Boogie's defense

[Flopi]

A long article on DeMarcus Cousins defense : http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9541808/the-future-demarcus-boogie-cousins-nba-biggest-mystery

I agree his defense is very frustrating. I've said last season that team defense was much better with Cole Aldrich on the court and I still believe it. It's a shame though. With his talent, DMC should be at least an average defensive player.

 

[Hadlowe]

Cousins does two things very well on defense. He gets a lot of steals in passing lanes in the high post area and he takes charges. The rest of it is coaching. Cousins only got into basketball when he didn't stop growing as a teenager. He was a football player first and foremost, and his basketball skillset didn't see the same refinement that you see in guys like John Wall who have been playing semi-pro level since age 10. With proper defensive coaching, Cousins can be a solid defender.

Remember how Smart talked about teaching Tyreke to map the floor on offense? That is basic level stuff that Tyreke never got because he was always a one man wrecking crew prior to going pro. Cousins had a lot less training and coaching than Tyreke. It's small wonder that his defense is lackluster after languishing under Westphal and Smart's defensive "schemes" for his first three years as a pro.

 

[Kingster]

Leaving aside the conclusion of the article, the overiding theme seems to be that Cousins doesn't put out the energy necessary on defense. He conserves energy on pick and rolls and he doesn't get back on D like he should. This board doesn't agree on much, but I haven't heard anybody say that Cousins is an energetic defensive player. How is Cuz going to react when Malone pushes him on the defensive end?

 

[Gary]

Cousins does two things very well on defense. He gets a lot of steals in passing lanes in the high post area and he takes charges. The rest of it is coaching. Cousins only got into basketball when he didn't stop growing as a teenager. He was a football player first and foremost, and his basketball skillset didn't see the same refinement that you see in guys like John Wall who have been playing semi-pro level since age 10. With proper defensive coaching, Cousins can be a solid defender.

Remember how Smart talked about teaching Tyreke to map the floor on offense? That is basic level stuff that Tyreke never got because he was always a one man wrecking crew prior to going pro. Cousins had a lot less training and coaching than Tyreke. It's small wonder that his defense is lackluster after languishing under Westphal and Smart's defensive "schemes" for his first three years as a pro.

That kind of stuff really upsets me. You get a guy with tremendous raw talent and nobody actually teaches them to play the game correctly because they are so naturally gifted. Coaches care about wins rather than teaching players to play correctly.

I am one of the people that believe that teams from the 80s would probably destroy the teams today with all the selfish play we see. It's like the music industry. Lazy music with repetitive lyrics and beat to get on the shelves of Walmart quickly to make some money. Same with players. They are turned out so quickly that people don't care to actually teach them because they are probably only going to have them for one year.

I was hoping a guy like Ater Majok actually had some decent raw talent because it seemed he was coached very well.

 

[Kingster]

That kind of stuff really upsets me. You get a guy with tremendous raw talent and nobody actually teaches them to play the game correctly because they are so naturally gifted. Coaches care about wins rather than teaching players to play correctly.

I am one of the people that believe that teams from the 80s would probably destroy the teams today with all the selfish play we see. It's like the music industry. Lazy music with repetitive lyrics and beat to get on the shelves of Walmart quickly to make some money. Same with players. They are turned out so quickly that people don't care to actually teach them because they are probably only going to have them for one year.

I was hoping a guy like Ater Majok actually had some decent raw talent because it seemed he was coached very well.

Maybe Cousins was coached properly and he just didn't care to listen. Defense of the pick and roll is pretty simple stuff. Maybe it was more of an energy issue than an intellectual one.

 

[Kingsfan23]

Leaving aside the conclusion of the article, the overiding theme seems to be that Cousins doesn't put out the energy necessary on defense. He conserves energy on pick and rolls and he doesn't get back on D like he should. This board doesn't agree on much, but I haven't heard anybody say that Cousins is an energetic defensive player. How is Cuz going to react when Malone pushes him on the defensive end?

