OT Yet another reason to bring Cousins

Tim Duncan played for the Warriors last year!?

 

Hakeem
Chamberlin
Jabar/Alcinder
Russell
Malone
Robinson
Mikan
Ewing
Walton

All of these centers made their teams substantially better, if not, led them to a ring.

Most are old, but it doesn't change that they dominated. The game will change again. The question is, will it change quick enough that we should be thinking about getting a quality dominating big, or is this guard dominated game going to last another decade? Lets not forget that up until Shaq retired, it was a big's game. This was only 10 years ago. Have we already been through the heart of the Guards domination and are entering the backside? IF the guards domination is only going to last another 3-5 years, then we need to get a player like Cousins for sure. If its going to last another decade, we can get away with big's by committee.

 

Not even close to true, by any statistical measure. SAC's bench is currently 5th in the league in scoring and 4th in FG%. The 54-win Blazers bench was dead last in scoring and 26th in FG%.

And how much of that can be attributed to Cousin's. If their culture sucks and the coach doesn't have command of the locker room, perhaps it's partially due to the fact that their superstar and team leader is an immature asshole who is constantly in public mutiny of his head coach.

Cousins has been there 6 years. In that time, SAC has had two ownership groups, three GMs and 5 head coaches. All three GMs and 4 of the 5 coaches have suspended him for conduct detrimental to the team. Yeah, that's a lot of turnover in the head coaching ranks, but that's also due to the fact that Cousins can't seem to get along with any of his coaches. The one constant of the Kings' culture over the past 6 years is Demarcus Cousins and his insolent, immature, insubordinate attitude and behavior. Maybe he's the reason their culture sucks and their locker room is toxic.

BNM

 

Not sure why you quoted my post. Yes, for a period of nearly 30 years, the recipe for winning a championship was to build around a dominant big man. Then Jordan came along and changed that formula, but not nearly as much as most people think. The secret became to have either a dominant big man and/or at least two elite defenders. It wasn't just the Jordan Bulls, the Pistons, both the Bad Boys and 2004 Pistons also followed this formula. All of San Antonio's championship teams had at least one dominat big man (Robinson/Duncan) and multiple elite defenders (Robinson/Duncan/Bowen/Leonard) So, all the NBA champs from 1995 had either a dominant big man (Hakeem, Shaq, David Robinson/Tim Duncan, etc.) or multiple elite defenders (Jodran/Pippen/Rodman, Rodman/Dumars, Duncan/Bowen/Lenard, Billups/Wallace/Prince, etc.).

What's changed recently is both the rules and the style of the game that favors smaller, quicker players that can shoot from deep. A lot of that is due to analytics. Offensive schemes are now designed to maximize scoring efficiency by getting as many efficient shots (open 3s and layups) as possible. This is generally created by player and ball movement - something that doesn't favor traditional low post big men.

Unless there are some significant rule changes, I think your assumption that guard domination will only last another 3 - 5 years is false. It used to be the most efficient way to rack up points was to dump it into low post big man who shot > 50% FG%. In this day and age, with all the top teams having one (or more) players shooting > 40% 3FGA%, that's no longer true. Golden State has Curry (.454 3FG%) and Thompson (.431 3FG%), but it doesn't end there. As a team, they attempt over 31 3FGA per game and shoot .415 3FG% as a team. League wide, 3FGA and 3FG% continue to rise. Young kids coming up no longer work on their low post footwork, they work on their shooting range and accuracy. And why not? Genetically, there will only be so many Shaq's Wilt's and Kareem's. The sample size of guys 6'3" will always be much, much larger. Through hard work and practice, many of those guys can become efficient 3-point shooters. All the practice in the world won't make them 7' tall. So, I don't see this trend reversing anytime soon. In fact, I think the reliance on guards who can handle the ball and knock down the open 3-pointer will only continue to increase.

