Demarcus Cousins suspended 1 game by Kings (Conduct Detrimental)

[KeepRondo]

Kevin suffered longer, as a better player, in a worse situation (as far as management and personnel go) than Cousins.

I don't think this is remotely true.  Minnesota was never close to organization of the year, but compared to the Kings?  The Maloofs were jokes.  Ranadive is a joke.  The Kings have gone through how many coaches, just in the last year?  One of those coaches -- Karl -- is visibly checked out, and he led an open mutiny in his own locker room, trying to recruit teammates to bash other teammates to management.  They hired a GM who didn't even know how trade calls worked, and who gave away pick swaps rights for cap space to sign overrated role players, when they could have created enough cap space by using the stretch provision. 

The Kings have easily been the worst run NBA franchise of the 2000s, and that includes the Clippers.  It's unreal how bad they've been.

KG was a consummate profession off the court, and was a real leader of men. A great influence on his teammates.

Consummate professional? 

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

According to a report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garnett's attack was unprovoked.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

"Rick was surprised that Garnett reacted the way he did," said Rickert's agent, Mark Termini.

In November 2000, Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument.

So, that's two teammates he punched.  He made Big Baby cry.  He notoriously gave teammates one chance to impress him; if they disappointed him, he would never work with them again.  He refused to come out of the locker room to support his teammates when he was injured.   He was ejected and suspended many times, including during playoff games.  He developed a reputation as a dirty player, and was one of the most hated guys in the NBA.  There are many, many accounts of him being aloof, or even rude, to fans off the court.

I loved KG.  I loved his passion, I loved his defense.  However, let's not sugar coat that he had a temper, and sometimes he let his intensity get the better of him.

What a joke. Comparing Cousins to KG? Please.

I didn't compare.  I responded to somebody else's post comparing them.

You compared them before and you are joining in with users comparing them now. So you have and you are.

[Roy H.]

Kevin suffered longer, as a better player, in a worse situation (as far as management and personnel go) than Cousins.

I don't think this is remotely true.  Minnesota was never close to organization of the year, but compared to the Kings?  The Maloofs were jokes.  Ranadive is a joke.  The Kings have gone through how many coaches, just in the last year?  One of those coaches -- Karl -- is visibly checked out, and he led an open mutiny in his own locker room, trying to recruit teammates to bash other teammates to management.  They hired a GM who didn't even know how trade calls worked, and who gave away pick swaps rights for cap space to sign overrated role players, when they could have created enough cap space by using the stretch provision. 

The Kings have easily been the worst run NBA franchise of the 2000s, and that includes the Clippers.  It's unreal how bad they've been.

KG was a consummate profession off the court, and was a real leader of men. A great influence on his teammates.

Consummate professional? 

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

According to a report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garnett's attack was unprovoked.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

"Rick was surprised that Garnett reacted the way he did," said Rickert's agent, Mark Termini.

In November 2000, Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument.

So, that's two teammates he punched.  He made Big Baby cry.  He notoriously gave teammates one chance to impress him; if they disappointed him, he would never work with them again.  He refused to come out of the locker room to support his teammates when he was injured.   He was ejected and suspended many times, including during playoff games.  He developed a reputation as a dirty player, and was one of the most hated guys in the NBA.  There are many, many accounts of him being aloof, or even rude, to fans off the court.

I loved KG.  I loved his passion, I loved his defense.  However, let's not sugar coat that he had a temper, and sometimes he let his intensity get the better of him.

What a joke. Comparing Cousins to KG? Please.

I didn't compare.  I responded to somebody else's post comparing them.

You compared them before and you are joining in with users comparing them. So you have and you are.

?

Not only are you being inaccurate, but you're not adding anything constructive.  Find something meaningful to comment upon, or move on.

[wayupnorth]

Kevin suffered longer, as a better player, in a worse situation (as far as management and personnel go) than Cousins.

I don't think this is remotely true.  Minnesota was never close to organization of the year, but compared to the Kings?  The Maloofs were jokes.  Ranadive is a joke.  The Kings have gone through how many coaches, just in the last year?  One of those coaches -- Karl -- is visibly checked out, and he led an open mutiny in his own locker room, trying to recruit teammates to bash other teammates to management.  They hired a GM who didn't even know how trade calls worked, and who gave away pick swaps rights for cap space to sign overrated role players, when they could have created enough cap space by using the stretch provision. 

