You Can't Have the Glory Without the Pain
by Ziller on Jul 19, 2010 4:58 AM PDT
in Commentary
27 comments
And you can't credit DeMarcus Cousins for destroying all comers in Games 1-3 of Vegas Summer League without acknowledging he was blown up in Games 4-6. Cousins again struggled, shooting 1-13 on his way to six points, six rebounds and five turnovers in 27 minutes against Dallas. Cousins, who still somehow won T-Mobile Rookie of the Month, ended up averaging 14/9 for the VSL, shooting 33 percent.
For the last two games, Cousins was as bad as he was good in the first three games.
And while perhaps the struggles can be explained away by circumstances, the successes can also be explained away. If you're willing to discount the really awful games against Chicago and Dallas, you need to stop screaming about the games against L.A. and Minnesota. This VSL doesn't show Cousins is a sure star, or that he's a bust. It showed that both are still plausible. The activity level, offensive decision-making and execution in the first half of the Toronto game and all the way through both the Chicago and Dallas games was so bad that it's all back on the table.
That's only as rash as myself and others declaring Cousins wouldn't be a bust after the Minnesota game, where Boogie had 22/12.
The shot selection has been a bit mind-boggling. Sometimes, Boogie is looking for the foul. Fair enough. But where Cousins would spin to the rim in the early games, he has taken to constantly rolling away for a turn-around jumper. He's not pushing to post deep, instead settling for a soft post position. The long jumper was wet early this week, so he kept pulling the trigger, even when it dried up. The passing lanes were there early, so he kept trying to make the passes, even with limbs in the way.
The exhaustion factor can't be discounted completely -- six games in seven nights at almost 30 minutes a game, against pro athletes ... that's insanity. It'd be easy to yell at Mario Elie for not resting him one game in the middle, but that's not why Cousins is here. He's here to learn the offense and defense, and discover what he's up against in the NBA. Big dudes like Joey Dorsey. Fast guards like Rodrigue Beaubois. Double teams. Quick hands. Help defense. It's safe to say he learned a lot, even in the perhaps embarrassing mediocrity of the final two games. And that's what this is about.
So we'll see, come October, whether this turn for the worst taught Boogie anything about his own limitations, and his role next to Tyreke Evans and Carl Landry and Samuel Dalembert and Jason Thompson. If there's one thing Evans missed out on for the most part in his rookie season, it was learning experiences. He was so good so long he never really had to step back and assess what he'd done wrong. Cousins has that opportunity right now. Let's hope he grasps it.
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It is so rare...
that a player can come into summer league and dominate without their head exploding from all of the praise. Given the 6 games played, Cousins has reason to feel both encouraged about his ability, but to also reflect on what didn’t work.
To me, this was the perfect scenario for the Kings as their decision to draft DMC was fully justified. Cousins has all the talent that they envisioned (and more), but they also got a look at the kid when things don’t go his way and how he reacts with officials and coaches. It’s a true baseline of where Cousins is at, both physically and mentally, and should give them a real place to start with him once training camp begins…
"Granted, this is not a great situation, but when all you have is lemons, you add some vodka to dull the pain..."
by Mcamp49 on Jul 19, 2010 5:41 AM PDT reply actions 18 recs
Good post
Act like a sober human being, not a drunk Internet username. -- Brian Galliford
by NorCal BillsFan on Jul 19, 2010 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Cousins lets us know what he is feeling
every moment on the court, sort of the anti-Evans if you will. The thing that I can not tell from the last 3 games is ; was it the frustration getting the better of him (because we clearly saw every moment of frustration) ,or, was it the fatigue that was causing the failures and the frustration? We have no way of knowing.
He has another problem with that expressive face of his, they do a close up on it after every failed play. This, like all the Kobe closeups, gives us more insight than we want.
One play that tells me this kid is a winner is the game where he was 0-10 from the field, and he gets the ball just before half, and launches a 50 footer to go 0-11. To me that spoke volumes, not a lot of guys are going to put up that shot when they know the stat line is ofer.
That told me most of what I needed to know about his competitive spirit.
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
by ElRonToro on Jul 19, 2010 8:42 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I thought that same thing.
I was like “Wow he HAS to know he’s 0-10…wait did he just launch that 3/4th court shot?!”
He just wants to win! And at least we know that even when he’s 100% gassed, he still is our best young rebounder.
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Jul 19, 2010 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Overblown
That whole “you can tell he doesn’t care about his stats and just wants to win” stigma of a player just because he chucks up buzzer beaters is ridiculous. Haters wanna hate, ballers wanna chuck crazy shots into the basket, especially buzzer beaters….
"We're all here because we're not all there..."
You’re no fun.
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Jul 19, 2010 5:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I just wanted to point out one thing on double teams
There is a big difference between doubling Cousins in summer league, and in a regular season game. I’ll start off by saying that his passes out of double teams have to be exactly on the money when the season starts..no iffy passes will be getting through.
But doubling Cousins to leave Donald Sloan open for a 3 is much less of a risk than doing the same to leave Beno open for a 3.
Doubling Cousins by leaving tiny Devan Downey as an open cutter to the basket is much less of a risk than leaving Tyreke.
Doubling Cousins and leaving Hassan Whiteside open under the basket and hoping he will mishandle the pass is not something NBA players can do if that man under the hoop is SammyD or Carl.
I believe although the double teams will arrive much faster and harder on Cousins, it may just make it easier for him with the variance in the quality of players he is playing with when compared from VSL to the NBA. In his rookie season, I do not expect Cousins to get doubled a lot, and if he does get doubled; I would have full confidence in him making the right decision with the ball. And one last thing DeMarcus….No more dribbling to the hoop from the 3 point line, those are easy steals in the NBA.
