Cousins excited about Joerger's offense: 'I love it'
It's of the utmost importance that DeMarcus Cousins and new Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger get their relationship off on the right foot, considering how poorly things have turned with Boogie and coaches in the past.
So far so good, though, as Cousins has taken a huge liking to the way Joerger plans on running the team's offense this upcoming season.
"I love it," the 26-year-old center said on Monday, according to the Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones.
Joerger wants to use Cousins in the high post more often, giving the two-time All-Star the freedom to not only score around the rim, but act as a facilitator by kicking it out to his teammates. He's averaging 2.7 assists over his six seasons with the organization.
When Cousins is posting up, Joerger hopes the Kings will move more than they have in the past and avoid standing put to watch him go 1-on-1 down low with his defender.
Regardless of how the offense ultimately changes the dynamic of the team, Cousins isn't worried about how things will turn out right away, knowing it's going to take some time before the players get adjusted.
"A lot of learning," Cousins said. "It's a new system, of course, a lot of options, man. The offense is different. I think it’s a good look for our team. I think this will help this team get to the next level. So it’s about us getting the system down pat and getting these options, a lot of options."
With the offense slowing down, Cousins is struggling to adapt to a different tempo after moving up and down the floor with former coach George Karl.
"It's been tough, honestly," Cousins said. "To shake off the way we used to play, to a … more traditional way, it's been tough, but I think guys have been great about it. We're working hard. We're taking in as much information as we can in a short period of time. I think we're growing at a fast pace - still got a lot of growing to do."
The Kings finally won over 30 games (33-49) for the first time in the Cousins era during the 2015-16 campaign. Joerger joined the team in May, two days after being fired by the Memphis Grizzlies.