I just don't see the motor with him. Lethargic would be the word. I don't know if it can be coached

 

[Kings Faithful]

I just don't see the motor with him. Lethargic would be the word. I don't know if it can be coached

In Defense of his defense.... I understand that we would like to see him just give 110% every time on both sides of the floor. But when the rest of his team isn't playing D and being the big guy that he is. Playing all out on D would have done little to help our team while tiring him out faster leading to even more inefficient offense. It is a coaching issue IMO. Get the whole team to play defense and I think Cousins will have an easier time playing defense.

 

[blackice]

is non existant...that aside, I am curious to see how coach Malone pushes him and if he puts him in the best positions to succeed. I also want to see if Cousins just pushes it aside after he gets tired of it or if he will actually engage and learn a thing or two from a guy who knows what he is talking about.

 

[Kingsfan23]

In Defense of his defense.... I understand that we would like to see him just give 110% every time on both sides of the floor. But when the rest of his team isn't playing D and being the big guy that he is. Playing all out on D would have done little to help our team while tiring him out faster leading to even more inefficient offense. It is a coaching issue IMO. Get the whole team to play defense and I think Cousins will have an easier time playing defense.

I know I'm in the minority on this, and I don't mean to start this convo up, but can we find out before the max? I just want to see one year under Malone, a tough-nosed young coach who will demand D/effort/running the floor/an end to stupid O/etc. and IMO we will definitively see what Cuz is and not the outright gamble he is now. I believe that's the direction the FO will go anyways, I will be surprised if he is extended now

 

[Cecil]

I disagree that Cousins' poor effort on defense is coaching. Effort is effort. Defense is mostly effort. It's not that hard. Stay in front of your man. If you switch, stay in front of the next man. With Cousins, many times it's just getting down the court.

 

[NowImLost]

I didn't read a single post in this thread.

My conclusion:

DeMarcus Cousins does not play defense. Except charges taken which he learned from Chuck Hayes, which we will thank Chuck Hayes for because DeMarcus will never go for a block. Thanks Chuck.

 

[Kingster]

I know I'm in the minority on this, and I don't mean to start this convo up, but can we find out before the max? I just want to see one year under Malone, a tough-nosed young coach who will demand D/effort/running the floor/an end to stupid O/etc. and IMO we will definitively see what Cuz is and not the outright gamble he is now. I believe that's the direction the FO will go anyways, I will be surprised if he is extended now

If the FO wanted to give Cousins the max they'd probably have given it to him by now. It's not like have to negotiate a max offer. I think you're right and FO is going to evaluate Cousins as the season progresses in order to figure out what they will offer. At the very least, they'll probably want to see how Cousins and Malone coexist during the preseason.

 

[jcwkings]

Defense is effort first and foremost and Cousins hasn't shown it. There is no reason Cousins shouldn't be at least a solid defender. Quick feet, strength, length and shows awareness to draw charges. Hopefully his attitude changes with the new regime and him being a year older/going into his contract year, but something tells me thats wishful thinking.

 

[CruzDude]

Cuz got some good accolades during and from the Team USA drills in July. Not great but positive. That plus the coaches and new owner and guys like Landry and Vasquez could be the help to get him over the hump and into the top 5 Bigs in the league. Several of you are right, he has the foot work ability for better defense but I doubt he had the player support he needed to be better defender and pouted a bit when he got no support (among other things). If the new culture takes hold and he becomes the centerpiece we can only hope his maturity takes a step up to accommodate the new, elevated level of responsibility. Perhaps the biggest thing of all is to define whether he is a 5 or a 4. A 5 plays more down low and bangs the big boys. Jason Jones today hits one of Cuz's weaknesses in an article about the 5 Bigs that tend to push him around and hold his productions down. No reason for that if his mind AND body are into what he can and should do. Maybe Shaq has a good idea to help Cuz. Shouldn't hurt.

 

[Section 101]

Defense is effort first and foremost and Cousins hasn't shown it. There is no reason Cousins shouldn't be at least a solid defender. Quick feet, strength, length and shows awareness to draw charges. Hopefully his attitude changes with the new regime and him being a year older/going into his contract year, but something tells me thats wishful thinking.

