2010 NBA Redraft: Looking back at how things change with hindsight
By Corey Rausch
#3 Pick: DeMarcus Cousins (Originally: Derrick Favors)
DeMarcus Cousins slid to five in this draft mostly due to personality concerns. The Kentucky duo did plenty of impressive winning before coming up short in the NCAA tournament, but Cousins seemed like the second coming of Rasheed Wallace. That kind of personality is not for every franchise and the Nets decided gambling on the ceiling of Favors was more worthwhile.
Cousins did not do much winning in Sacramento, but that did not change after he left either so no reason to blame him for that. Cousins is a four-time All-Star and only did not make it sooner because of personality issues and lack of winning.
In his age-23 season, he posted averages of 22.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
Injuries have derailed his career since his final season in New Orleans, but it is impossible to dock his draft stock for major injuries that occurred in his eighth and ninth seasons. Fitting with coach Lawrence Frank may have been the biggest hurdle to overcome but he would have been key in the star chasing the franchise would go on to fail at.
The only other person who you could make an argument for in the top-4 is up next. With the fourth pick in the 2010 NBA Redraft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select…