able to assume the same jack-of-all-trades role that he had at Ohio State. Turner will also be playing alongside Iguodala who has a very similar style of play and is the best player currently on the team.

 

[Kingster]

It will be very tough for Cousins to win the ROY. It's a guard's league. Turner, Wall, and maybe Griffin have a better chance. I don't expect Cousins to have anywhere near the impact in Year 1 as Tyreke. Fouling out could be a big issue for him. Also, he's going to be competing for minutes with Dalembert, which really wasn't an issue for Tyreke. It's probably going to take Cousins a while, at least a couple of years, before he has a major impact. Of course Tyreke shocked me how quickly he adapted to the NBA, so you never know.

 

[iowamcnabb]

If we didn't have Sammie, it would be between Wall and Cousins IMO. But, Wall will start from day one and will probably post 17 7 and 5 next year. I think Cuz comes on strong in the second half but much like Curry won't have the year long numbers to justify the award.

 

[Amory]

If we didn't have Sammie, it would be between Wall and Cousins IMO. But, Wall will start from day one and will probably post 17 7 and 5 next year. I think Cuz comes on strong in the second half but much like Curry won't have the year long numbers to justify the award.

Very good way to put it.

I think that Cousins is going to be amazing and in 3 years he might even be an all-star. I am not sure about him winning ROY though. Might come in second or third. My bet it Wall or Turner.

 

[bajaden]

Its more difficult for bigs to win rookie of the year than guards. Guys like wall and Turner will find it easier to get into the lane in the NBA than they did in college where opposing centers set up house in the lane. Bottom line though, it all comes down to playing time, or lack there of. Cousins will have a huge impact on the Kings, but will definitely go through an adjustment period. It all depends on how fast he can come up to speed. According to Calapari he's a very bright kid and picks up things quickly. I'd put my money on Wall or Turner, but wouldn't be surprise if Griffin takes the whole banana. Lets not forget, he's a very good basketball player

 

[Amory]

I'd put my money on Wall or Turner, but wouldn't be surprise if Griffin takes the whole banana. Lets not forget, he's a very good basketball player

Almost forgot about Griffin. I really like his game and think he might have a good running for ROY.

 

[Showtime]

I think it totally depends on if he starts. Honestly, Blair might have had ROY on a different team. Evans got the benefit of heavy minutes right off the bat. If Cousins starts and plays a lot, he has a good chance. But he's not sniffing ROY coming off the bench.

 

[NME]

With our sudden front court depth, it seems unlikely he's going to get the minutes necessary to surpass Wall and Griffin this year, especially with the hype focused on them. Wall should put up numbers similar to Tyreke's from last year, and Griffin may average a double-double or close to it. Cousins has the potential to put up even more impressive big man numbers, but only if he gets consistent playing time around 32+ minutes and is made the #2 scoring option, which are more likely to happen in year 2. He may be the best player in the end, but in the ROY race will probably be just in the next tier looking in along with Turner, Johnson, and Surprise Player X.

 

[Sptsjunkie]

Here's my take on the ROY race:

1 - John Wall - People worry about Arenas, but other than the oft injured Arenas and Blatche they have no one else who can create. I'm not too worried about Arenas either, even if he doesn't get hurt, the Wizards just used the #1 pick on Wall and are building around him. He will get every opportunity possible to shine.

2 - Blake Griffin - Still a monster, but will lose touches to Davis, Gordon and Kaman. Still should have a monster year, but not sure he beats Wall.

3 - DeMarcus Cousins - Like Griffin, will lose touches to his teammates. However, Sac will also get him his touches and his ability to finish and board means he's get a number of easy conversion opportunities and put backs. Unlike the short armed Griffin, should get 1.5 blk a game as well.

4 - Evan Turner - Could easily flip him and Cousins, but will really depend on Turner's usage. If the 76ers use AI, Williams, Speights, to create the offense than Turenr's lack of an outside shot probably limits his production. If they feature Turner, he should produce enough to beat out Cousins.

