Early look at Cousins shows big, talented, emotional young man

It’s safe no player in the 2010 NBA Draft attracted more attention than Kings’ first-round draft choice DeMarcus Cousins.

Granted, it’s early. Cousins’ professional career begins tonight with the Kings’ first preseason game tonight at Arco Arena against the Phoenix Suns.

However, so far, and again, it is so early, what I’ve seen from Cousins is a determined, fearless, highly-intense competitor on the floor and a big, soft, friendly, thoughtful teddy-bear type of young man off the court.

He’s emotional and it doesn’t take long for his feelings to reveal themselves externally. He’ll likely be one of the early tests for the NBA’s attempted cut down on players’ outwardly visible reactions to officials’ calls.

Does being an emotional young man and wearing said emotions on his sleeve make him a bad person? No, at the worst, potentially it might make him Rasheed Wallace Lite.

For whatever the value of initial impressions, perhaps Cousins should be Pooh Two, since Kings rookie point guard Eugene Jeter's grandmother already tagged him with the moniker.

Perhaps the pair can be Little Pooh and Big Pooh.

Preceding the draft, Cousins’ personality and demeanor were the objects of more direct hits than your local drinking establishment's dartboard.

Cousins, who turned 20 Aug. 13, was considered, even by his critics, to be the draft’s second-most talented player behind his Kentucky teammate John Wall, the overall No. 1 choice, selected by the Washington Wizards.

Yet, the size-desperate Kings were criticized across the board for selecting Cousins with the draft’s fifth choice overall.

On the court, Cousins has much as much to learn as he brings to the table. As with most young players, it’s important to consistently remember, he just turned 20 years old.

Back in the day, players had the luxury/reality of college years and experience. Cousins spent just one season at Kentucky. For perspective, check out your life at 20.

Imagine it being on stage for everyone to see. On second thought, personally, I'll pass on that concept.

Here's Cousins speaking with reporters following Monday’s practice. Cousins, listed at 6-foot-11, 270 pounds, chased a loose ball Sunday night at Arco. He ended up in the crowd.

“I really wanted to send out an apology,” Cousins said when asked about the incident. “I tried to dodge the kid and ended up mushing the lady in the face. I had to choose who I would rather hurt. I want to apologize to them. I felt bad for doing that.

The Sacramento Bee reported the pair’s names to be Erin Thurman and Tyner, her four-year son. They might want to call the Kings media relations staff to see if they can score a pair of tickets for a future game and perhaps even procure the chance to meet Cousins.

I'm guessing Tyner and Cousins would enjoy each other. Cousins possesses a wonderful sense of humor and clearly doesn’t take himself too seriously. I’m guessing Cousins likes and gets along well with kids.

“I’m trying to get the ball,” he said of the pursuit into the front row. “I thought I broke the lady’s neck. I was really scared that I’d hurt the lady’s neck. I guess that comes with courtside seats.”

That it does, but I’m guessing the pair would go for the same opportunity again.

Coach Paul Westphal complimented Cousins’ performance in the scrimmage and also said he’s done well in previous scrimmages.

Cousins said his major preseason goal is to find his role on the team.

DeMarcus, allow me to give you a little insight. Be a beast around the basket. Continue to display your wide array of skills and play hard.

Said one NBA executive who asked for anonymity, “Cousins is more than just a scorer and rebounder. He really can pass the ball and he seems like he likes to do it. In some ways, he’s similar to (Chris) Webber. I don’t think he can shoot the ball as well as Chris, and I don’t think he’s as long. But as far as the unselfish mentality, I think they are very similar.”

Cousins said Monday he’s excited about playing his first preseason game.

“I am looking forward to it,” he said of going against the Suns. “We’re tired of looking at each other’s faces, guarding the same players. It’ll be nice to get a change.”

Cousins and Jason Thompson likely will log many of the minutes at the center position. Samuel Dalembert, an off-season acquisition from Philadelphia for center Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni, will miss the game with a strained left adductor muscle.

The adductor is a group of muscles around the thigh and hip.

Connor Atchley, 6-foot-11, also likely will get playing time. Seven-foot rookie center-forward Hassan Whiteside is out for a few days with a strained left patellar tendon. Darnell Jackson, 6-9, of whom Westphal has spoken highly in recent days, also will not play because of a strained right hip flexor.

Westphal said Thompson will receive minutes this season at center, and particularly tonight.

