Cousins close to extension with Sacramento

[fantankerous]

Per ESPN http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9713072/sacramento-kings-demarcus-cousins-close-extension-sources-say

[barefacedmonk]

Right move by the Kings.

Hard-to-deal-with or not, Cousins is undeniably a very talented big.

[hpantazo]

Right move by the Kings.

Hard-to-deal-with or not, Cousins is undeniably a very talented big.

Agreed, highly talented and big. Also, a lot of his issues reflect his desire to win IMO, which is not the worst thing in the world

[86MaxwellSmart]

He'll sign...and be traded within 2 years.

[Fafnir]

He'll sign...and be traded within 2 years.

The most likely outcome in my view too.

[Donoghus]

As an organization, its one of those moves you have to make as shaky as it is with this guy's issues.   

You can't just let the guy walk down the road but I would feel very uneasy about this extension too.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Shaq said he was going to mentor Cousins and help make him the best, now Shaq is a minority owner... this makes even more sense.

http://www.chatsports.com/boston-celtics/a/Shaquille-O039Neal-joining-Kings-ownership-group-0-8522176


Just found this b/c I remembered Shaq saying he was gonna mentor him, looks like Cousins wants that too!

http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/2854625

[slamtheking]

Shaq said he was going to mentor Cousins and help make him the best, now Shaq is a minority owner... this makes even more sense.

http://www.chatsports.com/boston-celtics/a/Shaquille-O039Neal-joining-Kings-ownership-group-0-8522176


Just found this b/c I remembered Shaq saying he was gonna mentor him, looks like Cousins wants that too!

http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/2854625

if it helps Cousins to mature and develop as a player, having Shaq buy a minority stake in the team was the best thing that could have ever happened to that franchise

[Interceptor]

Shaq going to teach him how to play defense? Worth its weight in gold if he can.

[the_Bird]

Shaq said he was going to mentor Cousins and help make him the best, now Shaq is a minority owner... this makes even more sense.

http://www.chatsports.com/boston-celtics/a/Shaquille-O039Neal-joining-Kings-ownership-group-0-8522176


Just found this b/c I remembered Shaq saying he was gonna mentor him, looks like Cousins wants that too!

http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/2854625

if it helps Cousins to mature and develop as a player, having Shaq buy a minority stake in the team was the best thing that could have ever happened to that franchise

I'm trying to think of a single example where a knucklehead was "mentored" into not being a knucklehead anymore...  not thinking of any.  Guys who respond well to being taken under a veteran's wing are usually players who are pretty well self-motivated to begin with - and realistically, how much is a retired Shaq going to be around?

[manl_lui]

Shaq going to teach him how to play defense? Worth its weight in gold if he can.

Shaq was ok on defense, but was definitely a force on offense. Dude was the top center for a decade, even when he was declining, top centers still have trouble guarding him (and yes his weight probably come into play as well :-p).

Cousins is so physically talented and also has a good feel to the game. If Shaq can mentor him and take his game to another level, you are talking about a top 3 center.

[Mr Green]

Shaq said he was going to mentor Cousins and help make him the best, now Shaq is a minority owner... this makes even more sense.

http://www.chatsports.com/boston-celtics/a/Shaquille-O039Neal-joining-Kings-ownership-group-0-8522176


Just found this b/c I remembered Shaq saying he was gonna mentor him, looks like Cousins wants that too!

http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/2854625

if it helps Cousins to mature and develop as a player, having Shaq buy a minority stake in the team was the best thing that could have ever happened to that franchise

I'm trying to think of a single example where a knucklehead was "mentored" into not being a knucklehead anymore...  not thinking of any.  Guys who respond well to being taken under a veteran's wing are usually players who are pretty well self-motivated to begin with - and realistically, how much is a retired Shaq going to be around?

Chris Mullin's career was saved when Don Nelson helped him to sober up.

[Celtics18]

Shaq said he was going to mentor Cousins and help make him the best, now Shaq is a minority owner... this makes even more sense.

http://www.chatsports.com/boston-celtics/a/Shaquille-O039Neal-joining-Kings-ownership-group-0-8522176


Just found this b/c I remembered Shaq saying he was gonna mentor him, looks like Cousins wants that too!

http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/2854625

if it helps Cousins to mature and develop as a player, having Shaq buy a minority stake in the team was the best thing that could have ever happened to that franchise

I'm trying to think of a single example where a knucklehead was "mentored" into not being a knucklehead anymore...  not thinking of any.  Guys who respond well to being taken under a veteran's wing are usually players who are pretty well self-motivated to begin with - and realistically, how much is a retired Shaq going to be around?

Chris Mullin's career was saved when Don Nelson helped him to sober up.

Our beloved Paul Pierce was known as a bit of a knucklehead earlier in his career.

[indeedproceed]

Shaq said he was going to mentor Cousins and help make him the best, now Shaq is a minority owner... this makes even more sense.

http://www.chatsports.com/boston-celtics/a/Shaquille-O039Neal-joining-Kings-ownership-group-0-8522176


Just found this b/c I remembered Shaq saying he was gonna mentor him, looks like Cousins wants that too!

http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/2854625

if it helps Cousins to mature and develop as a player, having Shaq buy a minority stake in the team was the best thing that could have ever happened to that franchise

I'm trying to think of a single example where a knucklehead was "mentored" into not being a knucklehead anymore...  not thinking of any.  Guys who respond well to being taken under a veteran's wing are usually players who are pretty well self-motivated to begin with - and realistically, how much is a retired Shaq going to be around?

Chris Mullin's career was saved when Don Nelson helped him to sober up.

Our beloved Paul Pierce was known as a bit of a knucklehead earlier in his career.

Lance Stepehson's mentoring by Larry Bird is very well documented. Pretty awesome story really.

[Boris Badenov]

My two cents:

I have watched a number of Kings games, living as I do in Sacramento.

I also went to the Kings/Celtics game last year with good seats, and paid close attention to DC given all the chatter I've heard here about him being a possible target.

What I saw was a player who might be more out of touch and disconnected with his current teammates than anyone I've ever seen.

On the court he was indifferent unless the ball was in his hands.

When he left the game there was never once an instance in which his teammates perked up as he went down the bench to give the the normal "good minutes, high five" type of reinforcement reaction.

At no point did he do the same for any of his teammates when they did well or left the floor. It was like he was a lone guy out there, with no support to/from anyone else on the squad.

This mind you was in a game where he had a triple-double and got a lot of credit for having played a "great game."

I think his numbers were a lot better than his performance.

Players can grow up to be sure, but he seems to have an awfully long way to go. And I'm glad Danny has been unable to bring Cousins to Boston.