It’s no secret that the NBA is in the midst of a revolution. The three-point shooting craze was already running rampant before the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, and now that the Golden State Warriors proved that jump-shooting teams can win, it won’t be a trend that dies anytime soon.
A big component of the three-point shooting offense is the floor-spacing big man. If teams can afford to have more shooters on the court, it can result in a more spread-out offense which creates more spacing for dribble penetration and a more efficient offense. Usually, floor-spacing big men are “tweeners” that can’t quite hold up physically against bigger forwards.
But with the league suffering from a drought of physically dominating big men, teams are more willing to take the risk of playing a small-ball 4.
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For the Sacramento Kings, they have one of the most physically dominant big men in the league in DeMarcus Cousins. He proved last season that he had a bright future ahead of him, and showed that he was a top-five center in the league. Cousins is a physical specimen capable of bullying even the most skilled of post defenders.
In fact, his physicality is why Cousins’ love for the three-point shot is a huge mystery and mistake. For years now, Cousins has been working on improving his three-point shot, and it is no secret that Cousins likes the idea of being able to shoot threes.
Thankfully, the Kings’ coaching staff have been able to reduce his three-point attempts over the past two seasons, limiting him to just 15 attempts. However, there is real concern that under new head coach George Karl’s run-and-gun offense, Cousins could end up receiving more three-point opportunities.
Another factor to consider is that Cousins’ desire to play at the power forward position. The Kings drafted Willie Cauley-Stein in the 2015 NBA Draft, with the idea that he could play alongside Cousins in the frontcourt. If WCS does end up starting with Cousins, there won’t be much room on the offensive end since both excel close to the basket.
This could push Cousins further away from the basket and closer to the perimeter, where he will presumably be encouraged to shoot three-pointers.
Now, wanting your power forward to shoot from the perimeter to spread the offense isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, when that power forward is DeMarcus Cousins, who is a beast in the low post and has only made 11 three-point field goals his entire career, it starts sounding less favorable.
Even if you completely overlook the fact that Cousins isn’t a great three-point shooter, it makes little sense to have him closer to the perimeter. Like I mentioned before, Cousins is a beast in the low post. His footwork has improved significantly, and there aren’t many defenders in the league that can handle his size.
Having him further away from the basket is a waste of his talent and would be a misuse of his abilities. He averaged 12.7 rebounds per game last season – third in the league; that figure will drop if he ends up closer to the three-point line than the basket.
Moving forward, the Kings need to be strict with Cousins. They need to make it clear what they expect from him as a team leader, and his role on the offensive end. They need to stress that they want him closer to the basket making plays, grabbing rebounds and being a beast down low.
The Kings don’t need Cousins to become Draymond Green – they need him to be DeMarcus Cousins if they intend to escape the cycle of mediocrity they’ve made for themselves.
Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Sacramento Kings
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