“If you think I’m such a cancer to this team, then trade me now,” DeMarcus Cousins yelled at coach Paul Westphal this past Saturday which lead to one of my favorite kinds of sports controversies, the Star Vs. the Coach! Now what to do in a Star Vs. Coach? Always side with the Star which is exactly what the Sacramento Kings wisely did by firing Coach Westphal. We all remember what happened when the Golden State Warriors picked their coach, Don Nelson over their Star Chris Webber. Their team went to hell for the next 13 years till oddly enough the newly rehired Don Nelson lead them to the playoffs while Chris Webber went on to numerous playoff appearances and a Hall of Fame Career. And we all remember who the LA Lakers picked when Coach Paul Westhead (whose name sounds identical to Paul Westphal) and Magic Johnson had issues during Johnson’s 3rd year in the league (also Westhead’s 3rd season coaching the Lakers).
Now some might say Cousins needs to grow up and that is very true. He is a potential Top 10 player especially in a league with very little big men let alone true centers. Now what he needs and frankly the Sacramento Kings need is a coach who understands young black men especially of the more colorful variety which is clearly what he and the other Star on this team, Tyreke Evans, need. Sadly for the Warriors they only got one season of Chris Webber let alone of Chris Webber and Latrell Sprewell who formed my favorite one-two punch of all time. But with the right coach to provide the right amount of structure and discipline (but not too much discipline so no need for a tuff guy) the Kings could easily be a 2nd round and further playoff team for the next 5 years featuring my new favorite one-two punch. But they need to make it crystal clear Cousins and Evens are the Stars who will work hard to get the most out of their potential who need to be surrounded by talent not 3 ballhogs pounding the ball (Evens, Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette) with Cousins yelling at everyone to get him the ball with J.J. Hickson, Jason Thompson, Travis Outlaw and Donte Greene going to hell.
Back before the 2010 NBA Draft I told you, “maybe Cousins will be a DC 2.0 (Derrick Coleman), new and improved, harder working and well behaved or at least better behaved. If I were the team that drafts him I would have the older and wiser DC teach him some life lessons and a few basketball moves while he is at it. As long as Cousins doesn’t get a shoe contract with British Knights we should all be ok.” I still stand behind this so Kings please hire DC as a assistant coach/life coach for all of the Kings to learn from especially for Cousins sake.
Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here
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