DeMarcus Cousins: "...what's bigger than my name in Sacramento?"
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amateurs in the FO. kick em out ASAP. destroying the trust of their franchise player in the name of reinventing the 'game'
complete circus in sac. headlined by the gerbil act.
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...ns-on-kings-season-its-been-a-complete-circus
complete circus in sac. headlined by the gerbil act.
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...ns-on-kings-season-its-been-a-complete-circus
EDIT: I misspoke earlier when I said the article wasn't worthy of comment. The article itself is fine, it was the way it was being interpreted that I had a problem with.
As for the title of the thread, shame on PoundForPound for intentionally taking part of a comment out of context. Our board and our members deserve better than some sleazy thread title meant to elicit hostile reactions towards our franchise center.
As for the title of the thread, shame on PoundForPound for intentionally taking part of a comment out of context. Our board and our members deserve better than some sleazy thread title meant to elicit hostile reactions towards our franchise center.
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P
Shame on me? Out of context? It was a direct quote from the article itself. I did not reword Cousins' comment, read it any way you want to look at it, that's up to you. It was the one comment that really caught my attention and I knew that many of the board members here would have an opinion in regards to it. Relax.
This is the most critical part of that interview.
(BTW - I read this quote as him being angry about recalling the situation, not like the article worded it (that he was refuting the question))
Demarcus SAID a line had been crossed.
By this front office.
And what line is that?
Obviously, lying to the media and actually blaming their franchise player for their own incompetence, confusion, dissension in their ranks, and lack of plan.
This is not a small issue, IMO.
It underscores what many of us brought up when this was happening, how this FO is utterly clueless how to operate ; how this FO seems to think that lying and leaking falsehoods to the media is an acceptable way of behaving - they seem to think there are no repercussions for their lies and that the players are automatons that should just do their job on the court, despite any senses of betrayal or human feelings whatsoever.
As if basketball is a video game where they only need to plug in the right numbers and get a positive result.
They seem completely ignorant of any human touch, or any traditional-basketball acumen at all.
I'll play armchair analyst on the last part of his sentence, too:
He said "and I was trying to figure out how I’m going to deal with it."
This suggests to me that his first instinct was to go public and blow up at the front office for daring to bring his name as a reason for them flip-flopping and wasting over 2 months of indecisiveness.
He ended up dealing with it a different way - going to his agents (who in this scenario were proven to have his back infinitely more than this front office did!), who hand-crafted a withering statement to have to defuse the situation the FO inexplicably was laying at Cousin's feet.
I don;t know about y'all, but I'm WAY concerned at the way this is playing out, and everything some of us were seeing back then seems to have transpired exactly as we feared.
This FO stabbed Demarcus in the back.
We all know what kind of personality Demarcus is, and I don't blame him at all for not forgiving betrayers.
This FO could not have done anything much more stupid than pushing Demarcus away from them and into the arms of his agents for succor and protection from this FO's blunders and lies.
(BTW - I read this quote as him being angry about recalling the situation, not like the article worded it (that he was refuting the question))
Demarcus SAID a line had been crossed.
By this front office.
And what line is that?
Obviously, lying to the media and actually blaming their franchise player for their own incompetence, confusion, dissension in their ranks, and lack of plan.
This is not a small issue, IMO.
It underscores what many of us brought up when this was happening, how this FO is utterly clueless how to operate ; how this FO seems to think that lying and leaking falsehoods to the media is an acceptable way of behaving - they seem to think there are no repercussions for their lies and that the players are automatons that should just do their job on the court, despite any senses of betrayal or human feelings whatsoever.
As if basketball is a video game where they only need to plug in the right numbers and get a positive result.
They seem completely ignorant of any human touch, or any traditional-basketball acumen at all.
I'll play armchair analyst on the last part of his sentence, too:
He said "and I was trying to figure out how I’m going to deal with it."
This suggests to me that his first instinct was to go public and blow up at the front office for daring to bring his name as a reason for them flip-flopping and wasting over 2 months of indecisiveness.
He ended up dealing with it a different way - going to his agents (who in this scenario were proven to have his back infinitely more than this front office did!), who hand-crafted a withering statement to have to defuse the situation the FO inexplicably was laying at Cousin's feet.
I don;t know about y'all, but I'm WAY concerned at the way this is playing out, and everything some of us were seeing back then seems to have transpired exactly as we feared.
This FO stabbed Demarcus in the back.
We all know what kind of personality Demarcus is, and I don't blame him at all for not forgiving betrayers.
This FO could not have done anything much more stupid than pushing Demarcus away from them and into the arms of his agents for succor and protection from this FO's blunders and lies.
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From the article:
He's saying the obvious: the season has sucked and he obviously would rather have stayed healthy and kept winning.
Then he says that all the media speculation about him and who he is and the "drama" between him and the FO is bullcrap cooked up by the media and spread around by people who don't know him.
He then says he wants to get back to winning basketball, one way or the other.
He's saying what half the fan base here seems to miss: the he-said she-said crap doesn't matter. The past is gone, the only thing that matters is building a better team today and winning more games.