The days of building an NBA champion around a dominant big man have passed, and barring major rule changes, traditional low post big men will be relegated to role players. Some of them, like Cousins, may be VERY good role players, but unless you pair them with one, or more, top tier guards, they won't win a championship. Just look at Cousins. Many in this thread have called him the best big man in the game, but in 6 years, he's never even sniffed the playoffs and this is the first time his team has even won 30 games. Can you imagine a Shaq, Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, etc. team missing the playoffs 6 years in a row and failing to win 30 games 5 years in a row. Cousins isn't on their level, but still, there was a time when having the best big man in the game guaranteed you 50+ wins and a deep playoff run. Those days are gone and not coming back anytime soon.

BNM

 

but we wouldn't be the leader here, so perhaps all of those issue's go away. He can take a back seat on leadership and just play his game instead.

 

The Kings tried bringing in vets to help withe the leadership issue. The problem is, Cousins leads by example - bad example. He's butted heads publicly with multiple coaches, multiple GMs and members of the media. Even if he's not THE leader on the team, that shit disrupts chemistry and creates dissension in the ranks. Can he rein it in enough to not be a distraction and a negative locker room presence? It's yet to be seen.

BNM

 

Well he's a big tree too...

 

Just quoted you because you had alot to say on the topic and was responding. Neither in agreement or disagreement. I think most everyone is right. Is just the current fad is all. my questions is, how long will it last before the power swings the other way again. You say it has passed, but I thought I read you said it will come back around?

It has passed, but I think it will be back.

 

Proper Thread

 

They finally have a solid bench. Our team was still better for reasons I've already stated.

Karl has a bad history with other former players. Their front office hasn't bright in a good veteran presence in years.

DMC needs a leader. He needs someone like Dame.

 

Why do you make it sound like Cousins has only played with scrubs for his entire NBA career?
They might not be allstars or top 10 at their position... But the players Sac has brought in aren't scrubs....
Gay, Evans, Thornton, Dalembert, Hayes, Brooks, Thomas, Landry, Vasquez, Casspi, Collison, Miller, Rondo, Butler, Belinelli, Koufos.
It would be different if he was playing with undrafted rookies his entire career but he's not.
These players are solid NBA players. All have flaws but none of them are scrubs...
He has had talent on his team and currently has talent. Rudy Gay for his flaws is still a Gold medal winner.
DMC has had these same issues all the way from college to now. Can't get out of his own way.
If playing with another superstar is the answer... Well it hasn't been for Howard....

 

Yeah, Boogie sucks, he hurts his team. Well, here's another big guy who sucks:
27-55
34-48
45-37
27-47
Not only does this guy suck, but he is HAPPY that his team sucks - he NEVER complains, he doesn't CARE about winning. He has not helped his team win a single FUCKING playoff game. He even has another ALL STAR on his team, and they STILL suck. If you don't like Boogie, you must HATE this guy. If you somehow don't, then you're clearly full of it.

 

LOL, right. In spite of significant injuries to himself and multiple key teammates, Anthony Davis accomplished more in his first 3 NBA seasons than Demarcus Cousins has in his first six. Davis has actually led his team to the playoffs. Boogie hasn't come close. Davis also lead his team to more than 30 wins twice in his first three seasons, including 45 last season. The best the Kings have managed in six seasons with Boogie is one 30 win season - this year.

And who is this other ALL STAR???? Jrue Holiday, who made the all-star team one time, four years ago with Philadelphia and missed 90 games his first two seasons in NO? Well, guess what - Boogie is currently playing with a 4-time ALL STAR who is leading the league in assists, and his team STILL sucks.

And we're supposed to HATE the guy who has accomplished more and has not been suspended even one time for conduct detrimental to his team? Right, that makes sense.

I never said I hated Cousins. I just said I wouldn't give up much of value to get him. In today's NBA, traditional low post big men are less relevant and he's a traditional big man who has a lot of red flags. Yeah, if you can get him cheap you roll the dice and hope for the best. The problem is, he won't come cheap. There will be other teams, that have more to offer, bidding for his services. We'd have to overpay to get him. That's why I say no thanks.

BNM

 

Being hurt is an advantage? Interesting.

 

Nope, but the hurt Davis accomplished much more in his first 3 years than the healthy Boogie in his first 6. Yet, we're supposed to HATE Davis. I don't follow your "logic".

BNM

 

A valid enough reason. But seriously, the two of them would be dominant!