The Kings have easily been the worst run NBA franchise of the 2000s, and that includes the Clippers.  It's unreal how bad they've been.

KG was a consummate profession off the court, and was a real leader of men. A great influence on his teammates.

Consummate professional? 

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

According to a report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garnett's attack was unprovoked.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

"Rick was surprised that Garnett reacted the way he did," said Rickert's agent, Mark Termini.

In November 2000, Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument.

So, that's two teammates he punched.  He made Big Baby cry.  He notoriously gave teammates one chance to impress him; if they disappointed him, he would never work with them again.  He refused to come out of the locker room to support his teammates when he was injured.   He was ejected and suspended many times, including during playoff games.  He developed a reputation as a dirty player, and was one of the most hated guys in the NBA.  There are many, many accounts of him being aloof, or even rude, to fans off the court.

I loved KG.  I loved his passion, I loved his defense.  However, let's not sugar coat that he had a temper, and sometimes he let his intensity get the better of him.

What a joke. Comparing Cousins to KG? Please.

I didn't compare.  I responded to somebody else's post comparing them.

You compared them before and you are joining in with users comparing them. So you have and you are.

?

Not only are you being inaccurate, but you're not adding anything constructive.  Find something meaningful to comment upon, or move on.

To be honest Roy, the only reason I even brought KG into this, is because I have read you, on several occasions, compare their attitudes.

I don't know how you can say you haven't compared the two, when that comparison is what inspired my first post, and I said as much in it.

I brought KG because you have compared the two in the past, and to show that just because you are a talented player on a badly run team, doesn't mean you have leeway to disrespect coaches, or not try as hard during a game.

DMC could handle this in a way better way, and on top of that, he signed with them. He should have known how dysfunctional they were, but he signed with them anyway.

He has no excuse for acting like a big baby.
 

[crimson_stallion]

Kevin suffered longer, as a better player, in a worse situation (as far as management and personnel go) than Cousins.

I don't think this is remotely true.  Minnesota was never close to organization of the year, but compared to the Kings?  The Maloofs were jokes.  Ranadive is a joke.  The Kings have gone through how many coaches, just in the last year?  One of those coaches -- Karl -- is visibly checked out, and he led an open mutiny in his own locker room, trying to recruit teammates to bash other teammates to management.  They hired a GM who didn't even know how trade calls worked, and who gave away pick swaps rights for cap space to sign overrated role players, when they could have created enough cap space by using the stretch provision. 

The Kings have easily been the worst run NBA franchise of the 2000s, and that includes the Clippers.  It's unreal how bad they've been.

KG was a consummate profession off the court, and was a real leader of men. A great influence on his teammates.

Consummate professional? 

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

According to a report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garnett's attack was unprovoked.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

"Rick was surprised that Garnett reacted the way he did," said Rickert's agent, Mark Termini.

In November 2000, Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument.

So, that's two teammates he punched.  He made Big Baby cry.  He notoriously gave teammates one chance to impress him; if they disappointed him, he would never work with them again.  He refused to come out of the locker room to support his teammates when he was injured.   He was ejected and suspended many times, including during playoff games.  He developed a reputation as a dirty player, and was one of the most hated guys in the NBA.  There are many, many accounts of him being aloof, or even rude, to fans off the court.

I loved KG.  I loved his passion, I loved his defense.  However, let's not sugar coat that he had a temper, and sometimes he let his intensity get the better of him.

What a joke. Comparing Cousins to KG? Please.

Demarcus Cousins is only 25 years old and has put up per 36 minute numbers of at least 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks for three straight seasons now.

By the end of the 2001/02 season (when KG was 25) KG's best overall season had him averaging Per 36 numbers of 19.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks.  It wasn't until the KG's 9th season (at the age of 27)  that he put up anything close to the type of Per 36 numbers that DMC has averaged the past three seasons.