If DMC leaves, it will be about a massive failure to assemble a winning team, and that's not an issue for at least another two years. It's obvious that he's very happy in sacramento and wants to win a lot of games here. That's really all their is to it.
He's saying the obvious: the season has sucked and he obviously would rather have stayed healthy and kept winning.
Then he says that all the media speculation about him and who he is and the "drama" between him and the FO is bullcrap cooked up by the media and spread around by people who don't know him.
He then says he wants to get back to winning basketball, one way or the other.
He's saying what half the fan base here seems to miss: the he-said she-said crap doesn't matter. The past is gone, the only thing that matters is building a better team today and winning more games.
If DMC leaves, it will be about a massive failure to assemble a winning team, and that's not an issue for at least another two years. It's obvious that he's very happy in sacramento and wants to win a lot of games here. That's really all their is to it.
This is such non-sense. In two years, the Kings will need him to be strongly leaning toward extension or they will have to deal him.
He's played his whole career for a dysfunctional franchise that has wasted his early prime. Over that time, this has been the worst situation in the NBA. If we make the playoffs next year as an 8th seed and advance to the 2nd round the year after, you think he will sign up for another 4-5 years with this franchise and the past won't matter? He's going to entrust the remainder of his prime to this franchise based upon a solid 18 months?
He did his part this year. The franchise let him down, isn't competent, and he isn't sure he can trust ownership not to throw him under the bus. That matters. It matters a ton.
Objectively, he's on his way out of town. Maybe this franchise can pull off another hail mary and win him back. But that's what it will take. As of now, he's not on pace to resign here. He's just not.
He's played his whole career for a dysfunctional franchise that has wasted his early prime. Over that time, this has been the worst situation in the NBA. If we make the playoffs next year as an 8th seed and advance to the 2nd round the year after, you think he will sign up for another 4-5 years with this franchise and the past won't matter? He's going to entrust the remainder of his prime to this franchise based upon a solid 18 months?
He did his part this year. The franchise let him down, isn't competent, and he isn't sure he can trust ownership not to throw him under the bus. That matters. It matters a ton.
Objectively, he's on his way out of town. Maybe this franchise can pull off another hail mary and win him back. But that's what it will take. As of now, he's not on pace to resign here. He's just not.
That's your opinion and you're certainly entitled to it, but I think you're more than a bit premature. You're totally overlooking one very big thing - DMC is loyal to Sacramento and the Kings. Is that cast in concrete? Oh, hell no, but I do not think "he's on his way out of town" quite yet. I think the franchise has about one more year to turn things around.
The time MAY come but it's not here quite yet and every single interview DMC gives reiterates that fact.
The time MAY come but it's not here quite yet and every single interview DMC gives reiterates that fact.
Well Capt. Bill...that's polyanna. That's not what he said. He ain't a happy camper, and that's probably what we are seeing on court too.
And Larry...that's too far the other way. Yes, if we're progressing, he's bopping around in the playoffs with us, then we'll have a good chance to keep him because he would still like for it to happen here. If we had already peaked, and were downward sliding then no. If we don't make the playoffs between then and now, then no way in hell (his agent will own our entire franchise's ass by midseason next year if its another wreck). But if we make the playoffs, and he advances and there is talk of more, we'll get at least a short term extension to prove its real. Assuming of course absolutely no more bouts of front office idiocy, which is assuming a lot with this franchise.
And Larry...that's too far the other way. Yes, if we're progressing, he's bopping around in the playoffs with us, then we'll have a good chance to keep him because he would still like for it to happen here. If we had already peaked, and were downward sliding then no. If we don't make the playoffs between then and now, then no way in hell (his agent will own our entire franchise's ass by midseason next year if its another wreck). But if we make the playoffs, and he advances and there is talk of more, we'll get at least a short term extension to prove its real. Assuming of course absolutely no more bouts of front office idiocy, which is assuming a lot with this franchise.
He's signed through 2018. Gay and Collison are signed through 2017.
Vlade and Karl have been on the job for less than 3 months. Yes, the FO had 6 months of severe dysfunction in year 2 of the new ownership group.
But of course, 3 years with a HOF head coach alongside some talented players in a new arena in front of some of the best fans in the NBA and a chance to make the Sacramento Kings franchise become the sole and exclusive property of Demarcus Cousins - none of that matters. He's gone and out the door.
Vlade and Karl have been on the job for less than 3 months. Yes, the FO had 6 months of severe dysfunction in year 2 of the new ownership group.
But of course, 3 years with a HOF head coach alongside some talented players in a new arena in front of some of the best fans in the NBA and a chance to make the Sacramento Kings franchise become the sole and exclusive property of Demarcus Cousins - none of that matters. He's gone and out the door.
I agree with your second paragraph - if the FO fails him, he's gone.
But he has said and done absolutely nothing indicating that he has given up on this team or the city. He's unhappy with how the year has gone (we all are), that's not news at all. But that has absolutely no bearing on what's going to happen in the next three years.
But he has said and done absolutely nothing indicating that he has given up on this team or the city. He's unhappy with how the year has gone (we all are), that's not news at all. But that has absolutely no bearing on what's going to happen in the next three years.