I wouldn't call leading the league in taking charges and at the top last year as not showing an effort. I think a lot of what you see is him avoiding fouls more than anything.

 

[HndsmCelt]

I like Lowe's analysis. His criticisms of DMC's defense is dead on. I do question the motives he attributes to Demarcus, but he is right about Boogie being late down court, slow toget into position on pick and rolls, and reluctant to come out past the circle. BUT he answers his own slanted question :"is DMC is worth max?" earlier in the piece when he discusses pure offense guys like Dirk who ARE worth it. DMC very likely belongs in that group. Moreover I am still not convinced that DMC will NOT learn to improve on D. I don't think coaches have given him clear, simple rolls and direction for defense. He will never be a shot blocker for the same reason he rarely wins a jump ball... he has no vertical and questionable timing. so he does what he does do well, fill space and take charges. I don't call that lack of effort, I call it lack of imagination. Thus far NBA coaches have let Demarcus down, not the reverse.

 

[The Hammer]

I didn't read a single post in this thread.

My conclusion:

DeMarcus Cousins does not play defense. Except charges taken which he learned from Chuck Hayes, which we will thank Chuck Hayes for because DeMarcus will never go for a block. Thanks Chuck.

I agree.

With your username, not your post.

 

[NowImLost]

I agree.

With your username, not your post.

hahahaha

 

[gunks]

Maybe Cousins was coached properly and he just didn't care to listen. Defense of the pick and roll is pretty simple stuff. Maybe it was more of an energy issue than an intellectual one.

Smart/Westphal and "proper coaching" dont belong in the same sentence together (unless of course that sentence also has words like: Unable, didnt, couldnt, not...et cetra).

Not that Cousins isnt a lazy slug....But with good coaching/motivation/positive team culture, he can still turn it around. Definitely has good defensive potential. Not anchor, but good.

 

[bajaden]

Maybe Cousins was coached properly and he just didn't care to listen. Defense of the pick and roll is pretty simple stuff. Maybe it was more of an energy issue than an intellectual one.

This is not an excuse, but an example. In one of the games I graded. Three times in a row, the other team ran the pick and roll at the top of the 3 pt line. In this particular game, all three times Cousins did the proper show, pushing the opposing teams PG well out beyond the 3 pt line. IT, who ran into the pick just stood there while Cousins man cut to the basket, and no one came over to stop the ball. In this particular case, IT was out of position, and JT didn't leave his man to stop the ball. But it was Cousins that looked bad. The 4th time they ran it, everything happened exactly the same way, except Patterson was in the game for JT. And Patterson slid over into the lane to stop the ball.

My point is not that Cousins is the victim of his teammates or that IT is a bad defender. Its that team defense depends on everyone trusting everyone else to do the proper rotations. If they don't, then you start seeing players just stay with their man, or at best, hedge the play instead of committing. All that can be corrected by a good coach, that doesn't tolerate players missing assignments. That doesn't excuse Cousins for getting back late on defense. On offense I'm not as concerned about his being the last one down. Its easy to pick on big men. Look at the little guard get back on defense while the big 7 footer loafs his way back. Well that 7 footer in most cases is carrying a lot more weight up and down the floor, and when in position, whether defensively or offensively, most have to do their imitation of a Sumo wrestler, exerting a lot more energy than the little guards running around the floor. Of course from Cousins point of view, if Duncan can do it, then he has to do it.

 

[Kingster]

This is not an excuse, but an example. In one of the games I graded. Three times in a row, the other team ran the pick and roll at the top of the 3 pt line. In this particular game, all three times Cousins did the proper show, pushing the opposing teams PG well out beyond the 3 pt line. IT, who ran into the pick just stood there while Cousins man cut to the basket, and no one came over to stop the ball. In this particular case, IT was out of position, and JT didn't leave his man to stop the ball. But it was Cousins that looked bad. The 4th time they ran it, everything happened exactly the same way, except Patterson was in the game for JT. And Patterson slid over into the lane to stop the ball.

