Author Topic: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?  (Read 7325 times)

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Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #30 on: December 23, 2016, 03:44:27 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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I think if you put Cousins on San Antonio, Boston or other teams with strong leadership and management Cousins' attitude problems in large part go away or diminish considerably.
San Antonio is what it is because it doesn't bother with guys like Cousins. The same is probably true for Boston.
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Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #31 on: December 23, 2016, 03:52:24 PM »

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I think if you put Cousins on San Antonio, Boston or other teams with strong leadership and management Cousins' attitude problems in large part go away or diminish considerably.
San Antonio is what it is because it doesn't bother with guys like Cousins. The same is probably true for Boston.

San Antonio owes all of it's success to all of the good players they have acquired. How often have they even been in a position to get a Cousins-like talent? It's not like they were turning them down left and right.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #32 on: December 23, 2016, 04:15:16 PM »

Offline moiso

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I think a Cousins and Smart intensity would put this team over the top for a title.  That much passion, guided by Steven's positive attitude, is going to help this team explode. 

Cousins' attitude is negative because he cares so much about winning and that the Kings' organization has messed up every decision since he was drafted.  And the media is completely throwing him under the bus because they don't condone his passion.  Although the Boston media can be harsh and critical frequently, the organization and winning atmosphere will hold off most of the negative media (and hopefully they'd know that they are making it worse if they choose to publish something negative).  Getting a Cousins with Smart, Horford, Bradley, It and Crowder would make for an incredible force.
This is a crazy post and doesn't match up with reality.  Just because Cousins is a disturbed individual doesn't mean he cares about winning.  He is just as likely to have incidents when the team is on a hot streak, winning the game, or Cousins having a game for the ages.  If he cared about winning he would have been gone a long time ago.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #33 on: December 23, 2016, 04:16:36 PM »

Offline moiso

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I think if you put Cousins on San Antonio, Boston or other teams with strong leadership and management Cousins' attitude problems in large part go away or diminish considerably.
San Antonio is what it is because it doesn't bother with guys like Cousins. The same is probably true for Boston.
Exactly.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #34 on: December 23, 2016, 04:22:29 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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I think if you put Cousins on San Antonio, Boston or other teams with strong leadership and management Cousins' attitude problems in large part go away or diminish considerably.
San Antonio is what it is because it doesn't bother with guys like Cousins. The same is probably true for Boston.

San Antonio owes all of it's success to all of the good players they have acquired. How often have they even been in a position to get a Cousins-like talent? It's not like they were turning them down left and right.
Yes, and despite acquiring all those good players they never seem to pick up mental cases just because they are talented basketball players. This should tell you something.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #35 on: December 23, 2016, 04:24:09 PM »

Offline moiso

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I think if you put Cousins on San Antonio, Boston or other teams with strong leadership and management Cousins' attitude problems in large part go away or diminish considerably.
San Antonio is what it is because it doesn't bother with guys like Cousins. The same is probably true for Boston.

San Antonio owes all of it's success to all of the good players they have acquired. How often have they even been in a position to get a Cousins-like talent? It's not like they were turning them down left and right.
If you think this you haven't paid attention to a thing R.C. Buford and Pop have said over the past 10 years or more.  Pop- "we only target players who are over themselves."  Pop asked Steven Jackson to tell Ginobilli that Ginobilli was the better player so there was no confusion about hierarchy.  Jackson refused and he was gone the next day even though he was still a good player.  Also, Pop credits the Spurs success to the fact that he could rip into Duncan like he was the worst scrub on the team to set an example for the rest of the guys.  You think Cousins would go along with that?  Do I even have to ask?

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #36 on: December 23, 2016, 04:32:00 PM »

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I think if you put Cousins on San Antonio, Boston or other teams with strong leadership and management Cousins' attitude problems in large part go away or diminish considerably.
San Antonio is what it is because it doesn't bother with guys like Cousins. The same is probably true for Boston.

San Antonio owes all of it's success to all of the good players they have acquired. How often have they even been in a position to get a Cousins-like talent? It's not like they were turning them down left and right.
Yes, and despite acquiring all those good players they never seem to pick up mental cases just because they are talented basketball players. This should tell you something.

And on the flip side, they could have picked up a bunch of lovely role players with half the talent and not have nearly the success they are having now, which you attributed to the fact that they avoid mental cases and not to the fact that they acquire talented players.

It's not like there was a head case they would have rather taken than Tim Duncan in the draft, but got lucky that Tim was such a good guy that it worked out in the end. Their success is based on talent, not avoidance of talent.

Pop absolutely targets certain qualities. But they are always the supporting players to his superstars. We have no evidence of San Antonio turning down a superstar player over that players attitude. It's convenient that they haven't had the opportunity to do so. Makes it look like it's the cause of their success. It's not. Who was the more talented guy than Kawhi Leonard that the Spurs passed over in the 2011 draft because of his attitude? I forgot his name.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #37 on: December 23, 2016, 04:36:59 PM »

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I think if you put Cousins on San Antonio, Boston or other teams with strong leadership and management Cousins' attitude problems in large part go away or diminish considerably.
San Antonio is what it is because it doesn't bother with guys like Cousins. The same is probably true for Boston.



