Whether you’re a dedicated trucker, surgeon or athlete, it’s always good to recharge the mind and body. But the Sacramento Kings and their suggestions to rest DeMarcus Cousins to close out the regular season has ramifications beyond fresh legs.
According to ESPN.com, head coach George Karl told the media before Monday’s game versus the Memphis Grizzlies that he’d consider sitting Cousins in the final nine games of the schedule.
“We talked when he commented after one game that his body was beat up,” Karl explained to the scrum in Memphis. “I said, ‘Instead of thinking about shutting it down, let’s try to find some days that you can get your body rested.’ We might schedule a piece of our games and (rest Cousins) again.”
“I think Cousins likes to play and I think he’s doing it because he wants to play at a higher efficiency,” Karl added. “It gives me an opportunity to experiment a little bit. At home, I’d like to go in and (let Cousins play) every game. But on the road, I might experiment a little bit more.”
As Karl spoke, Cousins was already listed as “out” for Monday’s match due to “rest.” The Kings were outplayed by the Grizzlies in the paint and lost by a final score of 97-83.
Cousins has been beat up this season. The physical center who sacrifices his body to wage war in the paint has suffered a calf strain, sprained ankles and sore feet, in addition to a scary bout with viral meningitis. The Kings are guaranteed to miss the playoffs, so preserving Cousins’ health makes sense, especially considering how sidekick Rudy Gay went down with a concussion on Monday.
With a 3-14 record this season when Cousins doesn’t play, there’s no question what he brings to the team. By benching the All-Star, the Kings increase their likelihood of losing and consequently keeping their 2015 first round pick.
The Kings’ top 10 protected draft selection was flipped to Cleveland in the 2011 Omri Casspi-J.J. Hickson trade and moved to Chicago last year in the Luol Deng-Andrew Bynum deal. Sacramento is currently in line to keep the pick and winning more games this season only hurts their chances.
Yet one must ask at what cost is the top 10 pick worth? The Kings are primed to reload their roster in the offseason, but establishing a winning culture should start today. By resting Cousins, it sends a message to 11 other able-bodied basketball players that the star is receiving special treatment. Why should Boogie sit and get paid when they have just as many nicks and bruises?
Benching Cousins also hurts the bottom line. Fans pay top dollar to watch generational talents, which the 6-foot-11, 270-pound pivot is. No offense to Ryan Hollins or Carl Landry, but the remaining Kings frontcourt doesn’t pull the ticket sales for these last two weeks of the season.
The NBA is a seven to nine-month grind. Cousins needs rest, like any hard working individual. But there’s an offseason for that, so the Kings may want to play their next hand wisely.
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