Voisin of Sacramento Bee: Cousins must be traded

[jpotter33]

Am I the only one who thinks Mickey and Cousins would be the perfect front court pairing?

It would ultimately depend on Mickey's development. I also think a stretch big like Olynyk would be an ideal fit next to him, though going small against that unit would be a problem for us defensively. If Mickey could develop his shot to the three point line, I'd like to see what he could do next to someone like Cousins.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Lets trade for WCS instead

[Big333223]

Huge risk, huge reward. I maintain that Cousins has the most potential of any player in the entire league. His potential is higher than Durant, Anthony Davis, or even Towns. His combination of size, coordination, strength and now a 3 point shot basically removes the ceiling from what his game could be with the right attitude and work ethic.

But he's 25. He's in his 6th NBA season. He knows what people think about him and he still acts the way he does. He still can't get along with a coach. It's hard to imagine him changing much if he hasn't by now.

I understand those who think that moving him to a functional organization with a sense of identity and purpose could give him a new outlook and a second chance but that's still a risk.

[mrceltics2013]

I have 0 clue why no one ever talks about whiteside. Everyone is hard for horford and others but never him. I'd kill for cousins as PF and whiteside starting center. IDK why THAT is never talked about. Of course we need PP back and another VET leader but that would be the squad!

[Kane3387]

I'd still give anything for Cousins. On a good team he's an MVP candidate.

Bring him in and one of two things will happen...he'd either take this team to its next title - or destroy it. 

What bugs me about him is every time I've seen him play the Celtics he's quit...especially on defense.  I know he's got talent and you can say CBS will be able to reach him or the culture here will turn him around.  But bring him in and he'll be the alpha dog and that could change everything. 

Great players don't quit and I've seen him do it way too many times.  The talent is undeniable, but he might be totally uncoachable.

So essentially Is cousins randy miss or Terrell Owens?

[jambr380]

I have 0 clue why no one ever talks about whiteside. Everyone is hard for horford and others but never him. I'd kill for cousins as PF and whiteside starting center. IDK why THAT is never talked about. Of course we need PP back and another VET leader but that would be the squad!

OMG - Cousins and Whiteside? What are the chances that works out well?

And this is coming from somebody who would gladly take EITHER one.

[blackbird]

For the Kings game on Superbowl Sunday, I splurged and got tickets only a few rows up. What sticks out in my memory is the fact that DMC gets no respect - like ZERO - from the refs. It's clear that he didn't just burn bridges with them, he napalmed them.

So a physical team like the Celtics just hack away at him without getting fouls called and he loses his mind. And on defense he didn't get the benefit of the doubt either. It's the opposite of superstar treatment. Anyway, he quit in that game too.

I want nothing to do with him. He's a great player, no doubt, but he's a team killer.

[crimson_stallion]

Huge risk, huge reward. I maintain that Cousins has the most potential of any player in the entire league. His potential is higher than Durant, Anthony Davis, or even Towns. His combination of size, coordination, strength and now a 3 point shot basically removes the ceiling from what his game could be with the right attitude and work ethic.

But he's 25. He's in his 6th NBA season. He knows what people think about him and he still acts the way he does. He still can't get along with a coach. It's hard to imagine him changing much if he hasn't by now.

I understand those who think that moving him to a functional organization with a sense of identity and purpose could give him a new outlook and a second chance but that's still a risk.

I agree about his potential, disagree about him being unable to get along with a coach.  He got along fine with the last one.  He just happens to have a coach right now who is an arrogant, back-stabbing moron.  I can't blame him for not being able to get along with Karl.

[crimson_stallion]

For the Kings game on Superbowl Sunday, I splurged and got tickets only a few rows up. What sticks out in my memory is the fact that DMC gets no respect - like ZERO - from the refs. It's clear that he didn't just burn bridges with them, he napalmed them.

So a physical team like the Celtics just hack away at him without getting fouls called and he loses his mind. And on defense he didn't get the benefit of the doubt either. It's the opposite of superstar treatment. Anyway, he quit in that game too.

I want nothing to do with him. He's a great player, no doubt, but he's a team killer.

Shaq often complained about the same thing - never getting calls.

Problem is when you have a guy as physically imposing as Cousins, refs tend to think "he's a big guy, he can take a hit", and so they don't call things that they would call with other guys.