Even if you look at raw numbers (rather than per minute), KG still didn't come close to matching Cousin recent numbers until his 8th season, in 2002/03, when he was 26 years old..he was playing 40.5 MPG that year and his numbers still didn't match what Cousins is putting up now, but they were reasonably competitive.

If you think comparing Cousins to KG is a joke, then I don't know what to tell you.  Demarcus Cousins is an absolute beast, and he is every bit as good a player as KG was in his prime.  KG was an elite defensive player, an elite rebounder and an excellent offensive player.  Cousins is an elite offensive player, an elite rebounder, and an excellent defensive player.  They are different types of players, but DMC is certainly on part with a prime KG - and he's only getting better.

Yes, he has a difficult personality.  That is unfortunate.  But that doesn't change the fact that Cousins has the talent to become a top 5 all-time center, and that is no exaggeration.  He's not likely to ever catch the career numbers of Wilt, Russell or Kareem, but hie's on target to finish his career right up there with Shaq, Hakeem, Robinson and the like. 

I absolutely love KG.  He is one of my favorite players (in fact, probably my favorite player) in the history of the game.  But that doesn't immediately mean that he was the ultimate nice guy, that he loved everybody, that he farted perfume and that he shat flowers.  He was a very emotional and competitive player, but he definitely had his moments of 'dirtiness' and it wasn't necessarily restricted to on-court antics either.  But those (at times dark) characteristics of "KG, the man" were the driving force behind the amazing competitiveness of "KG, the player" and so I forgave him that.

I also loved Rondo as a player, and when he was in Boston he was easily every bit as much a headcase as Cousins is.

So how can I forgive KG for his antics because I admire his talent, and forgive Rondo for his antics because I admire his talent...but then not forgive Cousins for his antics, when he is every bit as talented as those two guy?  Fair is fair.

[danglertx]

Cousins for a bunch of assets and a big salary price tag, or Horford for nothing but salary.  Decisions, decisions, decisions...

[ThaPreacher]

I think Cousin's trajectory is that of a way better Zach Randolph.  Portland gave up on Z Bo because of "issues" and he promptly became a top-15 player and made Memphis top 5 team.

Not really. Drafted in 2001- 17th pick.   He was part of the "Jailblazer Crew".  Portland had actually resigned him 6 years at 84 million dollar extension.  He was traded to NY, where he also had some difficulties being coached.  He was traded from NY to LA Clippers where he had further difficulties.
He didn't get to Memphis until 2009.

But it is a good comparison. Cousins, like ZBo, is also talented but troubled.
Like to see if Cousins can turn it around.  Wonder if he needs 3 more stops along the way before he grows up. 

[wayupnorth]

Kevin suffered longer, as a better player, in a worse situation (as far as management and personnel go) than Cousins.

I don't think this is remotely true.  Minnesota was never close to organization of the year, but compared to the Kings?  The Maloofs were jokes.  Ranadive is a joke.  The Kings have gone through how many coaches, just in the last year?  One of those coaches -- Karl -- is visibly checked out, and he led an open mutiny in his own locker room, trying to recruit teammates to bash other teammates to management.  They hired a GM who didn't even know how trade calls worked, and who gave away pick swaps rights for cap space to sign overrated role players, when they could have created enough cap space by using the stretch provision. 

The Kings have easily been the worst run NBA franchise of the 2000s, and that includes the Clippers.  It's unreal how bad they've been.

KG was a consummate profession off the court, and was a real leader of men. A great influence on his teammates.

Consummate professional? 

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

According to a report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garnett's attack was unprovoked.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

"Rick was surprised that Garnett reacted the way he did," said Rickert's agent, Mark Termini.

In November 2000, Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument.

So, that's two teammates he punched.  He made Big Baby cry.  He notoriously gave teammates one chance to impress him; if they disappointed him, he would never work with them again.  He refused to come out of the locker room to support his teammates when he was injured.   He was ejected and suspended many times, including during playoff games.  He developed a reputation as a dirty player, and was one of the most hated guys in the NBA.  There are many, many accounts of him being aloof, or even rude, to fans off the court.

I loved KG.  I loved his passion, I loved his defense.  However, let's not sugar coat that he had a temper, and sometimes he let his intensity get the better of him.

