We have the 2nd best center in the NBA right now!!!
by nerdninja on Jan 21, 2012 1:04 PM PST
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DMC is the 2nd best center in the league right now. He still has a lot to work on, but he is already the best rebounder, his defense is solid, he is amazing at getting Offensive fouls on his opponents, he has excellent hands and good time at disrupting passing lanes, he is also very capable at passing.
I'd still like to see him under the basket on offense more, but his mid range jumpshot is also fairly solid. I'd like to see him improve his shot selection at times, work on a hook shot, get a bit more patient with his offense in the post. But the only thing that stops him are illnesses and fouls so far this season.
Just look at the list of centers in the West. The only center I think you can make a decent arguement for being better is Bynum. DMC is hands down better than the rest. Looking at the entire NBA the only other guy that comes to mind is Howard of course. Talk about a bright future ahead of DMC. The best part is just look how much he worked in the off-season. Now that Westphal is out of the way and it looks as though Smart and DMC have a good working relationship, I can't wait to see how good this guy gets!
Now here comes the delima for the Kings. Do they give their 5 year deal to Tyreke or DMC? They only can give one. Hopefully both players stay of course, but it will be interesting to see what they do.
(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)
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I don't know about 2nd best
but he is definitely on a roll right now, second in the league in double-doubles.
FRANKS AND BEANS FRANKS AND BEANS
by lemmetakeutodamovies on Jan 21, 2012 1:14 PM PST reply actions
third, my bad.
third in the league in double-doubles…tied with Bynum and Griffin
FRANKS AND BEANS FRANKS AND BEANS
by lemmetakeutodamovies on Jan 21, 2012 1:16 PM PST up reply actions
He's getting there
I’d rank him behind Howard, Bynum, Gasol and Horford right now, and put him on a par with Greg Monroe. If he can maintain this level of play for a couple of months, I’d place him ahead of Nene, Bogut and Noah.
His certainly on his way to obliterating my expectations for him in his 2nd year.
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Is Horford really a center?
I know he’s played center his whole career but I always saw him as a PF.
by Allbenji on Jan 21, 2012 1:32 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Listed as a center and has played his whole career there
I’d say that he’s as much of a center as Wes Unseld was.
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so what you are really saying is
Al Horford will make a terrible GM?
(NBA Trivia note: Wes Unseld was the only player to win the RoY and MVP in the same year).
by betweentheeyes on Jan 22, 2012 2:32 PM PST up reply actions
As much of a center as Josh Smith is a PF
GREENE! You’ve been superfluously apostrophe’d! - andy sims
iashwash, you are the voice of reason - Holmdel
I totally know what you mean
When I saw the Hawks play a few years back i went in thinking that he was the PF. BUT after I saw how massive he was (in comparison to how TV makes him look) it made me see why he plays center. and effectively at that.
Is cowboyron a chiropractor?- Wallywagon11
its questions like these that make STR oh so lovely.
Who wears a Kings jersey and rhymes with "Nothing but net??"
Hmmm.
Definately Howard is better. But is Gasol and Bynum really better? And Greg Monroe? It’s a fun debate though. I think outside of Howard almost every GM would pick DMC second though.
Yes Gasol and Bynum are really better.
Greg Monroe is much more efficient offensively but isn’t as near the rebounder or defender.
Author of NBA Mashups. Follow me on Twitter here.
not quite sure where you get that Monroe isn't near the defender
by wallywagon11 on Jan 21, 2012 3:47 PM PST up reply actions
actually now that I actually decided to look at things
check this out
(note the opposing offense shooting percentages in the restricted area and in the paint when Cousins is playing and when Cousins isn’t playing)
by wallywagon11 on Jan 21, 2012 3:57 PM PST up reply actions
sorry, disregard
that was dumb, completely disregard
by wallywagon11 on Jan 21, 2012 4:01 PM PST up reply actions
*Pats Wally on the back, gives him sorrowful look, shakes head in sympathy.
GREENE! You’ve been superfluously apostrophe’d! - andy sims
iashwash, you are the voice of reason - Holmdel
It would be nice for Cousins' OFF to drop a little...