“I think he will play some ‘five’ for us this year,” the coach said of the 6-foot-11 particularly (tonight) with Jackson and Dalembert both out. We’ll see him quite a bit.

“It might be kind of ugly if DeMarcus had to play 48 minutes, or 40 minutes or 30 minutes,” Westphal said with a laugh.

Rookies normally receive few breaks from referees with big, aggressive rookies receiving even fewer. It’s part of the learning process that Cousins already understands is coming. That doesn’t mean he’ll remember that in the heat of battle.

Westphal announced J.R. Giddens and Donald Sloan were waived. That leaves 17 players on the roster with the team currently looking to keep, “somewhere between 13 and 15,” according to the coach.

“I hope (Suns all-star point guard Steve) Nash doesn’t play as far as winning” the coach kidded. “I don’t even care who we play. We’re more in the mode of evaluating personnel.

“We want to do certain things against anybody we play. We want to take care of the ball. We want to get the ball inside. We want to play good defense and rebound and certainly, you play good defense, you have to have good transition defense, which you have to have every night.

That’ll be interesting to see how that holds up.”

It will be interesting to see how Cousins fares during his introduction to NBA battle.

Artest dismisses haters with tough, clutch performance

It's rare when I have any personal stake in the outcome of the NBA Finals.

I'm 32 years deep in the business, but since I didn't cover the series, it's easy to admit I was rooting hard for the Los Angeles Lakers. There were too many people forecasting doom for the Lakers because they had Ron Artest.

There are many folks who believe Artest to be a bad dude. They believed he'd bring a negative persona to the Lakers that would prevent from winning a title.

Those same folks are the types who would root against L.A. just so they'd be right about their predictions.

You know, true haters.

Some are the type who will never understand Artest or a kid like him in part because they've rarely been around black folks.

I can't blame the haters totally because society's boundaries, visible and invisible, can make it difficult for natural, real and true interaction.

Excluding racial barriers, it's long been my mentality New York City is as racially divided and segregated by neighborhood as any city in which I've been. Forget that melting pot moniker. Yes, there are many types of folks in the city, but often times, their respective neighborhoods are segregated.

'If you are not from there, often times you shouldn't be there.' That was our credo growing up in Jamaica, Queens.

Perhaps the haters never have been around folks like Artest, who is definitely a different breed. There are not many guys anywhere like him.

However, then again, there are guys with personality similarities with whom I (and I suspect) you grew up.

Ron-Ron would have been described as 'crazy' and everyone would know exactly what was meant. He's unpredictable, quirky, sometimes wild and uncontrollable, yet not deemed as dangerous.

Some never will understand the Nov. 20, 2004 night when Artest, then a member of the Indiana Pacers, went into the stands in Auburn Hills, Mi. following a brawl instigated by Detroit's Ben Wallace.

Personally, I understood him losing it when he was laying on the press table and was hit by a cup of ice and liquid. Running into the stands not knowing who threw the cup was stupid, but semi-understandable.

Some can't comprehend Artest wrecking a couple of TV monitors at Madison Square Garden.

Artest, generally speaking, isn't to be messed with. Yet, his teammates have loved him at every stop, including L.A., now. That's because he competes and has major heart.

When the Lakers played Boston in 2008, it was easy to quietly hope Eddie House, then coming off the bench for the Celtics got a ring.

That's because he's a good dude, like Ron-Ron - just nowhere nearly as 'crazy.'

If nothing else, everyone should thank Artest for that post-game press conference, the best-ever, never to be bettered.

Kings and Sixers swap centers and unwanted

The Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers had tired of centers Spencer Hawes and Samuel Dalembert, respectively. So the Kings included disgruntled forward Andres Nocioni and the deal was done.

In Hawes, Philadelphia received a skilled shooter, who specializes in drifting to the perimeter instead of using his array of low-post moves to provide the threat of which most teams dream.

Dalembert, 29, brings shot-blocking, athleticism and rebounding to the Kings, who desperately need each quality.

Nocioni did not want to be in Sacramento any more than the Kings wanted him. He's a good three-point shooter, but he's going from one bad situation to another. It's difficult to imagine him being happy for long, if at all.

Both moves allowed each team to exchange salaries. Hawes is in the final year of his contract, so he'll be looking to get paid at the end of this season.

Perhaps Hawes can develop toughness over the years. L.A.'s Pau Gasol did, even if he gets knocked down more than any star in recent memory.