Doc Rivers on Cousins: 'I think he's the best low-post player in the league'
DeMarcus Cousins has gone from really good to elite over the last two seasons and his progression hasn't been lost on the basketball world.
The Sacramento Kings center proved that last year's breakout was sustainable, as he's followed it up by dominating the opposition once again. Cousins has been one of the game's best players at the halfway point of the season.
| PLAYER | PPG | RPG | FTA | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cousins | 24.0 (4) | 12.4 (3) | 8.6 (3) | 26.16 (6) |
(*NBA rank in parentheses)
When Cousins is on the court, the Kings are a different team. In fact, they're a really good team, something their 16-24 record doesn't reflect.
| Kings | O-Rtg | D-Rtg | Net | Closest Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| with Cousins | 109.9 | 102.5 | 7.4 | Hawks |
| without Cousins | 102.9 | 113.9 | -11.0 | Timberwolves |
Sacramento is 2-10 without Cousins this season.
Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who watched Cousins fall one assist shy of a triple-double in a recent contest versus Sacramento, said the big man doesn't have any weaknesses in his offensive game, according to James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom.
Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers took it a step further.
I think he's been amazing. I'm so proud of him. I really am. Listen, he's an opponent, but I'm a fan of the league and when you watch a young kid like this grow up ... he's grown up emotionally. His game has grown up. I think he's the best low-post player in the league, and he's doing it every night. He's doing more than just scoring, he's doing everything. So I'm just very proud of him.
Rivers is right. In addition to being a force on the offensive end, maturity questions that plagued Cousins throughout the beginning of his career don't seem to be popping up as much, and he has made great strides defensively, as well.
Fellow Western Conference big Blake Griffin has certainly taken notice, saying Cousins deserves to be an All-Star:
The way he's played is incredible and you can't deny his production, his numbers. You saw what happened when he wasn't playing, but I say this every year - there are guys that deserve to play in the All-Star Game that unfortunately don't get to play in the All-Star Game.
That's unfortunately what could happen to Cousins, as he's no shoo-in to make the team now that the NBA has grouped forwards and centers together in the voting process.
The latest voting returns had Cousins trailing Anthony Davis, Griffin, Marc Gasol, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwight Howard among West frontcourt players.
Cousins could still get selected by Western Conference coaches, but all of those players are on teams with better records than the Kings, which could sway decisions. But a definite argument can be made that Cousins has been better than all of them this season, save for Davis.