While it shows his aggressiveness, it also reflects how bad the team is shooting. 12 against IND is entirely too high. Then again, if the team’s FG% is low, I’d rather he grab those than not.
Nevermind. Carry on…
Crazy. Toys in the attic, I am crazy.
Here's the question: If Cousins' play continues to grow and the team gets some wins, could we see him as an All-Star this year?
With Nene having a down year so far, the West C spot is fairly open. Bynum is a lock at the starter spot, leaving Gasol as Demarcus’ only real competition for the backup. Right now their stats are fairly similar. Gasol definitely has the edge now with his FG%, APG, and an overall better team record, but maybe Cousins can continue his current tear and at least garner some consideration.
Just a thought. Boy, it would be nice to have an All-Star on the roster.
DeMarcus won't get in unless the team starts winning games.
If the Kings are near .500 or so by the time the coaches vote and he’s playing consistently well with his double-doubles and stuff, I could see him being selected maybe.
But I could also see Tim Duncan getting in purely on a legacy basis, or Gasol getting in as a Center, or even Marc Gasol.
Author of NBA Mashups. Follow me on Twitter here.
Nice to hear some good news occsiasionally
This season has been so bad at times it’s easy to forget that Cuz continues to make progress by the game. It’s apparent to me that Reke and Cuz have bought into Coach Smart. I thought last night was the best that Reke and Cuz have played together as a duo. Reke was directing both the offense and defense was looking to get his teammates involved. There have been nights where Tyreke dropped more dimes and I know it’s against all the rules and regulations of the commentsphere but there were times last night when I was convinced that Reke was playing like a………………….pg!
Thanks for the post nerdninga, when you look at the situation in context and not just in terms of wins/losses it makes it easier to keep the faith. Despite the gloom there are glimpses of progress that the hipsters in the twitterverse continue to overlook.
Frances Amthor: I think you're a very stupid person. You look stupid, you're in a stupid business, and you're on a stupid case.
Philip Marlowe: I get it. I'm stupid Farewell My Lovely (1975)
And in this vein I get what I want how I want it because I am the customer. You might want to remember that you thieving scumbag mongrel bitches.
nate21h@evilcowtowninc.com
Do they give their 5 year deal to Tyreke or DMC? They only can give one. Hopefully both players stay of course, but it will be interesting to see what they do.
I’d go with the big man as guards are easier to find.
Mirror on the wall
Here we are again.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 21, 2012 2:57 PM PST reply actions
Neither, because they'll be saving it for Jimmer ;)
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
That's actually a very interesting question
We’ll find out a year from now when Tyreke is up for an extension.
Author of NBA Mashups. Follow me on Twitter here.
DMC 100 out of 100 times.
Getting a Cousins is FAR rarer than getting an Evans.
Cousins is literally better at EVERYTHING than he was last year aside from assists. His arc is what you expect from an improving player – at arguably the hardest position to fill (either the 1 or 5).
I’m not sure that Tyreke is improving at all. He was still better his rookie year. He is one of the worst shooters I have ever seen. He has great games, but they are not reliable. He sprinkles them in amongst three stinkers.
I’d still like someone to explain to me the last time they saw a go-to scorer who wasn’t a center but couldn’t shoot outside of five feet. I have NEVER seen it. The reason is simple, because it is dumb.
You can stick to that line of thought
There may be better weeks for you to state it though.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
I say DMC
Purely because big players are more rare and cost more. It would be (theoretically) cheaper to extend DMC and re-sign evans that to extend evans and re-sign DMC
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by prowseinthehouse on Jan 22, 2012 3:16 PM PST up reply actions
definately give the 5 year to Cousins
In about 2 yrs when Cuz is tearin the league up every GM is going to go hard at getting him. And then if he were to get the 4 yr, imagine how good he will be by then. He will be hitting his prime probably as 1 of the best Centers in the NBA, an extra year is better for us
by Chent on Jan 21, 2012 6:31 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Cousins over Reke
He has shown the most improvement and consistency. I have far more confidence in Cousins becoming one of the best players in the league than I do Tyreke.