Signed for three years, we have just two years. At that point, they will need to assess whether he's most likely resigning. If Kings think he's probably not coming back and he's headed into a lockout and unrestricted free agency where good teams will have the cap to sign him outright, the odds of us rolling the dice on one last big year, loyalty, or him valuing a 5th year on a contract he'll most likely opt out of before it's over instead of total control over where he goes ... fat chance. Teams will be lined up to trade for him and DMC can force the Kings hands with a non-public "trade me to team A or B or I'm going to sign a 4 year deal with another playoff team next summer."
I don't know where you work. But if you worked for the worst place in your field for your first 5 years. They had one OK year. And one decent year, but you were still a long long long way from your goals. And less resources going forward (the only small market team in the NBA without revenue sharing and bad draw for free agents) to meet your goals going foward and you weren't sure you could trust you boss after him letting you twist in the paper two years ago, that would have no bearing upon your decision to sign up for another 5 years with the same company? You are a rare person.
If you ignore the ownership change, the fact that the NBA is a cartel that limits his options, the fact that the Kings can pay him more than any other team, and the fact that he can't leave on his own accord until 2018, then yes, his situation is exactly the same as yours and mine.
You are assuming that this organization will continue to be a league-worst one under Karl and Divac, an assumption backed by zero empirical evidence.
If you genuinely believe that the franchise is that bad and is destined for failure, I'm not sure why you would bother continuing to support the team or even pay attention to it.
You are assuming that this organization will continue to be a league-worst one under Karl and Divac, an assumption backed by zero empirical evidence.
If you genuinely believe that the franchise is that bad and is destined for failure, I'm not sure why you would bother continuing to support the team or even pay attention to it.
There are multiple interpretations of some of what Boogie said. No, he's not a happy camper ... but he's not saying he's giving up, either. What we're most likely seeing on court is someone who is hurting from the year-long pounding he's taken, is short-tempered when it comes to idiot officials AND because of the aforementioned pain, and desperately wants to play the game.
The most important thing to Boogie is loyalty. He will be loyal to Sacramento and the Kings for as long as he possibly can. It's in his DNA. It's not endless, but I think you and some others are vastly over-exaggerating what you think you're seeing from him. As I said, there is more than one interpretation and at this point I don't think you can just assume yours is the only valid one.
The most important thing to Boogie is loyalty. He will be loyal to Sacramento and the Kings for as long as he possibly can. It's in his DNA. It's not endless, but I think you and some others are vastly over-exaggerating what you think you're seeing from him. As I said, there is more than one interpretation and at this point I don't think you can just assume yours is the only valid one.
You've misunderstood my position. I think the Kings will be better next year. They have a pick this year and about 8-9 million in cap to work with. The following summer, they probably won't have a pick and most of the league will have massive cap space and Sacramento isn't a prime landing spot so I wouldn't bank on a ton of help that summer.
I think the Kings will be in the mix for a playoffs spot next year. It's possible they get in. I think the Kings have very decent chance to get in the following year because Rudy will be a free agent and he tends to play better in those seasons.
I don't think that's enough to get DMC to stay here. I don't think just making the playoffs even two years is going to keep a player in his prime playing for a team with a very spotty track record. For there to be light at the end of the tunnel, I think the Kings will have to advance to the second round. Brick seems to think the bar is lower, perhaps 9th next year and extending a good team to 4-2 in the first round in two years. I have serious doubts about that considering that good teams like perhaps the Wizards, if they miss on Durant and sign guys to one year deals to hold the cap space, will be looming to sign DMC to deals that identical on the first 4 years and DMC shouldn't have to worry about getting another massive contract after that.
But even assuming the lower standard is what is takes, there is a massive amount of ground that has to be covered in 2 years. It's not impossible. I think the odds favor it's not going to go that way and DMC, loyalty and all, will look for both a good landing spots and a place with his Bird rights and we are quietly forced to make a trade in 2 years. I hope I'm wrong.
I think the Kings will be in the mix for a playoffs spot next year. It's possible they get in. I think the Kings have very decent chance to get in the following year because Rudy will be a free agent and he tends to play better in those seasons.
I don't think that's enough to get DMC to stay here. I don't think just making the playoffs even two years is going to keep a player in his prime playing for a team with a very spotty track record. For there to be light at the end of the tunnel, I think the Kings will have to advance to the second round. Brick seems to think the bar is lower, perhaps 9th next year and extending a good team to 4-2 in the first round in two years. I have serious doubts about that considering that good teams like perhaps the Wizards, if they miss on Durant and sign guys to one year deals to hold the cap space, will be looming to sign DMC to deals that identical on the first 4 years and DMC shouldn't have to worry about getting another massive contract after that.
But even assuming the lower standard is what is takes, there is a massive amount of ground that has to be covered in 2 years. It's not impossible. I think the odds favor it's not going to go that way and DMC, loyalty and all, will look for both a good landing spots and a place with his Bird rights and we are quietly forced to make a trade in 2 years. I hope I'm wrong.
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