"Morrison beats Casspi 1 on 1". - MarcusC
by Surprise Team on Jul 19, 2010 8:51 AM PDT reply actions 8 recs
Nice points
….No more dribbling to the hoop from the 3 point line, those are easy steals in the NBA.
On this I have the feeling DMC will learn the hard way, get ready for lots of TOs early.
As you said, most NBA teams will not double DMC very often with Landry or JT, Dal on the court. If they do, the other guys will be fasting – which means they won’t for very long. We be big inside now peoples!
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Jul 19, 2010 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions
fasting = feasting
(That mispell turned my whole point around)
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Jul 19, 2010 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
So much to like
Yet so much to dislike. I was impressed with his intensity…Until I saw it being a detriment to his performance. I’m talking about mean-facing the officials or the exaggerated throwing of the hands in the air when the whistle came his way. Trying so hard on the offensive end because he got that foul on the defensive end, then giving his PG the mean-face because he didn’t recognize Demarcus had established position. Rolling his eyes and looking off Mario Elie as Elie tried to explain certain subtleties and nuances after he’d been pulled for his 7th or 8th foul.
His body language spoke volumes towards his inability to control his emotions and is a big indicator that the kid is still a few years away from being any kind of leader (gassed or not, emotions affect your team mates and go a long ways towards chemistry,) and that could be a huge detriment, especially considering the talent that was displayed wasn’t of the “jaw-dropping” variety. Yeah, the kid is good when he focuses and plays without pretense, but he certainly didn’t display a level of talent that screams “keeper at all costs” (he’s no big man version of Kobe or Lebron, isn’t a Shaq or Hakeem.) But he definitely showed more versatility and skill than I was expecting. I think if he can keep his head on straight, get in line and prove he doesn’t need to be spoon fed in order to survive in the NBA, then we could have a real diamond. If he can’t curb that huge ego / emotional mountain, than we’ve drafted a giant sized lump of coal….
"We're all here because we're not all there..."
Maybe not jaw-dropping
but if he rolls out a 20-12-5 season one year, I think we all saw that potential upside out of him.
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
Sorry Sacto-J (reply fail)
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
No Worries Toro,
I would agree that 20-12-5 potential is there for sure, even in limited minutes. I just hope that pout of his isn’t infectious or permanent as it could be serious locker room cancer. I’m hoping he turns out to be the consummate professional, I just don’t like excuses like “gassed” legitimizing a player’s lack of production or their crappy attitude. I like the kid and realize he’s young, it just worried me the way his attitude clearly affected the rest of the team and hope he learns quickly the nuances of being a leader….
"We're all here because we're not all there..."
He's 19 man...
besides…if he were that tired in an actual game, he would be yanked.
Act like a sober human being, not a drunk Internet username. -- Brian Galliford
by NorCal BillsFan on Jul 19, 2010 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions
so?
i’m getting sick of the 19 excuse. people go off to war and put other people’s lives in their hands at 19. 19 means you should have the maturity of a 19 year old, not a 9 year old. Pouting on the court, making faces half the game, getting into it with your coach – those are things you do in jr. high. By the time you are 19 you should have matured beyond that point and grown up a bit. Yes he is 19, it is about time he starts acting like it.
I might be crazy but I am okay if he doesn't wow us with his assist numbers
Seems like he gets a lot of those passes on the fast break and outside of the post (I know not all of them were). I get a little nervous with him hanging out there. I would rather see him using his leverage down low, although I guess a player is going to play the way they like to play.
Because talent? You want to add a guy like boozer because hes talented? I’m sorry i just don’t see that as a valid reason. -- fffindeed
by wallywagon11 on Jul 19, 2010 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
I liked how calm he was passing out of the double teams
There are some guys smarter than me, some guys better looking, I take comfort in the fact that there is no guy that is both.
that is exactly where i want to see his passing skills
Because talent? You want to add a guy like boozer because hes talented? I’m sorry i just don’t see that as a valid reason. -- fffindeed
by wallywagon11 on Jul 19, 2010 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Much agreed
I’d rather see him do his thing down low, though understand that its a punishing brand of basketball and one not too easily / readily embraced. Glad he has a fair mid-range J and that he’s not shy about using it, and the passing is a plus. There are several qualities, including the youthful immaturity, the desire to win, high level and varied skill set and the way he tends to be too hard on himself, that remind me of a young Chris Webber, actually. Different cats in their own rights, certainly, but definitely a few similarities, a few of which we were lucky enough to harvest in Sacramento during some great times. There’s lots to be enthusiastic about if this kid can put it together quickly, but he’s definitely got some growing to do…
"We're all here because we're not all there..."
teammates
i think you have to factor in teammates. many of the assists/near assists he got were to Donte & Omri – these guys are vets and no how to get to the bucket, when to cut etc. The rest of those guys were standing around watching most of the time and didn’t present DMC with more opportunities.
I think once you get him on the floor with 4 pros that know the offense and how to move without the ball and he’s shown he can hit the open cutters.
I'm just dissapointed we didn't make
the Summer League playoffs
"Children want what they want when they want it." ... Andy Sims
Kings failed to get D J Strawberry...D-Block deal better better better pay off...
I went to University of Maryland and watched DJ play his career there. Everything you need to know about him (as much as it pains me as a Terps fan) is that he’s essentially a mini-me of Battier.
DJ is all about defense. I watched him consistently shut down guards with his extremely aggressive, close-contact style. Luckily for him, our PG play was weak, so it gave him a chance to improve his ball-handling and passing skills. He’s definitely not a scoring threat, but I’d look for him to be a specific defensive matchup for the likes of Chris Paul, Kidd, DWilliams, and hopefully to further frustrate the hell out of Kobe.
HE CAN SHOOT THE HOOP NOW!
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