Asked if the Kings had any intention of trading Cousins, basketball president Geoff Petrie said, "No."
I would put one there!
Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen. And for a limited time, every third person who follows me on Twitter (andy_sims) gets a free ice cream cone.
Which I will eat.
Asked if the Kings had any intention of trading Cousins, basketball president Geoff Petrie said, "No."
by Slam_Dunk on Jan 22, 2012 3:42 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Cousins IS the future of the franchise.
I’d give up 100 Tyrekes to retain Cousins. He is FAR rarer.
He is THE BEST offensive rebounder in the game – more productive than Love – per minute. His fouling is what keeps him from completely dominating.
He is a young Moses Malone – and he is 21 years old, and OURS. (And there are people on this site who advocated trading him…… completely idiotic.)
by Hoops Mike on Jan 22, 2012 11:58 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Remember Otis
Moses Malone lead the league in offensive rebounding too by rebounding is own shots 2 or 3 times a game.
by MichaelMack on Jan 22, 2012 2:31 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
love to see demarcus in malone days
"Bobby Jackson sends a dagger DEEP into the heart of Texas!" Kevin Harlan
by Loyalty2Royalty on Jan 22, 2012 8:47 PM PST up reply actions
Why don't you actually state a case rather than dismiss mine?
I actually was an avid NBA fan when Moses led the Rockets to the Finals in 81.
If you see no similarity in them, then I honestly don’t think you have the faintest idea of what you are talking about.
Moses entered the league out of high school at the age of 19. His percentages look very similar to DMC as a young player. The ABA was a far less defensive league than what the NBA is today. Moses’ numbers can probably be adjusted down a bit.
Cousins is in his second year, and he's averaging 14.6 points with a 44% FG%
He’s making excellent progress, and he’s probably our best player already, but it’s more than a little premature to declare that…
He is a young Moses Malone – and he is 21 years old, and OURS. (And there are people on this site who advocated trading him…… completely idiotic.)
If you scale it back a bit (or a lot), I don’t think you’ll find many that disagree with you.
Why?
People were talking about Tyreke like he was Dwayne Wade after his first year.
This site is for the purpose of expressing opinion. I am VERY high on DMC and pretty lukewarm on Tyreke. We need a big man coach something awful.
I know many folks agree. I am speaking to those who don’t see it.
Comparing Tyreke to D-Wade was crazy too, but a little less so
Reke’s rookie season was better than DMC’s, and D-Wade doesn’t have three MVP awards.
Still, if you tone down the hyperbole, I actually agree with you here about DMC’s future likely being brighter than Reke’s.
His percentages look nothing like Moses' numbers
Unless as you say…you adjust Moses’ numbers down A LOT.
You might be better off comparing DMC’s first two years to a guy like Al Jefferson. That’s considerably more realistic than Moses Malone.
I’m glad you’re excited about DMC though.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
Nothing....... Really???? You define 'nothing' very differently from me.
Moses (per game):
FG% .48; FT% .69; Reb. 13.1: Asst. 1.1; Stl. .8; Blk. 2.2; points 13.2; min. per – 30.6
DMC (per game):
FG% .44; FT% .69; Reb. 10.8; Asst. .8; Stl. 1.1; Blk. 1.5; points 14.6; min. per – 28
I can’t see where they are not in the same ballpark.
You don't see differences in those numbers?
Check this out:
Take a look at advanced statistics – notably TS%. Even as a young player, Moses was far more efficient as a scorer, better rebounder, and better defender with a far lower usage rate.
These guys aren’t close. Here’s his comp to Al Jefferson through two seasons:
That’s a bit closer, but I’d say Al Jeff’s numbers are still better. You could do the same with Greg Monroe, who is a decent comp for DeMarcus at this point.
Of course, this may change by the end of the season, since DeMarcus is still fairly early in his second season.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
You are SERIOUSLY cherry-picking.
You are using the first two years of Malone’s career – the two years he was in the ABA.
I am using their actual age as a metric – which also coincides with when Malone played in the NBA. I concede that DMC doesn’t yet have a full year of data based upon his age (21 this year). It is, however, promising. BTW – If you use PER based upon his production at 21 so far, DMC is better than Malone.
