NBA Trade Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins Is a Bad Fit for Brooklyn

Reports have surfaced that the Nets have inquired about the availability of DeMarcus Cousins. 

This shows the Nets are still trying to improve, or at least trying to acquire a player that entices Deron Williams to stay with the team.

This would equal the third or fourth (depending on who you believe) center the Nets have given some effort or attention towards acquiring.

While Dwight Howard obviously topped their list, Nene was heavily mentioned as was Tyson Chandler before both signed elsewhere.

This potential acquisition is a bad idea. DeMarcus Cousins is a young, talented big man with tons of issues as it relates to behavior and maturity. I contend it will take veteran leadership and a specific type of coach to get the best out of him.

Avery Johnson is not the right personality to place over Cousins. Avery had issues with Dennis Rodman and could never accept this contrasting personality. In his book, Aspire Higher: Winning On and Off the Court with Determination, Discipline and Decisions, he wrote:

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After the season we all knew we weren't going to achieve our goal of winning a championship with Rodman, despite his numbers.

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He blamed Rodman for the team's failure to win a championship during the Worm's tenure.

Surely Cousins and Rodman are different, but both of their acts can be defined as distractions. Johnson is likely to be less tolerant as coach than he was as a player.

As far as player leadership, you have Deron Williams, and that's it. There aren't any other significant veteran influences on the roster. Moreover, there aren't any veteran big men to tutor and help hone the great physical gifts Cousins possesses.

On paper, it looks great. The Nets could add a potentially dominant 6'11" 290-pound center at 21 years old. In reality, they would be acquiring a big headache—one that would serve as the first step in making their move to Brooklyn a joke on the court.