5 - Jordan Crawford - This one is completely dependent on Joe Johnson leaving Atlanta. If that happens than Crawford is suddenly a 6th man on a team who's only players who can create their own shots are Crawford, Teague and Horford. In this lineup I'd imagine Crawford would get a ton of useage and minutes. Whatever his long term value ends up being, he has a great chance to put up stats next year.

6 - Wesley Johnson - Probably a better player than Crawford, so this is not an insult, more about minutes and usage. The Wolves loaded up on SFs and still have Corey Brewer. In other words, even if Johnson plays efficiently he may not get the minutes at first to match the others' stats. However, as the season goes on and Cousins, Crawford and others Khan passed on start playing well, I expect there will be pressure to get WJ minutes.

7 - Derrick Favors - May be raw, but has enough talent and will have enough opportunities to at least finish at 7. I mean, I'd at least expect 10-7-2blk out of him this year.

8 - Ed Davis - Again, this assumes Bosh leaves. If so he gets the lion's share of minutes in the front court with Bargnani. This also means he'll be the primary rebounder, since that is not Bargnani's strength. Just ask Biedren's what that can do for your rebounding numbers.

9 - Greg Monroe - Will get plenty of opportunities and minutes and has enough skill to put up some decent stats.

10 - Luke Babbit - With Webster and Outlaw gone, Babbit should get the most minutes behind Batum. Offensive stats tend to win over All Rookie Team voters. That's Babbit's strong suit.

Others to Keep and Eye On

Eric Bledsoe - Would take a Baron injury, but that's not uncommon. If Baron goes down, Bledsoe should get enough usage to put himself in the discussion for one of the All Rookie teams.

Andy Rautins - I know laugh. But he's a good shooter and passer with limited defensive skills. Well, in Dantoni's system those qualities are rewarded. Also consider the Knicks gave ample time to Tony Douglass at PG last year. If Rautins gets minutes, he could surprise people and put up stats in that offense.

Xavier Henry - If Gay leave, he will get enough usage in Memphis to get on the 2nd all rookie team.

Cole Aldrich - Was so overrated that now he might be underrated. If he gets minutes on the Thunder front line, mini-PBilla could conceivably put up 8-8-2blk getting his points off dunks and o-boards.

Paul George - Noting like a player with a poor motor and bad shot selection. Could surprise and put up good stats on a bad team, especially if Granger gets hurt. Seems like a very realistic scenario though, so I have to stick him here.

I Guess I Should At Least Mention

Ekpe Udoh - Meh. In a Nelson offense could get stats if he gets minutes. But not sold on his skills. He's a weak rebounder who can't really create his own shot and doesn't have a powerful enough base to be a great post defender. Should also be battling Randolph, Wright, Biedrens, Tolliver and Turiaf for minutes.

Al-Farouq Aminu - Reminecsant of Gerald Wallace as a rookie. No jump shot and can't create his own shot, but should have 3-5 of the top rookie dunks of the year. Should also put up some decent rebound and defensive numbers.

Gordon Hayward - Nothing like a player with poor lateral quickness and a slow first step to get you excited. After watching him have trouble consistently do anything against Duke, I think Butler's exciting tournament run obscured the fact that Hayward doesn't have any great NBA skills. Was a good shooter his freshman year, so that could return, but not expecting much else.

Patrick Patterson - Should be a good contributor. However, with Yao, Scola, Hayes, Buddinger and Hill he'll battle for minutes, much less statistics.

Craig Brackins - Intriguing possibility in NO with Paul setting up easy opportunities. However, he's not much of a rebounder or shot blocker, so I'm doubtful he puts up the stats needed as a rookie to enter into the discussion.

 

[Prince_XY]

I think it totally depends on if he starts. Honestly, Blair might have had ROY on a different team. Evans got the benefit of heavy minutes right off the bat. If Cousins starts and plays a lot, he has a good chance. But he's not sniffing ROY coming off the bench.

I kind of agree, but what if he comes off the bench but plays like at least 25 minutes ( 15 min at 5 and 10 minutes at 4)?