What a joke. Comparing Cousins to KG? Please.

Demarcus Cousins is only 25 years old and has put up per 36 minute numbers of at least 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks for three straight seasons now.

By the end of the 2001/02 season (when KG was 25) KG's best overall season had him averaging Per 36 numbers of 19.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks.  It wasn't until the KG's 9th season (at the age of 27)  that he put up anything close to the type of Per 36 numbers that DMC has averaged the past three seasons.

Even if you look at raw numbers (rather than per minute), KG still didn't come close to matching Cousin recent numbers until his 8th season, in 2002/03, when he was 26 years old..he was playing 40.5 MPG that year and his numbers still didn't match what Cousins is putting up now, but they were reasonably close.

If you think comparing Cousins to KG is a joke, then I don't know what to tell you.  Demarcus Cousins is an absolute beast, and he is every bit as good a player as KG was in his prime. KG was an elite defensive player, an elite rebounder and an excellent offensive player.  Cousins is an elite offensive player, an elite rebounder, and an excellent defensive player.  They are different types of players, but DMC is certainly on part with a prime KG - and he's only getting better.

Yes, he has a difficult personality.  That is unfortunate.  But that doesn't change the fact that Cousins has the talent to become a top 5 all-time center, and that is no exaggeration.  He's not likely to ever catch the career numbers of Wilt, Russell or Kareem, but hie's on target to finish his career right up there with Shaq, Hakeem, Robinson and the like.

I am sorry, but this is one of the more ridiculous statements I have ever read on this board.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

[Who]

Cousins for a bunch of assets and a big salary price tag, or Horford for nothing but salary.  Decisions, decisions, decisions...

They would be pretty darn good together. Shouldn't be an either/or option.

[Roy H.]

Kevin suffered longer, as a better player, in a worse situation (as far as management and personnel go) than Cousins.

I don't think this is remotely true.  Minnesota was never close to organization of the year, but compared to the Kings?  The Maloofs were jokes.  Ranadive is a joke.  The Kings have gone through how many coaches, just in the last year?  One of those coaches -- Karl -- is visibly checked out, and he led an open mutiny in his own locker room, trying to recruit teammates to bash other teammates to management.  They hired a GM who didn't even know how trade calls worked, and who gave away pick swaps rights for cap space to sign overrated role players, when they could have created enough cap space by using the stretch provision. 

The Kings have easily been the worst run NBA franchise of the 2000s, and that includes the Clippers.  It's unreal how bad they've been.

KG was a consummate profession off the court, and was a real leader of men. A great influence on his teammates.

Consummate professional? 

Garnett punched Rick Rickert, a second-round draft pick of the Timberwolves last season, according to several sources with knowledge of the event. Seven stitches were required to close the cut on Rickert's chin, said Susan Rickert, the player's mother, during a phone interview yesterday.

According to a report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Garnett's attack was unprovoked.

Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

"Rick was surprised that Garnett reacted the way he did," said Rickert's agent, Mark Termini.

In November 2000, Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument.

So, that's two teammates he punched.  He made Big Baby cry.  He notoriously gave teammates one chance to impress him; if they disappointed him, he would never work with them again.  He refused to come out of the locker room to support his teammates when he was injured.   He was ejected and suspended many times, including during playoff games.  He developed a reputation as a dirty player, and was one of the most hated guys in the NBA.  There are many, many accounts of him being aloof, or even rude, to fans off the court.

I loved KG.  I loved his passion, I loved his defense.  However, let's not sugar coat that he had a temper, and sometimes he let his intensity get the better of him.

What a joke. Comparing Cousins to KG? Please.

I didn't compare.  I responded to somebody else's post comparing them.

You compared them before and you are joining in with users comparing them. So you have and you are.

?

Not only are you being inaccurate, but you're not adding anything constructive.  Find something meaningful to comment upon, or move on.

To be honest Roy, the only reason I even brought KG into this, is because I have read you, on several occasions, compare their attitudes.

I don't know how you can say you haven't compared the two, when that comparison is what inspired my first post, and I said as much in it.

