Demarcus Cousins Is Worth Your Loyalty

Demarcus Cousins does something noteworthy every night, in between the lines or outside them. Here’s a case for how his and the Sacramento Kings’ marriage has been a perfect storm of dysfunction, and how anywhere else he’d become your favorite player.

Demarcus Cousins is listed at 6’11”, 270 pounds, and looks every bit the part.

Among the big men who roam the NBA today, many of whom seem to not be of the same species as normal people, Cousins may be the most physically gifted. His season averages currently reside at 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

The very same man who can catch the ball above the high post, shot fake, crossover left to right and slice through three defenders to finish with a feathery touch at the rim can also move the notoriously physical Zach Randolph at will with one step above the block using his full frame.

And yet with Cousins, this otherworldly talent has always come with spontaneous outbursts, sour expressions and drama. Lots of drama. In his seventh season, Cousins has already amassed 102 career technical fouls, including 12 this season, tied for the first in the NBA with Russell Westbrook.

His 55-point game earlier this season perfectly encapsulated his tumultuous career, complete with an absolute clinic against an admittedly putrid Blazers’ defense. But the headline ended up being Cousins’ mouthpiece being dislodged from its resting place (whether he spit it or it fell out is still up to debate) in the direction of Portland’s bench.

And yet, for all of the distress Cousins is presumed to cause, the franchise seems to be as much (if not more) at fault. The Kings are on their sixth head coach in seven years, indicating a lack of direction and consensus that rises to ownership. In a revealing article with USA Today’s Sam Amick before this season began, majority owner Vivek Randive appeared, at best, dismissive of some of the whispers around his organization regarding his turbulant ownership style.

All Cousins has known in Sacramento is constant turnover, unrelenting change and no constants, except for losing games. And yet, he puts up All-NBA numbers on a nightly basis with a subpar roster that changes each year, and not for the better. Cousins possesses the second-highest usage percentage in the league behind Westbrook, and though the Kings are a -1.6 net rating when he is on the court, they divebomb into a -9.4 when he is on the bench.

Despite all of this, Cousins is not faultless in his current situation. During this summer’s Olympic Games, many looked at his appearance on Team USA to be a golden opportunity for Cousins to prove that he could fit into a system and thrive alongside elite talent. Cousins only furthered the polarization on him and his case to be a franchise player, with constant foul trouble causing him to lose his starting spot to DeAndre Jordan.

So why take a chance on Cousins? Why torture yourself with hours of trade machine fantasies? Because in the brief period he was given stability and a coach who made it clear that he wanted Cousins, believed in him and would stick with him through thick and thin, he returned the loyalty in spades. In an interview with SB Nation’s Sactown Royalty, Mike Malone explained how he and Cousins’ relationship blossomed over his short stint with the Kings. It’s appropriate that the article mentions that Cousins lives by the mantra “loyalty is love”.

The Kings-Cousins relationship may be coming to an end, as the big man’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2017-18 season, and the Kings are terrified of losing him for nothing. Depending on what day you check, there will be reports that Cousins will be moved, or that Sacramento will absolutely not trade him.

Until the day comes where a trade is executed or Cousins signs a new contract, with Sacramento or someone else, continue to envision these highlights with your favorite team’s uniform on the barrel-chested “Boogie”.

He’ll love you if you love him back.