Thanks, interesting read. Seems like there are some issues after all. If all this was "nothing" then PPat would have said something along the lines "it's just rumors, bla bla bla". But it appears he's damn serious that he's unhappy in Sacramento. I think they wait a little bit until its cooled off to up his trade value then ship him at the deadline. This is exactly what happened with Kevin Martin last year.
Ha, if the Rockets traded Kyle for Cousins, they should just change their name to the Houston Assets.
I'm not sure Lowry should be untouchable if you are getting back Cousins AND Deron Williams. Interesting quote from DWill yesterday in the New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball Of course, Williams would get an extra year and $30 million on his contract by re-signing with the Nets instead of another team. He has already ruled out an extension. “I’m sure I could make a couple more hundreds of thousands or something like that a year (on endorsements), or maybe a $1 million per year,” said the 27-year-old, who is married with four children. “But you could go somewhere in Florida or Texas and you’re not losing 8% state tax, plus you don’t have a city tax, plus the cost of living isn’t two times higher than anywhere else.”
whatever the office says, this guy is gone by next season... my feeling is the guy wants to play for a champion, a team thats ready for a title..the kings arent and won't be for a while...
You can bet your keester morey will make an offer. We are a young team, and he would fit well. Scola will be in that offer for sure.
Rumor has it that what he said went something along the lines of DeMarcus saying "If you think I'm part of the problem then why don't you just trade me" And that was how he was punished for saying it.
Still something he should not have said. You don't talk back to your coach. Period. You have an issue, you go speak to him one on one, not in front of everyone. He should be punished for that. But the Press release by the coach was a bit too much. Better to just send him home for a game and talk to him one on one afterwards. By attacking him in the press it will only make things worse.
They've done this with all the sports teams over the last year or so, just recently with rockets, and frankly, I hate it and preferred the old standard pages.
1. I don't think this drama is over. The statements issued by Cousins and by the Kings GM basically says "we agree to disagree and will move forward the best we can." The situation can be reignited any time. 2. Cousins may be immature-- he certainly seems to make a lot of duck faces on the court. However, there's something wrong with the Sacramento Kings that you can't blame Cousins for. Kevin Martin, Carl Landry and Samuel Dalembert each was reported to have wanted out of there, and none of these guys have been problematic as players for the Rockets.
Jordan Hill, Terrence Williams, a 2nd round pick. Definitely not one of our "big three" (Lowry, Martin, Scola).
^^ Agree. As an owner, that should be a red flag that you need a new coach. But with what's going on, this is just going to simmer until it boils over again. Coach or Cousins has to go IMO. And if you want to offer us Cousins, I will offer you a former #2 overall pick with very low miles.
It does seem Sactown over-reacted here and coach paul got a bit defensive. But Cousins shouldn't be talking back to his coach in front of others. That's just bad form and says a lot about his character. It's just something he should know better than to do. If he is unhappy he can sit with the coach and GM behind closed doors and/or work through his agent. It takes a level of humility to be great - that is, listening to others and doing what they say as you recognize you have something to learn from more experienced people. I am not sure this kid has that, and that is my hesitation. That's why I think he needs someone he respects to take him under his wing. Maybe he would respect Kevin McHale, but I doubt it since Cousins wasn't even born when McHale won his rings. But he is known as a players coach so maybe it would be alright. But since it does seem Sac-town has some issues with lots of players, maybe Cousins is getting a bad rap here and he's worth pursuing....if Sactown is willing to part ways with him which it doesn't seem like they are.
29 pages! I just couldn't wade through it all. But I read enough to see some trends. More than a few think Lowry is untouchable. Only future HOF players come close to that. But Lowry (along with Scola) is, so far, the heart and soul of this team. Aside from skill assessment, the thing that bothers me most about this situation is the reported "demands to be traded." That hasn't been substantiated, but where there's smoke there's fire. Westphal doesn't strike me as a "run to the media and shout 'fire' " kind of guy. Frankly, the spoiled, temper-tantrum player is getting a bit old. Steve Francis, with all his skills, demonstrated a lack of character when "pouting" for a trade. He might even be considered the poster child for such behavior. Players either accept the system or "blow the whole thing up," as fans like to say, scrap the draft system and just make it "sold to the highest bidder." While not exactly the same scenario, the James, Bosch, Wade spectacle of last season was a turn-off for much the same reason. Everyone wants to be on a winning team -- one with a shot at a championship. But do the math. Only 1 out of 30 teams will win the championship. And in any given year, there are only a handful that have a legitimate shot at it. The draft system is supposed to help the idea of parity, not guarantee championships. Free agency is the route that players can use to get themselves to a "better" team with a chance at winning a championship. But there have to be mutual benefits. A lot of players wish they could be with the Miami Heat because they have a very good chance at winning it all. How many are likely to end up there? Practically nil. That roster is set and won't change much in the foreseeable future. Cousins may indeed be what is described as a "head case." Those issues aren't that uncommon. They might be changed with a change in environment. And by McHale's comments he has skills to be admired. It's the spoiled, "I want to play for a better team, too" attitude that turns me and some others here off. It's just one of the reasons that professional basketball (as well as all professional sports) went way down on my list of priorities in life a long time ago. I love watching the Lowry led Rockets. I'm just not as emotionally invested in it as I was 25 years ago. There are a lot more important things in life, than whether or not they win a championship. I know many here will disagree. But, as you get older, I think, you'll come to a similar conclusion... or not. To each his own, I guess. Just my $0.02.
The problem is that they took a rookie and promoted him as All-World and now they don't know what to do because that player has turned into the biggest black hole in the universe. Nobody wants to play with him.
