We watched a great Skills Challenge, an entertaining Three-Point Contest, a memorable Dunk Contest and a perfect shooting night from DeMarcus Cousins in his second All-Star game appearance.
All-Star Weekend was a great way for Cousins to get away from his team’s struggles and relax his mind. Cousins said all the right things this past weekend and represented Sacramento very well.
He conveyed a positive outlook to the national outlets and stood by his head coach when he was repeatedly asked about his relationship with George Karl.
“That’s my coach and that’s who I play for,” Cousins told NBA.com’s David Aldridge. “I’m going to be coachable in this situation. There isn’t an issue, that’s who I play for.”
And it didn’t stop there when questioning the big man’s initial response.
“I’m tired of it. Stop trying to make a story out of it, we’re fine,” Cousins responded. “Our only goal this season is to make the playoffs. That’s it. All the other stuff, just stop, it’s not necessary.”
Cousins never slipped up as he was asked the same thing over and over by multiple national outlets. He handled it well and showed great professionalism.
Now the big question remains, how will he lead his team to make a strong playoff push?
The Kings are currently nine games below .500 and with the trading deadline three days away, teams will make many inquires about Cousins’ availability but they will be turned down because the Kings will not trade its All-Star big man this season.
Cousins had a strong January and will need to replicate that level of play for the rest of the season if the Kings have any chance of making a playoff push.
But to be fair, it’s not all on Cousins’ shoulders because Rajon Rondo will need to set the tone on the perimeter in the final 29 games. That’s where they have struggled and that’s where they need the most help. Will Vlade Divac pull the trigger and reinforce his team’s overall defense?
Sources have confirmed to Cowbell Kingdom that there is plenty of interest around the league for multiple players on the Kings’ roster but as of right now Ben McLemore has been discussed a lot more than the rest of his teammates.
But the question is, how much value will McLemore garnish in the next couple of days and will the Kings get a defensive presence in return?
If the offer makes sense, Divac will pull the trigger but like he said on the Grant Napear show, he won’t make a move just to make one.
There are plenty of fake rumors roaming the Internet right now, so please don’t believe everything you read. It’s honestly a waste of time.
It’s difficult to make a true assessment on this team since it might have different faces Friday morning. But one thing is clear, the current roster won’t make the playoffs unless the perimeter defense vastly improves.
Another thing to take note of is the Kings are known to play to the level of their competition. Their schedule looks brutal in the second half (baring injury) but, as we have seen in the past, the Kings play well against good teams. I’m not saying they will win but expect them to be competitive at the very least.
One thing I feel confident saying is that I expect Cousins and Karl to communicate better and quietly silence the national critiques that proclaim that they can’t work together.
That alone will improve the Kings in the second half of the season. Will it be enough to help the Kings get over the hump? Probably not but in Kings land anything is possible.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