For example, a guard hacks a small guy, guy fall back visibly from the impact, ref sees it an calls a foul.

Guard hacks Cousins, the guy barely moves (because he's so solid) and so the refs figure it's not worth calling.

It's completely understandable to me that Cousins gets so frustrated.  One of the first times I saw Smart playing against Cousins he was hacking the living daylights out of DMC, and the officials call absolutely nothing. 

I was actually impressed by how much of the hacking he was taking without complaining, but eventually it got to the point where he just snapped and then things escalated.

Honestly it's just as much the fault of the officials as anything, because if they called things as they happened you wouldn't get the built up frustration.  But they don't make the calls, and you can't raise your frustration to them or they give you a T, so all you can do if you are DMC is hold it in and bear it until it gets to the point where you snap.

I look at other guys in the NBA and I don't know if any of them take the type of constant beating that Cousins takes without calls.  It's disgraceful - and then people wonder why he loses his cool.

[jpotter33]

Huge risk, huge reward. I maintain that Cousins has the most potential of any player in the entire league. His potential is higher than Durant, Anthony Davis, or even Towns. His combination of size, coordination, strength and now a 3 point shot basically removes the ceiling from what his game could be with the right attitude and work ethic.

But he's 25. He's in his 6th NBA season. He knows what people think about him and he still acts the way he does. He still can't get along with a coach. It's hard to imagine him changing much if he hasn't by now.

I understand those who think that moving him to a functional organization with a sense of identity and purpose could give him a new outlook and a second chance but that's still a risk.

I agree about his potential, disagree about him being unable to get along with a coach.  He got along fine with the last one.  He just happens to have a coach right now who is an arrogant, back-stabbing moron.  I can't blame him for not being able to get along with Karl.

Yep, Karl is a snake in the grass, if you will. 

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/6/23/8830539/george-karl-snake-demarcus-cousins-history

[LooseCannon]

He'll probably get traded to the Lakers or Knicks.

Fine by me. I don't want any Cousins drama in Boston.

Avoiding the drama requires Ainge completely backing Stevens' authority and being willing to cut bait on Cousins and trade him for pennies on the dollar if he becomes a locker room problem.

[crimson_stallion]

He'll probably get traded to the Lakers or Knicks.

Fine by me. I don't want any Cousins drama in Boston.

Avoiding the drama requires Ainge completely backing Stevens' authority and being willing to cut bait on Cousins and trade him for pennies on the dollar if he becomes a locker room problem.

He won't be a locker room problem, I am sure of this. 

If he ever ends up here and proves me wrong then I will accept the error of my ways, but I am about 85% - 90% confident that he would be absolutely fine here.

[BornReady]

If I was kings
id trade cousins after lotto
so they can get a guarantee no 1 or 2 pick in this draft plus maybe some nice young players

cousins is sick of kings management
plus kings are pretty much going no where
best for them to try develop mclemore + WCS

[Big333223]

Huge risk, huge reward. I maintain that Cousins has the most potential of any player in the entire league. His potential is higher than Durant, Anthony Davis, or even Towns. His combination of size, coordination, strength and now a 3 point shot basically removes the ceiling from what his game could be with the right attitude and work ethic.

But he's 25. He's in his 6th NBA season. He knows what people think about him and he still acts the way he does. He still can't get along with a coach. It's hard to imagine him changing much if he hasn't by now.

I understand those who think that moving him to a functional organization with a sense of identity and purpose could give him a new outlook and a second chance but that's still a risk.

I agree about his potential, disagree about him being unable to get along with a coach.  He got along fine with the last one.  He just happens to have a coach right now who is an arrogant, back-stabbing moron.  I can't blame him for not being able to get along with Karl.

It's not just Karl, though. He got along with Mike Malone pretty well but that even took time. And prior to Malone he had a strong of coaches he couldn't get along with.

How about a 3-team deal that sends Cousins to NY and Porzingis to Boston?

[2short]

I'm ready and willing.  Talent like that, have a heart to heart with him, have Russ Cowens and every Celtics legend welcome him.  I think he starts winning regularly and gets a solid team to be with he won't be as angry and disappointed.  I'd love him on team, less handling and 3 pt shooting.  Besides that...what a force on the block both offensively and defensively.