NBA Sacramento Kings

The Growth and Evolution Of DeMarcus Cousins

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By @courtzierk

USA TODAY Sports - Kelvin Kuo

USA TODAY Sports – Kelvin Kuo

“I went to put DeMarcus back in the game at one point, and he said ‘Coach give them another minute. Let them play another minute to build up that trust.’”

Sacramento Kings’ coach Mike Malone made that statement following a hard-fought victory over the Denver Nuggets, on the second night of a back-to-back road trip. Halfway through the fourth quarter, DeMarcus Cousins had only played about 19 minutes, leading me to wonder whether he had sustained some sort of unknown injury. Just when I had convinced myself that something had indeed happened, he stood up and approached the scorer’s table to check into the game.

A few seconds later, I saw him return to the bench, saying something to his coach on his way back. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was the moment that Malone referred to in his post-game interview. As soon as I heard Malone convey this anecdote, it immediately occurred to me that Cousins could very well be a changed man. To quote one of my favorite movies, he may finally be “all growns up”.

There has never been any doubting Cousins’ extraordinary talent and athletic ability. As a freshman in high school, Cousins dominated his AAU league in a way never seen before in the state of Alabama, averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 70 percent from the field. He was virtually unstoppable.

But, that was also around the time that questions surrounding his character began to sneak into the collective perception of Cousins. During his sophomore year, he was involved in a physical altercation with a faculty member on the team bus. Despite insistence from Cousins that he was simply defending himself, people began to view him as a hothead, and as someone who becomes rattled when frustrated.

This reputation has followed him throughout high school, on into his one year of college, and has been amplified under the bright lights of the NBA. He has been called immature by opposing coaches, a bad decision-maker by former players, and has even been labeled as having mental issues by O.J. Mayo. Needless to say, his character has been subject to intense scrutiny during his time in the league.

At times, he has actively tried to dispel the notion that he is a bad seed, but more often than not, Cousins has put on his best “ what you say bounces off me and sticks to you” face. He comes off like he simply doesn’t care what you think about him.

It’s hard to look at some of the things that Cousins has done, and not question the construct of his character. When he punched Patrick Beverley in the gut as he ran through the paint last season, Cousins clearly wasn’t using his head. When he acrimoniously prevented Isaiah Thomas from shaking hands with Chris Paul following a narrow defeat, he definitely showed some immaturity. When he confronted former player, and San Antonio Spurs analyst Sean Elliott following a game for comments he made about him on the broadcast, Cousins clearly let his emotions get the best of him.

But, I really think that Cousins is trying to put that all behind him, so that he is perceived as a winner first and foremost, and secondarily as a great teammate. Being a part of Team USA this summer may have been the impetus of this transformation. All indications were that Cousins was the ideal teammate, and one of the hardest working players on the team. He was victim to hard fouls, questionable calls and plenty of other frustrating situations throughout their gold medal run. He didn’t once respond with any negative emotion or hurt his team through misconduct on the court.

But, the media being the media, won’t allow his reputation to undergo the transformation it may well deserve. Even as recently as this offseason, after Thomas was allowed to sign with the Phoenix Suns and replaced with veteran point guard Darren Collison, Cousins made comments that have been misconstrued as meaning he played a part in Thomas’ decision, i.e. he forced him out of Sacramento.

There are certainly questions about the context with which these comments were actually made. Isn’t it just as likely that Cousins was praising his new teammate, and being a supportive member of the collective unit rather than taking an offhanded jab at Thomas? Although Thomas took it as a slight towards him, that doesn’t confirm the sentiment that it was. Thomas needs motivation as he enters this upcoming season with a new team, on which he will be competing for playing time against other All-Star caliber players. Of course he is going to draw from whatever sources of motivation are out there.

As I was watching the Kings outlast the Nuggets the other night, while Boogie was getting a well-deserved rest, one thing became abundantly clear. He truly likes being a member of this team, and is genuinely enthusiastic about his teammates. He was the clear leader on the bench as he stood and cheered in support of the players on the floor. He wasn’t a passive participant. It was obvious who made this team tick.

Following the game, Cousins confirmed his mentality. “It doesn’t really matter who it is, as long as we get the win at the end of the day. And that’s how it should be.”

That is exactly how it should be, and now that Cousins actually understands and believes that statement, the rest of the NBA should be petrified. Boogie is coming for you, and whether in the game, or cheering from the bench, he will legitimately do anything in his power to defeat you. He is finally all growns up.

Court Zierk is a Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter@CourtZierk, “Like”him on Facebook or add him on Google.

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