DeMarcus Cousins might be ultra-talented, but is he really worth the headaches? |
DeMarcus Cousins has all the talent in the world. He's an elite rebounder, solid defender and a great low-post player on offense. His 6'11", 270 lbs frame is immovable in the paint and and he's only 22 years old. The sky is the absolute limit for the former fifth overall pick. Yet while his high ceiling is unknown, it seems to me that he'll unlikely fulfill his potential.
If locker room cancer was an occupation, Cousins would be employee of the month every time. He's immature and portrays his immaturity in some of the most rash ways. One minute he won't play hard, next minute he's getting in an argument with the coach in the locker room, the next he's suspended indefinitely. This is his third season in the NBA and yet he's still as immature as he was on day one. Some people just won't change and this sort of sentiment is slowly becoming apparent in Cousins' mentality.
What's funny is that we've seen this type of player in the NBA countless times before. The dark years (early 2000s, post-Jordan Era) were chalk full of selfish and immature players who never turned it around. Anyone remember Corey Maggette? How about Vin Baker? Jerome James? All of these names haunted David Stern's sleep for years, but the NBA has really turned it around lately. So my question is why do so many teams want to go back in time and acquire an overly talented, yet wildly sophomoric individual like Cousins. Don't try to sell me on, "this coach will get a hold of him and really turned it around," I'm not buying it. And don't sell me the contender card either, this guy doesn't seem like he'll react well to veterans trying to straighten him.
Watch this video after he was suspended earlier this season and don't tell me he's wreaks like a selfish problem child:
If I were a team really looking to make a splash in this NBA Trade Deadline I'd avoid Cousins like the plague. His 17 pts/10 rebs is enticing, but this is a read between the lines case. Teams need to stop drooling over the what-if and take a look at the reality of the situation. If this guy is ever going to change then it's going to come internally. You could point to J.R. Smith and Mike Woodson this season to counter me, but Smith's hustle and effort was never in question, the issues was on-court decision making. Cousins is a different beast.
I'm just glad Isiah Thomas isn't the GM of the Knicks because Cousins would've been on the Garden Hardwood faster than a LeBron James fast break.
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