San Antonio owes all of it's success to all of the good players they have acquired. How often have they even been in a position to get a Cousins-like talent? It's not like they were turning them down left and right.
If you think this you haven't paid attention to a thing R.C. Buford and Pop have said over the past 10 years or more.  Pop- "we only target players who are over themselves."  Pop asked Steven Jackson to tell Ginobilli that Ginobilli was the better player so there was no confusion about hierarchy.  Jackson refused and he was gone the next day even though he was still a good player.  Also, Pop credits the Spurs success to the fact that he could rip into Duncan like he was the worst scrub on the team to set an example for the rest of the guys.  You think Cousins would go along with that?  Do I even have to ask?

You mean the 34 year old Stephen Jackson, not the 24 year old version who helped them win a championship, right? Yeah, he had Cousins-level talent.

The Spurs can be picky about their role players when they have superstars in place. The superstars are the reason they win year after year, not the role players. Heck, they're different role players every year. I've listened to Pop's speeches. I know the stuff he says.

When you say "a guy like Cousins" you have to include the talent, not just the attitude. Can't have one without the other with him. That's what he is.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #38 on: December 23, 2016, 05:42:17 PM »

Offline Phantom255x

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The Kings are currently the #8 seed because of the Blazers playing poorly.

I doubt they trade Cousins because the FO feels it can fight for an #8 seed. To satisfy Kings fans and because of their new arena.

Cousins is literally the only bright spot in that organization.
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Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #39 on: December 23, 2016, 05:53:43 PM »

Offline Ilikesports17

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The Kings are currently the #8 seed because of the Blazers playing poorly.

I doubt they trade Cousins because the FO feels it can fight for an #8 seed. To satisfy Kings fans and because of their new arena.

Cousins is literally the only bright spot in that organization.
Its crazy how fast the West falls off.
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Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #40 on: December 23, 2016, 06:07:07 PM »

Offline bdm860

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I think San Antonio is definitely overrated in the character department.  When you look at it, most teams in the league don't have guys with character issues, yet it seems only the Spurs get constantly praised for it.

Spurs were trying to sign Sheed when he signed in Boston.  Brought in Stephen Jackson twice. Tried to sign wife beater Jason Kidd.  And it's not like they got rid of Tony Parker when he was caught sexting with a teammate's wife.

Spurs are really just like most other teams in the league when it comes to character.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2016, 06:38:02 PM by bdm860 »

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Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #41 on: December 23, 2016, 06:59:12 PM »

Offline moiso

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I think San Antonio is definitely overrated in the character department.  When you look at it, most teams in the league don't have guys with character issues, yet it seems only the Spurs get constantly praised for it.

Spurs were trying to sign Sheed when he signed in Boston.  Brought in Stephen Jackson twice. Tried to sign wife beater Jason Kidd.  And it's not like they got rid of Tony Parker when he was caught sexting with a teammate's wife.

Spurs are really just like most other teams in the league when it comes to character.
Take another look at the players you just mentioned.  Maybe jerks but totally team oriented on the court.  Even in their primes.  And is "who they tried to sign" even something to look at?   I don't think so.   So they offered less than their value... that makes the gamble less costly.  Ainge supposedly liked iverson.  He was one of the worst "a part of a team" players ever.  The Spurs have mostly kept good guys on their teams.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #42 on: December 26, 2016, 07:48:50 AM »

Offline LilRip

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I think Cousins would do well here because he's talented. A winning environment would definitely help his image too. I don't think he'd change much but honestly, look at a guy like Draymond Green. Because the Warriors are winning, he's called passionate. But if he was on the Kings kicking people in their Christmas ornaments, he'd be called a thug and a head case.

If we keep most of this team intact and get boogie for a package like Rozier, Amir, and some valuable picks, we'll be contending with a very bright future.
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Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #43 on: December 26, 2016, 09:57:25 AM »

Offline Eddie20

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Plus Horford, AB leadership. IT4 has said he can tame the big fella as well

Like he did in Sacramento? Can you post the link of the quote you said Thomas made? You have the knack to say players made statements that they never actually made.

Re: Would Cousins attitude change in a winning environment ?
« Reply #44 on: December 26, 2016, 10:03:43 AM »

Offline IDreamCeltics

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This year Cousins has been involved in two bar fights that ended in arrests (or an attempted arrest).  Once with his brother and once with Matt Barnes (who fled the state of New York before he could be arrested). 

His response to this was to physically threaten a Sacramento beat reporter for writing about it. 

This week he got ejected WITH 36 SECONDS REMAINING in the fourth quarter of a game against Portland where he had scored 54 points and had just put his team up 121-119. 

After scoring, he turned to Portland's bench and "allegedly" spit his mouth-guard at them which quickly garnered his second technical of the game followed by an ejection. 

Somehow - after the call - the refs decided that the mouth-guard had unintentionally flown out of his mouth while he was verbally taunting Portland's bench (also a technical foul by NBA rules by the way) and rescinded the technical.     

This guy has learned NOTHING in his time in the NBA except that he can do WHATEVER HE WANTS without fear of repercussion.  He's the kind of guy that will mentally implode with 35 seconds left in a one basket game against the team you're fighting for the last playoff spot with.  Simply put, he reacts worse to pressure than any other player in the NBA.

Environment isn't changing Cousins, this is about who he is.