Sacramento Kings: Can DeMarcus Cousins Hang With the L.A. Lakers' Bigs?
"When the game's on the line, I want the ball. Give me the ball, give me the ball," says, 6'11'', 270lb rookie big, DeMarcus Cousins.
In his first appearance as a Sacramento King, Cousins had 14 (PTS), 8 (REBS), and 5 (AST) against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
His level of play was nothing short of great, and Cousins proved that he was a winner, even at the NBA level. Cousins is used to success and his winning attitude really showed in his debut against the Timberwolves.
Playing under Coach Calipari, Cousins constantly experienced the benefits of being under the "spotlight," as the Kentucky Wildcats went on to be very successful in the 2009-2010 NCAA Tournament. Due to the success of his team, Cousins really received a lot of attention from the NBA, and from that point on, Cousins was going to be considered one of the best NBA prospects in the nation.
Everyone knew of the raw talent on this team, which also led to the exposure of Cousins' attitude, commonly known as his "swagger." This has been a controversial topic for the reason that Cousins' talent was always measured up to his infamous attitude, which is honestly fair.
As a high school kid, Cousins began to feel the effects of being an athletic and skilled high school prospect. I'd imagine that he knew of his potential, and that he would, no doubt, play in the NBA someday. Well that day has come, and Cousins is living up to all of the hype, so far.
This Wednesday, Cousins will be facing the Lakers and more importantly one of, if not the best power forward/center in the game, Pau Gasol.
Coach Paul Westphal should be both excited and scared for his top pick (5th), DeMarcus Cousins, because this will be his toughest test of the season, so far.
In one way, Cousins is lucky; Lakers' center Andrew Bynum is expected to be out for a couple more months. But on the other hand, he has to face, like I said, Pau Gasol, which isn't much easier.
Cousins' mix of athleticism and skills should be enough to stay with the veteran big, Gasol, but could we potentially see that epic down-low battle that nobody is ready for?
As a Laker fan, I expect nothing less than domination from Gasol, but after taking a long look at Cousins, I doubt I'll get to see that.
Gasol, Odom, and Ratliff will prove to be a tough challenge for Cousins, but don't be surprised if he rises above and beyond it.
In the Pre-season, Cousins played the Lakers, and he seemed to have had a good game; scoring 14 (PTS) and grabbing 10 (REBS). Getting a double-double in your first game against the Lakers is never easy, but as we know, Cousins defines hard as easy.
In one way, I'm excited to see this kid play, but in another way, I'm almost not prepared for Cousins to beat up on my Gasol, but there is no doubt in my mind that this will prove to be a great showdown in the black and purple paint.
So who do you think will have a better game, young rookie Cousins, or veteran big Gasol? Now that is a topic that is up to you and time itself.