I brought KG into this simply to show that just because you are a talented player on a badly run team, doesn't mean you have leeway to disrespect coaches, or not try as hard during a game.

DMC could handle this in a way better way, and on top of that, he signed with them. He should have known how dysfunctional they were, but he signed with them anyway.

He has no excuse for acting like a big baby.

I think your comparison between the two was inaccurate.

And, I think that you're taking whatever comparison I've made out of context.  I like players who play with passion and who hate losing.  KG and DMC share those qualities.  However, sharing a similar trait isn't saying the two are comparable as players.

Although, going down this rabbit hole...  If KG was put into a hopeless situation like the Kings organization, and perpetually lost, I wonder how much the media would have turned on him.  Can you imagine if Cousins did some of the things KG has?  Punching teammates and the like?  Getting ejected from playoff games?  Refusing to work with teammates who he deemed unworthy?

Even with kind media coverage, KG was the most disliked player in the NBA.  Imagine if he was stuck on a dead-end team early in his career?

[jpotter33]

Hmmmmm, I'm really liking the sound of a Cousins, KO, Durant front court, though I'd settle for a Cousins, Horford, Crowder front court, too! 

[crimson_stallion]

(25 year old, improving, healthy, superstar) Cousins for a bunch of assets and a ($15M/3) salary price tag, or (30 year old, declining, oft injured, fringe-star)Horford for nothing but ($30M/4 max) salary.  Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Fixed.

Sounds like a no brainer to me.

[chambers]

In reality I don't think you can compare Cousins to KG. In fact I think it's quite insulting to KG to be honest.

On the court, Cousins has great numbers, but where KG kills him and makes him the FAR superior player is with his leadership and willingness to sacrifice for the team on both ends. Having a guy like that who puts it all on the line, every night, to ensure that his team mates will do the same, is one of the most priceless things about KG.

KG's defensive impact is far greater than Cousins can even dream of too. His usage was 10% less and his VORP was an astronomical 9.8. Durant hovers around 8 and 9, Lebron is around 11. Cousins is around 2 to 4.
VORP is particularly telling of how much impact a truly great player has on the results of his team and when KG took that Minny team to the conference finals in a BRUTAL Western Conference he was a superior player to Cousins in almost every aspect. Cousins win shares have dropped to under 12 this season but his usage has skyrocketed to 35%.

The all time greats generally have a win share % of higher than 25% even when they are on average rosters. Better shooter, higher assist ratio, better TS%, identical rebound% and a win share percentage of 27.2, less turnovers, better block %. Just an all round far superior player to Cousins and it's not even close IMO.

Yes he was two years older than Cousins is right now, but there is simply no comparing KG's greatness to a guy like Cousins because Cousins will never impact winning like KG did. Cousins gives up on plays, gives up on his coaches and puts his emotions before everything- even winning.
De Marcus Cousins is selfish.

KG was selfless.

Cousins is a great player, but to put him up there with all time greats is discounting one thing in particular- his attitude and it's negative effects to the team. Guy's like a child in a man's body and it's questionable if he'll ever put the team before himself- because he's never demonstrated the ability to do otherwise.

[wayupnorth]

In reality I don't think you can compare Cousins to KG. In fact I think it's quite insulting to KG to be honest.

On the court, Cousins has great numbers, but where KG kills him and makes him the FAR superior player is with his leadership and willingness to sacrifice for the team on both ends. Having a guy like that who puts it all on the line, every night, to ensure that his team mates will do the same, is one of the most priceless things about KG.

KG's defensive impact is far greater than Cousins can even dream of too. His usage was 10% less and his VORP was an astronomical 9.8. Durant hovers around 8 and 9, Lebron is around 11. Cousins is around 2 to 4.
VORP is particularly telling of how much impact a truly great player has on the results of his team and when KG took that Minny team to the conference finals in a BRUTAL Western Conference he was a superior player to Cousins in almost every aspect. Cousins win shares have dropped to under 12 this season but his usage has skyrocketed to 35%.

The all time greats generally have a win share % of higher than 25% even when they are on average rosters. Better shooter, higher assist ratio, better TS%, identical rebound% and a win share percentage of 27.2, less turnovers, better block %. Just an all round far superior player to Cousins and it's not even close IMO.

