NBA PM: DeMarcus Cousins Steps into Leadership Role

DeMarcus Cousins Slowly Stepping into Leadership Role

It’s easy to point blame around when things go sideways. When tempers are boiling over, things begin surfacing that may prove to be detrimental to a team. It seems this is exactly how the year has gone so far for the Sacramento Kings.

Over the offseason, the team cleared out cap space in an attempt to lure some of the top free agents to town. They traded away Nik Stauskas, last year’s eighth overall pick in the draft, as well as Carl Landry and Jason Thompson to the Philadelphia 76ers in a move that would clear $16 million in cap space. In return, the Kings received draft rights to two players overseas.

The Kings had been targeting players like Monta Ellis, Wesley Matthews and Rajon Rondo, and ultimately signed only Rondo out of that group. In addition to the veteran point guard, they also brought in Kosta Koufos, Marco Belinelli and Omri Casspi. While those additions have turned out to be solid so far this season, they weren’t atop the team’s initial wish list.

Their image around the league was so damaged that Ellis and Matthews reportedly turned down more money from the Kings in order to sign elsewhere. In addition, Tobias Harris was reportedly offered a max deal by the Kings that he would eventually turn down to stay in Orlando.

There were a number of rumors flying around that head coach George Karl would be replaced over the summer, but he still remains on the sidelines coaching the team – for now. It’s been a hectic season thus far for the Kings’ organization and we’re not even a month into the campaign yet.

With the offseason rumors swirling around Karl’s job, it seems he will constantly be on the hot season this season with team ownership. In recent weeks, the Kings again were linked with Kentucky head coach John Calipari. If they can’t land Calipari, the team will reportedly look at promoting assistant coach Nancy Lieberman to head coach if they decide to make a change.

Star player DeMarcus Cousins has also had his share of headlines this season. Reports have already surfaced that Cousins had a profanity-laced outburst toward Karl following a loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 9. Cousins has since apologized for the rant and has moved on. He is also coming off of a one-game suspension last week after hitting Hawks center Al Horford with his forearm.

Given their tumultuous offseason and the constant rumors surrounding this team, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that they are off to a 5-9 start this season. Sacramento has dominated much of the headlines already this season, and not nearly enough for winning basketball games.

While the team has had its share of problems this season, they’re trying to push through the rough times in order to get to the good. Since starting off 1-7, the Kings have since gone 3-2. While winning three of five games isn’t necessarily great, it is something positive the team can build off of moving forward. Despite everything going on, Karl knows there is still plenty of time to turn things around.

“There is no question that this team has got to come together,” Karl said. “Anything that creates distraction or energy that drains a day sets us back. This is a long race and I keep telling them we don’t have a good record, but we’re not far from where I think we should be at the end of November. We still can get to that goal and the record just might not be something that’s going to be beautiful for the first two months of the season. The most difficult part of our schedule is the first two months.”

Between the outbursts and suspensions, it’s easy to view a player like Cousins as a problem in the locker room. His image around the league is not great and he’s often painted as the bad guy in Sacramento. However, the fact remains that his teammates look up to him as a leader. They understand that he is a critical part of the Kings, and the team’s success starts and ends with him. He knows that and is trying to become the leader the team can count on.

“I’m trying to better myself as a person every day,” Cousins said. “I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a perfect person. I bust my ass on a daily basis to be the best teammate that I can be. I mean, my delivery is not always the correct way, or what some would say is correct, but my heart is always in the right place. Always.”

“Cousins is a frustrated guy that wants to win,” Karl added. “Sometimes it gets to him maybe in a negative way. He cares, he wants to win. He lashes [out] sometimes maybe in a disruptive way, but he’s doing it because he wants to win.”

In recent years, Cousins has worked toward becoming a better all-around player. Coming out of Kentucky in 2010, Cousins wasn’t known to be a great defensive threat. The strongest aspect of his game was on the offensive end, with much of the criticism directed to his defense. Cousins is currently averaging 27.7 points per game, 11.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks per game with a PER of 26.40. He’s ranked fifth in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounds and seventh in PER.

He’s coming off of one of his best all-around outings of the year, recording 29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and three steals on Saturday against the Magic. He’s averaging a league-high 11.6 free throws per game, and is converting on 78 percent of those attempts (he made 13-of-15 from the line on Saturday). Cousins said after the game that he didn’t think he was being aggressive in getting to the line, rather it was just how the defense was playing him.

The Kings are averaging nearly six more points per 100 possessions with Cousins on the floor versus when he’s off the floor. His impact is also felt dramatically on the defensive end as well; the Kings are allowing 107.1 points per 100 possessions with Cousins off the court, versus 101 points when he’s on the court. He’s averaging only 1.3 blocks per game, but he’s altering many other shots and holding opponents to 50 percent shooting within six feet of the rim.

“People never talk about his defense,” Karl said. “I thought in Miami [when he was suspended] we missed him on the defensive end of the court as much as we missed him on the offensive end of the court. We scored enough points to win in Miami, but we didn’t defend well enough. He’s very skilled. He can play outside, he can play inside, he can play up top. He can be a passer, a playmaker and is a paint defender – probably a top-five paint defender in basketball. He can be anything he wants to be. He’s got rebounding hands that are off of the charts too. If the ball is near him, his hands will go get it.”

There is no telling how this season may end for the Kings. There’s no question that winning cures all. If the team can start trending upward, then the rumors and the tempers may begin to cool down. But, if the team continues losing games, big changes could come in the future. The players the Kings brought in this season have all played well thus far and could begin to play even better as they begin to get acclimated to playing with each other.

Working in the Kings’ favor is how other teams in the Western Conference have started. Currently, there are eight teams that sit below .500 and only five teams with a winning record. It was once thought that a slow start in the West could make it extremely tough to make the playoffs, but we’re beginning to see that may not be the case. It’s entirely too early to begin thinking about the playoff picture, but if the struggles continue in the West, the Kings could be in the race for the postseason all year. Competing for a playoff spot could help put all of this drama behind the team.

Durant Could Return This Week

After missing the past six games with a sore hamstring, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant could be back in the lineup soon. ESPN is reporting that Durant could be back for the Thunder as soon as this week, but an exact date has yet to be determined.

The Thunder have three games this week and he is expected to return either tonight at Utah or at home on Wednesday against Brooklyn. The team has gone 3-3 without Durant, with losses against the Celtics, Grizzlies and Knicks.

Durant was seen warming up with the team on Sunday, but he wasn’t yet cleared to play. It appeared Durant went through a full warm-up as he was shooting, driving and dunking.

Durant suffered the injury against his hometown Washington Wizards on Nov. 10. Durant missed all but 27 games last season after having to undergo multiple surgeries on his foot.