The Kings Held Ransom

How DeMarcus Cousins will be the final blow to basketball in Sacramento.

DeMarcus Cousins’ has already won one battle, as Sacramento team ownership sided with their enigmatic and surly young center by firing head coach Paul Westphal- the NBA equivalent of allowing the inmates to run the asylum. Will Cousins’ now provide the final blow to Sacramento’s chances of keeping its beloved basketball franchise? Looking into the Spalding Magic 8 Ball the answer would come up as- Yes.

Cousins, for all of his talent, is a frustrating player that has all the potential and skills to succeed, but may need Ron Artest’s, excuse me- Metta World Peace, shrink to tap into the young center’s fragile and volatile psyche.  Cousins’ personality was a red flag coming out of the draft, but something Sacramento thought it could deal with by teaming him with a young, dynamic guard Tyreke Evans and head coach Paul Westphal. (Notice how I did not call Tyreke a Point Guard? Just because you dribble up the court with the ball does not make you a Point Guard. Especially when you are averaging fewer than 4 assists on a team full of scorers. Just saying.)  But that combination has not lead to wins or inspired a lot of confidence in the Sacramento community that is trying to save this much-maligned franchise.

Rather, the Kings have been an early season disappointment, headlined by the Cousins fiasco that may or may not have had him demanding a trade, depending on whom you believe, and ultimately led to the ouster of its head coach, probably to Westphal’s relief.  The city of Sacramento enjoyed an early season victory on opening night over the hated Lakers that had many Cow Bell fans believing this young nucleus was ready to make a run at a weak Pacific Division crown.  Instead, they were met with three dismal performances and lackluster play that was highlighted by the immaturity of their young center in demanding trade.

This is a city that enjoyed team and playoff success in the early part of the century with the trio of Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, and the flopping Vlade Divac. So why would King fans not be excited about the young nucleus of Tyreke Evans, Cousins, and rookie phenom The Jimmer in duplicating that same magic they had previously enjoyed? The reason being that team had an important tangible called chemistry. Webber, Bibby, and Vlade enjoyed passing the ball to one another for scores. This trio of young Kings takes a pass on passing, settling to create their own offense rather than sharing the ball.  No one is more guilty of this lack of team sharing than Cousins, who is averaging less than an assist a game for the season, which exhibits his “me first attitude”.

This style of play will surely doom the Kings, not only as a team, but as a franchise because there is nothing worse to fans than ball hogging, complaining, young talent that has opted to gripe about his role instead of trying to save a franchise. The great Sacramento crowd that wants nothing more than to keep its team will slowly and sadly, for the city, turn on the team by not showing up; those fans deserve better than to have to root on its star center that cares more about himself and his offensive touches than being a key contributor to what should be an inspired to win and save basketball in Sacramento team. 

Now I know that trading Cousins away would have been terrible business because the franchise would have gotten a bad return in terms of value of players and draft picks. That type of move has happened before with negative effects that have hurt franchises in the long haul (i.e. Golden State trading away Chris Webber. A move that still haunts that franchise) But, what are you telling your fans is that the actions of this one player are acceptable or at least condoned. If Cousins can get away with his behavior now what is to say he will not do it again- and by the way he will- is that you are sacrificing the present for a possibility for the future. But will that future be in Sacramento?

This Sacramento franchise has chosen to keep their young yet embattled center within a franchise that is teetering on the brink of leaving. In doing so they may have just delivered the final blow to the hopes of the Sacramento community that had high hopes to ride a magical season into a long and prosperous NBA future. That future may happen. It just might be headed south.