Grades v. Blazers 12/23/2012

[LWP777]

Another thing, Reke could be an absolute force if he could work with Salmons and learn how to spot up for that free throw line jump shot. Salmons is always able to get down there within 10-12ft and spot up for an open look. Too bad Salmons touch these days is akin to a sex starved cobra. You never see Reke shoot from there. He either shoots a 3, a 16ft jumper or he goes for a layup. If he could stop and pop from the free throw line like Salmons does, he could become a monster.

You're right about this. Salmons makes it look so easy to get that shot. It shouldn't be too difficult for Reke to get it but I wonder if he literally has no confidence in anything outside of a layup. He just doesn't ever seem to make a high percentage of any other type of shot.

[UK_King]

We have the right people coming off those curls finally, Jimmer, MT and Salmons.

I don't really want to see reke taking that shot tbh, i want to see him running the pick and roll with cuz, or a big who happens to be available.

But alas Reke isn't healthy, i wonder what is up with his knee. I had tendonitis (not sure if it's that) and i was able to play with strapping but always had pain the day after a game. Grant seemed to suggest on his show that reke is able to participate in shootarounds but is opting not to play in games.

[Kingster]

That's not going to work. At all. People like to always play the tough guy in hypotheticals, but in reality you aren't going to break Demarcus Cousins. He's never going to say yes sir, no sir. His out of control emotions I don't get, but I know his inner rebel very well indeed. That was me. And before I let you break me I'd take down you, your organization, your family, and the whole frickin' city into the pit with us. The harder you pushed, the harder I would push back. There was no top end I ever discovered or imagined. You did not want to play chicken with me, because I was not swerving. Period. DeMarcus is like that. And I'm the last to condemn it despite its irrationality. Just be much easier to deal with if it were attached to a more mature person.

In any case trying to put such a person on time out won't do you any favors. He may already be one foot out the door, you blatantly disrespect him like that then you are the enemy and he is gone. If he truly is anything like me, he'll try to tear up as much as he can on the way out the door too. There is no win for us in treating him like that. This is a kid who craves approval in the worst way, and we're going to humiliate him? No no. We aren't teaching him any "lessons" other than that we are weak, and the enemy, and he doesn't need us. Its almost funny to think that we have any real power here. Very little but the power to screw ourselves in a very fittingly "royal" fashion.

Now on the flip side, and here is something I assume is there but do not know is there, if we can time it out so that we win a few games, maybe Reke comes back, we get the Portland game...tough to see us beating NY, but whatever. Just not be wallowing when he comes back. Then open the door to him coming back with some sort of act of contrition, made of his own volition, and not some public humiliation, we might get something out of this. Or not. Like I say I can't address nor fully predict the obvious emotional issues he has. But I can predict his pride. I know what it will make him do. And I think I understand how to defuse it if you will. You have to open the door and let him make the decision to walk through it. You try to push him around, he's going to push back. Hard. And we are the 90lb weakling of NBA organizations.

It has nothing to do with being a tough guy or showing him who is boss or even teaching him a lesson. It has to do with schocking his psyche in order to break him out of his habitual way of seeing the world, a mentallity that obviously isn't working for him. Giving him a couple of games off isn't going to do that. It's just hum drum, I made a mistake, now back to being the same ol' me. The approach hasn't worked. What's good about having him sit for an extended period is that there is no confrontation. He just sits. And sits. And sits. Initially, he may shout to the world how unfair it all is. But nobody is listening. So he is left to think about it. A lot. And maybe we might luck out and he does see that he needs psychological help. Because right now he doesn't even admit there is a problem. And until he does, then this is a long road to nowhere.

Also, there is more to this puzzle than just Cousins and the Kings organization. There are the other players on the team. We talk about having a winning culture, a strong organization. How in the world can you have that if you allow a young man to be so disruptive to your team? It's oil and water. It's like allowing the totally disruptive child to stay in the classroom and destroy the possibility of the other kids learning anything. It destroys the morale of the team. If you want to ever have the chance to have that winning culture we all yearn for then Cousins is going to have to buy in or opt out. It's either/or.

[pshn80]

Voted for Salmons but agree with the comment above that it was truly a team effort.

[LWP777]

It has nothing to do with being a tough guy or showing him who is boss or even teaching him a lesson. It has to do with schocking his psyche in order to break him out of his habitual way of seeing the world, a mentallity that obviously isn't working for him. Giving him a couple of games off isn't going to do that. It's just hum drum, I made a mistake, now back to being the same ol' me. The approach hasn't worked. What's good about having him sit for an extended period is that there is no confrontation. He just sits. And sits. And sits. Initially, he may shout to the world how unfair it all is. But nobody is listening. So he is left to think about it. A lot. And maybe we might luck out and he does see that he needs psychological help. Because right now he doesn't even admit there is a problem. And until he does, then this is a long road to nowhere.

Also, there is more to this puzzle than just Cousins and the Kings organization. There are the other players on the team. We talk about having a winning culture, a strong organization. How in the world can you have that if you allow a young man to be so disruptive to your team? It's oil and water. It's like allowing the totally disruptive child to stay in the classroom and destroy the possibility of the other kids learning anything. It destroys the morale of the team. If you want to ever have the chance to have that winning culture we all yearn for then Cousins is going to have to buy in or opt out. It's either/or.

GREAT post. It really got me thinking when you said how allowing a disruptive child to stay in the classroom destroys the potential for learning with the other kids. I remember many times in junior high and high school where there would be a class that had 1 or 2 problem students coupled with a very weak teacher who wasn't strong enough to handle them. What that did was open up the flood gates for a bunch of other kids to start acting like jackasses and before long the entire class was out of control. I really saw this happening with the team when DMC wasn't being held accountable for his actions. The other players weren't listening and weren't putting the effort in. The difference in effort has been night and day since he was sat down for the 2nd half in that Clipper game.

[HereWeVivek]

So one good game and now we don't need Cousins anymore and Thornton should be a starter?

its not just one game, its fact that Thornton plays much better as a starter. and putting Tyreke at the 1 is also going to help the team. so i think it needs to happen.

as for people saying we dont need Cuz..... god help them

[LWP777]

its not just one game, its fact that Thornton plays much better as a starter. and putting Tyreke at the 1 is also going to help the team. so i think it needs to happen.

as for people saying we dont need Cuz..... god help them

Why would anybody want a 7 footer who shoots 41% from the floor and disrupts the team on and off the court? Cuz is good in theory but so far he hasn't put that to use on the court.

[Gary]

its not just one game, its fact that Thornton plays much better as a starter. and putting Tyreke at the 1 is also going to help the team. so i think it needs to happen.

as for people saying we dont need Cuz..... god help them

I would rather they start IT again than put Evans back at the 1.