Cousins would get rid of All-Star fan voting

A day after pouring in a career-high 56 points in an overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins wasn't shy about what changes he would make to the All-Star selection process.

"There definitely wouldn't be fan voting," Cousins told Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears, criticizing what is essentially a popularity contest rather than a determination of merit.

"You can't base it off of who is on TNT and ESPN every night," Cousins told Spears. "Of course, it's going to be most winning teams' (players), the most popular players. The other guys that play for the Milwaukee Bucks, and in our case the Sacramento Kings, who are playing just as good basketball, will never be seen. I don't think it's fair."

Cousins is a near-lock to be selected as a coaches' reserve on Thursday after being named an injury replacement last season, but it's no wonder the 25-year-old isn't a fan of the current voting system. After all, he's averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds over the last three seasons and has technically never earned a legitimate All-Star selection.

Cousins has also faced an uphill battle when dealing with the challenges of his reputation as an enigmatic and difficult talent to manage, but he doesn't seem concerned about his chances for this season's mid-February classic in Toronto.

"My play speaks for itself," Cousins said. "If it was about play, I don't think there would be a question."

The big man has a point. Cousins is currently averaging 27.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks for the Kings, who are unexpectedly holding down a playoff spot past the season's midway point.