My point is not that Cousins is the victim of his teammates or that IT is a bad defender. Its that team defense depends on everyone trusting everyone else to do the proper rotations. If they don't, then you start seeing players just stay with their man, or at best, hedge the play instead of committing. All that can be corrected by a good coach, that doesn't tolerate players missing assignments. That doesn't excuse Cousins for getting back late on defense. On offense I'm not as concerned about his being the last one down. Its easy to pick on big men. Look at the little guard get back on defense while the big 7 footer loafs his way back. Well that 7 footer in most cases is carrying a lot more weight up and down the floor, and when in position, whether defensively or offensively, most have to do their imitation of a Sumo wrestler, exerting a lot more energy than the little guards running around the floor. Of course from Cousins point of view, if Duncan can do it, then he has to do it.

For me one of the more interesting side-issues of this coming season is whether Cousins will sacrifice his offensive game for his defensive game. Will he expend the energy to get back on defense and to guard pick and rolls? Will he get frustrated when the extra effort he expends on defense leads to more fouls? (And for the short term I think more fouls is bound to happen). Is he going to tolerate being the last one down on offense because he is maxing out running back on defense? Overall, how is he going to deal with the stress and strain of being pushed way out of his comfort zone? Because ultimately that's Malone's job - to get him out of his comfort zone. And if Cousins is uncomfortable for an extended time, how is he going to relate to the man responsible for his discomfort? I'd pay $$ to see those closed practices. It probably would be more entertaining than the games.

 

[Sac.Kings]

For me one of the more interesting side-issues of this coming season is whether Cousins will sacrifice his offensive game for his defensive game. Will he expend the energy to get back on defense and to guard pick and rolls? Will he get frustrated when the extra effort he expends on defense leads to more fouls? (And for the short term I think more fouls is bound to happen). Is he going to tolerate being the last one down on offense because he is maxing out running back on defense? Overall, how is he going to deal with the stress and strain of being pushed way out of his comfort zone? Because ultimately that's Malone's job - to get him out of his comfort zone. And if Cousins is uncomfortable for an extended time, how is he going to relate to the man responsible for his discomfort? I'd pay $$ to see those closed practices. It probably would be more entertaining than the games.

I agree with your post, but I do have to wonder why it seems like everyone is talking about Cousins expanding energy more on one side than the other and "will he have enough" on the offensive side. I think it would be a good idea for Cousins to actually get in shape, real shape as in run around for 2-3 hours and come back looking for more. His conditioning has always lacked in my mind, and thus the reason for many reach in and frustration fouls. To be the best, you have to take your weaknesses (at least the obvious ones) and make them at least respectable. I think if Cousins puts in the time and effort, he won't have to choose which side of the court to use his energy on, it won't matter. Clearly, everyone gets tired, especially big guys pushing each other around, but it shouldn't have to be one side or the other. There should be consistent effort on both sides, period.

 

[Kingster]

I agree with your post, but I do have to wonder why it seems like everyone is talking about Cousins expanding energy more on one side than the other and "will he have enough" on the offensive side. I think it would be a good idea for Cousins to actually get in shape, real shape as in run around for 2-3 hours and come back looking for more. His conditioning has always lacked in my mind, and thus the reason for many reach in and frustration fouls. To be the best, you have to take your weaknesses (at least the obvious ones) and make them at least respectable. I think if Cousins puts in the time and effort, he won't have to choose which side of the court to use his energy on, it won't matter. Clearly, everyone gets tired, especially big guys pushing each other around, but it shouldn't have to be one side or the other. There should be consistent effort on both sides, period.

I agree with you. I think I've been worn down from watching this team over the last several years. I'll declare it a victory if Cuz can max out on D and take a few plays off getting up the court on offense.

