Choose Something Like a Star

…..it’s definitely Darko.

That kind of money on a 19 year old you have to protect the investment. How professional do you expect him to be?

… then it absolutely is up to them to do everything they can to help him. If the Kings want to waste a top-5 pick, they might as well draft you or I.

I’m not saying the Kings need to run an after-school program here. But they have a role in the development, and it needs to be handled well.

No matter how much someone wants to succeed, the person who has better resources around is more likely to succeed.

Since the Kings organization should be wanting to do everything it can to succeed, it should provide every possible resource to their draft pick, so that the draft pick can succeed, and through him, the organization can succeed. Send that pick to big man camp, get world class teachers to work with him on footwork in the off season, and great shooting instructors to work on their shot, and it will help. If the draft pick doesn’t want to do the extra work, or try extra hard, the extra resources are wasted, but I think hiring a few coaches for $300k is a better risk than the $10 million on a once a year lottery pick having to figure it out on his own.

When I started at my first real job, my boss mentored me and showed me how being a consultant worked, which has lead me to the successful position I hold today. Yes, a large part of this success was my drive, and my willingness to do that extra stuff, but without that initial good guidance, I might not have ever learned to do those little things that make the difference.

The Kings need to focus their attention on the maturity issues. I just read Amick’s article on the Kings being interested in him. He has a lot of interesting quotes from Calipari who basically said that Cousins is still a kid. He called him a “growing man.” This says a lot to me about those red flags. Those red flags do exists but they seem to be a product of youth and immaturity, things that will eventually go away. I do think it’s important for the Kings organization to help him in these matters. Some of Ziller’s suggestions are great. Especially some of the indirect involvement, like building a report with his agent and advisors or asking Donte or JT to take him under his wing, although I think this will happen naturally. I think Donte’s a better role model as he has had to mature quite a bit but is still a fun loving goof ball. Helping DeMarcus find that happy medium between being a mature adult (financial planning, conditioning, working on his game, etc) and being a 19 year old (hanging out with the boys, playing video games, etc) will pay dividends for the Kings.

DeMarcus Cousins has never been an NBA player before today. The Sacramento Kings have drafted players and developed players into NBA professionals. The organization has the knowledge and experience, and thus the responsibility, to encourage, support, develop, and nurture Cousins (or any player they draft). To place the burden of development on the player is to set yourself up for failure.

People inherently want to be good at their job. There are exceptions, no doubt about it, but most people want to do well. Do you think Spencer wanted to be successful? Probably. Do you think he knew he’d be a better center if he got stronger? Probably. But did anyone put a support system in place to encourage him to get to the gym, to stick to a specific workout regimen, to hold him accountable? Probably, to a limited extent, but there could have been more.

The team offers help and support, but the player must be the one to walk through the door. No matter how much support is available, the player must have the intrinsic motivation to buy into it. That is where I think Spencer failed. No one can force or force-feed someone to do the work, as that will only build resentment. If DeMarcus Cousins comes to Sacramento, he is going to have to bring along his own motivation and desire to go to the next level. Fortunately, he will have Tyreke as a role model from whom to learn. Tyreke not only takes advantage of the help that is offered to him, but he independently seeks out ways to improve.

I think you are right on in your assessment.

Personally, I believe if we are so fortunate to get DeMarcus, he is going to be fine. This is a young team, whose players are motivated to win games. Cousins is going to fit right into the mix.

And I think people are going to look back at the fact that Evan Turner and (possibly) Wesley Johnson were picked ahead of him and wonder what in the world the GMs were smoking. This is 2002 all over again – Mike Dunleavy and DeJuan Wagner before Nene and Amare.

NBA rookies get popped for smoking weed during their rookie seminar.

The NFL has a more structured offseason schedule. There is hardly a period greater than a month that the coaches don’t have their hands on the rookies.

but in this case Stockton’s not a dirty little bitch!

spoken like a manager. Well stated RikSmits.

naw thanks

nice observation

He’s adding three role players to the roster?

Cole Alrdich would be a great fit

They had a little luck last year, won too many of their 5 pt or less games.

it really is amazing the amount of young talent they’ve been accumulating. Makes me sick and jealous!

Although pretty sure he is still in Houston

maybe he could teach him how to get those cartoonish biceps

but yeah I don’t want Ron Ron with the 5th pick.

ya, I’m going to be terribly unproductive today

These are much more time efficient:

Mikki, God bless him, knows what hard work is all about.

yeah, lets keep him on the payroll!

adelman misses him

and I think “phat” is more like it.

Not a Sac King tonight. I really want him to be there at 5. And then the next StR night we can all bring red flags.

luke babbit falls to 33