DeMarcus Cousins Is a Man Among Boys
When DeMarcus Cousins was taken with the fifth overall selection by the Sacremento Kings in the 2010 NBA Draft, pundits throughout the country debated the selection. Some said that he should have been taken as high as second, while others cited his supposed lack of maturity and poise as a reason that he should have been taken much lower.
I remember watching Cousins play for Kentucky against Georgia during his only collegiate season. He responded very poorly to the constant taunting of the Bulldog faithful but then showed up the fans with his play.
You could tell that he was just that much better than anyone on the opposing team. I thought to myself that day that if he could control his temper, he would be a Shaq-like force to be reckoned with in the pros.
Now Cousins has finally had his chance to play at a higher level of competition, one he sorely needed. And he has most definitely not disappointed.
In his first game of the Las Vegas Summer League, he racked up a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons. In his next two games he would only get better.
Against the Los Angeles Lakers the next day he scored 19 points and pulled down 12 boards to go along with his 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks
But even that paled in comparison to his performance the next day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that third game, Cousins completed his third straight double-double with a Summer League high 22 points and 14 rebounds. Both of those stats, as well as his 5 assists, led his team that game. Cousins also had 4 assists and 2 blocked shots and stayed out of foul trouble the entire game.
But as impressive as all those numbers are, they are only just that: numbers. The moves and clutch performances he has displayed have been even more impressive.
In the second quarter against the Pistons, Cousins had one play that showed off his incredible strength. He caught a tough pass, bided his time, and then went up strong with three Pistons defenders all over his back to complete the dunk. He also hit Tyrese Rice with a crosscourt heads-up pass to set up a three pointer late in the fourth quarter.
Against the Lakers, Cousins showed off his touch with some impressive layups and a great pass to Donald Sloan in the third quarter. With six minutes left in the fourth quarter of that game, he also gave a preview of what might be coming later in the real season. On one end of the court, Cousins blocked a shot then hustled down and completed a tough fastbreak layup, drawing a foul in the process.
Finally, in the third quarter, Cousins showed off one of the most impressive moves of the still-young Summer League season. Posting his man up, Cousins faked one way, then spun towards the baseline and drove in for a wide-open slam dunk. He literally made the defender look silly.
He also made some more nice passes before winning the game off a tough jump-hook with 5 seconds left in the final quarter.
It remains to be seen whether Cousins can keep this up when he faces the much tougher competition of the regular NBA, but all indications thus far point to a spectacular rookie season. Keep an eye on Cousins and you’ll end up seeing some very special things.