 

[bajaden]

For me one of the more interesting side-issues of this coming season is whether Cousins will sacrifice his offensive game for his defensive game. Will he expend the energy to get back on defense and to guard pick and rolls? Will he get frustrated when the extra effort he expends on defense leads to more fouls? (And for the short term I think more fouls is bound to happen). Is he going to tolerate being the last one down on offense because he is maxing out running back on defense? Overall, how is he going to deal with the stress and strain of being pushed way out of his comfort zone? Because ultimately that's Malone's job - to get him out of his comfort zone. And if Cousins is uncomfortable for an extended time, how is he going to relate to the man responsible for his discomfort? I'd pay $$ to see those closed practices. It probably would be more entertaining than the games.

You ask questions that we'll probably never know the answers to. But I would like to remind you that Calapari said that Cousins was a very coachable player, and a fast learner. Westphal didn't like to be questioned, and Cousins is a player that asks a lot of questions. He has to know why he's asked to do something. I've found that throughout my life, intelligent people always ask questions, and want to know why something works. If their boss, coach, manager etc. has an inferiority complex, then there's trouble in river city. I think that with both Westphal and Smart, they sold the players a bill of goods, and when the results didn't add up to wins, or at least improvement, Cousins started to question their plan, if there was indeed a plan to begin with.

I'd like to add a note about stamina. Everyone is different, and what is tops for one person may not be enough to beat what is tops for another person. All the top runners in a marathon are in superb shape, but a few are able to sustain a speed that others can't. George Foreman was a great boxer in his time, but he had to knock out his opponent before the fifth round, or his arms turned to lead and he ran out of steam, and it didn't make any difference how hard he trained. Every year Cousins has come into camp in better shape than the year before, and I don't think this year will be an exception. But there's a reason you don't see 6'11", 270 pound people running marathons. No doubt he can do better, and a start would be to stop arguing with officials while the ball is still in play. But he'll never be able to sprint down the floor like Anthony Davis.

 

[mac]

You ask questions that we'll probably never know the answers to. But I would like to remind you that Calapari said that Cousins was a very coachable player, and a fast learner. Westphal didn't like to be questioned, and Cousins is a player that asks a lot of questions. He has to know why he's asked to do something. I've found that throughout my life, intelligent people always ask questions, and want to know why something works. If their boss, coach, manager etc. has an inferiority complex, then there's trouble in river city. I think that with both Westphal and Smart, they sold the players a bill of goods, and when the results didn't add up to wins, or at least improvement, Cousins started to question their plan, if there was indeed a plan to begin with.

I'd like to add a note about stamina. Everyone is different, and what is tops for one person may not be enough to beat what is tops for another person. All the top runners in a marathon are in superb shape, but a few are able to sustain a speed that others can't. George Foreman was a great boxer in his time, but he had to knock out his opponent before the fifth round, or his arms turned to lead and he ran out of steam, and it didn't make any difference how hard he trained. Every year Cousins has come into camp in better shape than the year before, and I don't think this year will be an exception. But there's a reason you don't see 6'11", 270 pound people running marathons. No doubt he can do better, and a start would be to stop arguing with officials while the ball is still in play. But he'll never be able to sprint down the floor like Anthony Davis.

I still think Westphal used Cousins pretty well as a rookie... not really sure where the problems came from. The team as a whole in the Westphal years wasn't very deep.

 

[The_Jamal]

I think individual defense gets overrated a lot of the time. That's not to exuse Boogie for his poor play on that end, but the elite defensive teams are elite because they play D as a unit. Not a bunch of defensive studs doing there own thing. They know exactly where and how to rotate. How to shut down penetration. When to switch. Always communicating. There's a reason Thibs has been able to turn pretty much any 5 guys he wants into a top 3 defense. The guy is simply a defensive genius and his system masks a lot of defensive decencies from his players. He also demands total commitment from everyone who sees the floor for his team and won't tolerate anyone not giving 100% effort on D or they're sitting on the bench. I hope Malone adopts that same mentality.

Point is, defense is far more about the team buying into a strong defensive system and trusting each other than having the top-tier defensive talent just shut everyone down 1on1(although, that obviously doesn't hurt).