Yes he was two years older than Cousins is right now, but there is simply no comparing KG's greatness to a guy like Cousins because Cousins will never impact winning like KG did. Cousins gives up on plays, gives up on his coaches and puts his emotions before everything- even winning.
De Marcus Cousins is selfish.

KG was selfless.

Cousins is a great player, but to put him up there with all time greats is discounting one thing in particular- his attitude and it's negative effects to the team. Guy's like a child in a man's body and it's questionable if he'll ever put the team before himself- because he's never demonstrated the ability to do otherwise.

Demarcus is selfish while KG is selfless.

TP for that.  Exactly the point I was trying to convey.

As someone who watched a lot of KG T wolves basketball, this is a great post.

[crimson_stallion]

In reality I don't think you can compare Cousins to KG. In fact I think it's quite insulting to KG to be honest.

On the court, Cousins has great numbers, but where KG kills him and makes him the FAR superior player is with his leadership and willingness to sacrifice for the team on both ends. Having a guy like that who puts it all on the line, every night, to ensure that his team mates will do the same, is one of the most priceless things about KG.

KG's defensive impact is far greater than Cousins can even dream of too. His usage was 10% less and his VORP was an astronomical 9.8.
VORP is particularly telling of how much impact a truly great player has on the results of his team and when KG took that Minny team to the conference finals in a BRUTAL Western Conference he was a superior player to Cousins in almost every aspect.

The all time greats generally have a win share % of higher than 25% even when they are on average rosters. Better shooter, higher assist ratio, better TS%, identical rebound% and a win share percentage of 27.2, less turnovers, better block %. Just an all round far superior player to Cousins and it's not even close IMO.

Yes he was two years older than Cousins is right now, but there is simply no comparing KG's greatness to a guy like Cousins because Cousins will never impact winning like KG did. Cousins gives up on plays, gives up on his coaches and puts his emotions before everything- even winning.
De Marcus Cousins is selfish.

KG was selfless.

Absolute bias in your stats there.

Compare the stats of a 25 year old Cousins to the stats of a 25 year old KG and DMC's stats leave Garnett's absolutely for dead...and that is despite the fact that KG had more experience at the time (since he came straight from high school) and the fact that KG was playing around 40 MPG (versus around 32 MPG for Cousins). 

Better shooter? 

Cousins is shooting 34% from three on 3.5 attempts per game. That is almost unheard of for a big, physical center like Cousins. KG was a better midrange shooter yes, but midrange shooting isn't the only type of shooting.

How about free throw rate?  Cousins' career free throw rate is an incredible 45.1% versus 29.3% for KG. 

In terms of offensive efficiency, Cousins is averaging 1.32 Points Per FGA this season, which is exceptoinal.  KG at the age of 25 averaged 1.22 Points Per FGA which is average.

KG was a better passer and a better defender, yes - this is true. But Cousins is still one of the best top passing and defensive big men in the NBA today.

KG and DMC are two very different types of players.  KG was much more an athletic/finesse big man who relied far more on his quickness, agility and ball handling - but was also very skilled in the post. Cousins is of a classic big man who relies more on his sheer size and power to dominate his opponents in the post - but is also a very skilled shooter. 

Completely different players, but comparable levels of talent.  If anything Cousins likely has the edge over KG in terms or raw talent and skill, but KG has the edge over Cousins in terms of leadership and competitiveness. 

All things considered the two are on a very similar level overall.  I would love to see KG in his prime trying to guard Cousins, and I would love to see Cousins in his prime trying to guard KG.  I think both guys would have their hands full in a massive way. 

To compare Cousins to KG is not, by any means, an insult to KG.  Demarcus Cousins is, hands down, the best center in the NBA right now.  KG in his prime was, arguably, the best Power Forward in the NBA.  There is no shame at all in comparing the two.  I would imagine KG probably has a lot of respect for Cousins as a player, and I would imagine Cousins probably has a great deal of respect for KG as well. I doubt either would be offended if they were compared against one another.

[Csfan1984]

Get his Celtic locker ready draft night.