Now try looking at your comparison:
If that's "SERIOUSLY" cherry-picking then so are you
and no, I don’t think either of you are cherry picking
by wallywagon11 on Jan 24, 2012 3:03 PM PST up reply actions
How so?
I represented my stats exactly as they are. I stated that my comparison was by player age.
Everything else is just what has happened.
I did concede that DMC has a limited sample based upon the reality that this season (his 21st year) is not over. My sample is fairly small – that is true. I will say that DMC appears to be improving however. The year-end stats will very likely be more favorable to DMC.
You are comparing by exact age
he is comparing by their year in the league.
I have a hard time seeing how either way is “SERIOUSLY” cherry-picking or all that wild or different.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 24, 2012 3:51 PM PST up reply actions
Unless he's played over his head to this point
Is his fitness level good enough for him to sustain his current numbers? We’ll see.
You called him a “young Moses Malone”, which felt like hyperbole to me. So based on your “cherry picking” criteria, I could just as easily call him a “young Al Jefferson”:
Or a “young Zadrunas Ilgauskas” (sorry, he is 22, but to offset I took his rookie season):
Or a “young LaSalle Thompson”:
Good solid players, all of them. Not a one of them’s in Moses Malone’s class though.
It does sound better to use Moses Malone, though.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
???????????
Dude – I get it. You don’t like my comparison. I think your links are bizarre aside from Ilgauskas. When a player barely plays, his projected stats are often bizarre. Jefferson and Thompson are puzzling comparisons.
I do think Ilgauskas is pretty interesting though. People forget how good he was prior to all of the foot issues (ala Bill Walton – I’m not comparing anything besides thier injury).
Still, Ilgauskas’ style did not remind anyone of Moses Malone. More like Rick Smits (a very good player).
I think it is weird that you don’t see the Malone comparison, especially in regard to the way they hit the offensive glass. Cousins plays offense just like him. I was there. I remember.
Did you see Malone play?
I'm in my mid-40's
So I saw plenty of Malone, during his prime even. I just don’t see the comparison.
And I think some of Cousins’ offensive rebounding prowess is a product of his own inability to make shots around the basket.
Big difference in these two players, IMO. And I’m not sure Cousins plays offense “just like him” – Malone never shot as poorly as Cousins until he was in his late 30’s.
Cousins has a ton of potential IF he gets himself in great shape, handle his emotional baggage and keep himself on the court. I’m just demonstrating that using his statistics could lead to a comparison of LaSalle Thompson as easily as it could Moses Malone. It’s up to DeMarcus to determine which end of the spectrum he’ll be at.
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Well, you are old enough! Same as me.
I agree with you about shooting %. Cousins needs to be more efficient.
As for the rest – I don’t see the big difference you are seeing. Not at all.
Finally, the NBA was MUCH less defensively oriented in the Malone Era. Percentages were bound to be higher.
For the years that I made the comparisons, The NBA league average FG% is .442; for the 76-77 season (Malone 21) it was .465. Still, you aren’t incorrect that Malone was more efficient from the floor. (.480) It just wasn’t as big of a difference as I think you are making it. Cousins is actually shooting completely average by this year’s league standard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp2H42BjuhU&feature=related (Moses)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEMyXGlqag&feature=related (Moses)
blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzDespwzSkQ (DMC)
Not that it means anything (it doesn’t), but upon doing a bit of research online, it is clear that I’m not the only one making the comparison. Chad Ford was doing it practically from the moment that DMC left Kentucky.
Fair enough
My concern with DMC is always going to be his desire (notably on strength and conditioning) and his ability to work well with others. He could be Moses Malone, he could be Joe Barry Carroll. We’ll see.
Sacramento Kings - helping feed NBA fans across the country since 2011
Joe "Barely Cares."
That is still one of my all-time favorite nicknames!
gasol is the second best center in the league at the moment
marc that is
"Bobby Jackson sends a dagger DEEP into the heart of Texas!" Kevin Harlan
by Loyalty2Royalty on Jan 24, 2012 11:04 AM PST reply actions
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