 

[Kingster]

You ask questions that we'll probably never know the answers to. But I would like to remind you that Calapari said that Cousins was a very coachable player, and a fast learner. Westphal didn't like to be questioned, and Cousins is a player that asks a lot of questions. He has to know why he's asked to do something. I've found that throughout my life, intelligent people always ask questions, and want to know why something works. If their boss, coach, manager etc. has an inferiority complex, then there's trouble in river city. I think that with both Westphal and Smart, they sold the players a bill of goods, and when the results didn't add up to wins, or at least improvement, Cousins started to question their plan, if there was indeed a plan to begin with.

I'd like to add a note about stamina. Everyone is different, and what is tops for one person may not be enough to beat what is tops for another person. All the top runners in a marathon are in superb shape, but a few are able to sustain a speed that others can't. George Foreman was a great boxer in his time, but he had to knock out his opponent before the fifth round, or his arms turned to lead and he ran out of steam, and it didn't make any difference how hard he trained. Every year Cousins has come into camp in better shape than the year before, and I don't think this year will be an exception. But there's a reason you don't see 6'11", 270 pound people running marathons. No doubt he can do better, and a start would be to stop arguing with officials while the ball is still in play. But he'll never be able to sprint down the floor like Anthony Davis.

I don't think Calapari has much credibility. He's a salesman. He's constantly selling himself for recruiting purposes. He attends the draft so he can get face time. He talk about how great his program is because of how many #1 picks he's had, even in a year in which they have been dissapointing in the NCAAs. It's like: I'm a great coach; see how many #1 picks I've created; I'm the one that created their DNA. Of course he's not going to say anything negative about Cousins. What good salesman talks about the negatives of his company? How would he recruit if he bad-mouths his players? So if Calapari says Cousins is a very coachable player, pardon me when I say: BULL SH**! I've seen enough interviews on TV and radio regarding Cousins over the last three years from numerous individuals to believe otherwise. And it's not just head coaches, it's assistant coaches and media types associated with the team. (Listening to the Clifford Ray interviews on Cousins was painful; I felt sorry for the guy; unlike Calapari, he's no BSer).

As far as your general idea about intelligent players, you're probably right. But your premise doesn't fit with all the reality of the other Kings players on the team. There certainly must be other intelligent players on that team, but Cousins was the one that stood out when it came to coachability. Was he the only intelligent one? That's highly doubtful. Also, I wonder how intelligent it is for the center to play point guard periodically during games. Do you think Cousins needs to have a Q&A with the coach for why exactly he needs to give the ball up to the pg?

So we agree to disagree about Cousins' coachability. But the past is the past. He can turn over a new leaf this coming year. But he better do it. Malone seems much more of a hard a** than the previous coaches, and unlike previous coaches, Malone doesn't have the weak Maloofs as the owners. I doubt Malone will have his authority usurped by Vivek as Smart did by the Maloofs. If Cousins doesn't buy in to the new program, Malone isn't going to be the one leaving.

 

[bajaden]

I don't think Calapari has much credibility. He's a salesman. He's constantly selling himself for recruiting purposes. He attends the draft so he can get face time. He talk about how great his program is because of how many #1 picks he's had, even in a year in which they have been dissapointing in the NCAAs. It's like: I'm a great coach; see how many #1 picks I've created; I'm the one that created their DNA. Of course he's not going to say anything negative about Cousins. What good salesman talks about the negatives of his company? How would he recruit if he bad-mouths his players? So if Calapari says Cousins is a very coachable player, pardon me when I say: BULL SH**! I've seen enough interviews on TV and radio regarding Cousins over the last three years from numerous individuals to believe otherwise. And it's not just head coaches, it's assistant coaches and media types associated with the team. (Listening to the Clifford Ray interviews on Cousins was painful; I felt sorry for the guy; unlike Calapari, he's no BSer).

As far as your general idea about intelligent players, you're probably right. But your premise doesn't fit with all the reality of the other Kings players on the team. There certainly must be other intelligent players on that team, but Cousins was the one that stood out when it came to coachability. Was he the only intelligent one? That's highly doubtful. Also, I wonder how intelligent it is for the center to play point guard periodically during games. Do you think Cousins needs to have a Q&A with the coach for why exactly he needs to give the ball up to the pg?

So we agree to disagree about Cousins' coachability. But the past is the past. He can turn over a new leaf this coming year. But he better do it. Malone seems much more of a hard a** than the previous coaches, and unlike previous coaches, Malone doesn't have the weak Maloofs as the owners. I doubt Malone will have his authority usurped by Vivek as Smart did by the Maloofs. If Cousins doesn't buy in to the new program, Malone isn't going to be the one leaving.

I know that your not a fan of Calapari, so were just going to disagree on him. I watch Kentucky play as much, if not more than any other college team, and trust me, Calapari is a very good coach. There are pluses and minuses to everything. Yes, its easy to say that he's successful because he's able to recruit the top players in the nation. Hard to beat talent! However, he has to do it year after year because of most being one and done. So he has the challenge of getting his team on the same page in a short period of time in order to make a run at an NCCA title. Its a very difficult job, especially when he has to compete with teams, similar to Louisville last year, that's loaded with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year players. Louisville may not have had any superstars on its team, but it was loaded with quality players that also had experience, which leads to better team play and consistency.

One thing you left out in your description of Calapari. You said he's never going to say anything bad about his former players as though its a bad thing. Players don't like to be thrown under the bus, and if you take note, his former players also don't have anything bad to say about him. Many look at him as a father figure. He's had many a run in with his players, including Cousins, but it stayed in the locker room, where it belongs. I'm not excusing Cousins bad behavior, but all good athletes have big ego's, and too many times that ego gets in the players way. I heard the same things said about Cousins, said about Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Robert Parrish, and even Jabbar early in his career. Causing almost all of them to be traded to other teams because they were considered unmanagable.

This is a big year for Cousins and the Kings, so I share your hope that Cousins buys into whatever system Malone installs. I don't think Malone being a hard a$$ matters as long as it brings results. Calapari is a hard a$$ and he got along fine with Cousins. But they were winning.

 

[Kingster]

I know that your not a fan of Calapari, so were just going to disagree on him. I watch Kentucky play as much, if not more than any other college team, and trust me, Calapari is a very good coach. There are pluses and minuses to everything. Yes, its easy to say that he's successful because he's able to recruit the top players in the nation. Hard to beat talent! However, he has to do it year after year because of most being one and done. So he has the challenge of getting his team on the same page in a short period of time in order to make a run at an NCCA title. Its a very difficult job, especially when he has to compete with teams, similar to Louisville last year, that's loaded with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year players. Louisville may not have had any superstars on its team, but it was loaded with quality players that also had experience, which leads to better team play and consistency.

One thing you left out in your description of Calapari. You said he's never going to say anything bad about his former players as though its a bad thing. Players don't like to be thrown under the bus, and if you take note, his former players also don't have anything bad to say about him. Many look at him as a father figure. He's had many a run in with his players, including Cousins, but it stayed in the locker room, where it belongs. I'm not excusing Cousins bad behavior, but all good athletes have big ego's, and too many times that ego gets in the players way. I heard the same things said about Cousins, said about Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Robert Parrish, and even Jabbar early in his career. Causing almost all of them to be traded to other teams because they were considered unmanagable.

This is a big year for Cousins and the Kings, so I share your hope that Cousins buys into whatever system Malone installs. I don't think Malone being a hard a$$ matters as long as it brings results. Calapari is a hard a$$ and he got along fine with Cousins. But they were winning.

I don't think we disagree on whether Calapari is a good coach. We disagree on whether he is a credible source of information when it comes to his pronouncements on Cousin's coachability. Calapari's never-say-bad approach to his players may be a good thing when it comes to coaching them and recruiting them, but that doesn't make him credible. Therefore, I wouldn't form my opinion of Cousins' past coachability on statements from Calapari.

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

The article didn't really tell us anything new about Demarcus. We all know that he gives poor effort defensively and is frequently out of position. The main question is whether Malone will be able to get him to be locked in on every possession? Most of Cousins' problems defensively have to do with effort and focus. I actually don't remember him being this atrocious defensively in college. Maybe a hardass is exactly what Cousins needs.