Opinion: DeMarcus Cousins Definitely Deserves To Be An All-Star
By Rafe Wong
DeMarcus Cousins is a top-tier talent in the NBA, and there’s no denying it. He has the ability to score from the paint and perimeter, rebound and pass the ball effectively, and is a potent defender in the paint.
The man is averaging 24.5 points (ranked 8th in the league) and 10.8 rebounds (tied 5th in the league) a game. He also has a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 22.14 and has recorded 14 double-doubles this season. There’s no question that the talent is there for Cousins, and so far this season he has been able to display it consistently.
With that being, has he done enough to earn his second appearance at the All-Star Game come this February?
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The current All-Star voting numbers have recently been released, and Cousins is ranked 8th place so far in the voting numbers for the front court of the Western Conference (per SB Nation). In the voting process for the All-Star game fans get to decide the starting lineup for each conference, as the top 3 of front court and top 2 of the backcourt for each conference secure their place on the All-Star team.
Right now, the top three players for the front court of the West are Kobe Bryant (ugh), Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin, who all are miles ahead of Cousins in the ballot.
It looks like Boogie won’t make the All-Star team off the fan’s votes, but he still makes a strong case for making the team. Like I mentioned before, he is a top leader in both points and rebounds a game, categories that define a dominant big man. He is a walking double-double in the league and has also been effective on both ends of the court.
Naysayers could say that the Sacramento Kings as a team have a below-average record (12-17), and that the leader of a struggling team cannot deserve a roster spot. To counter that, there have been players in the past that have been named All-Stars for struggling teams as well.
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Examples have been Kyrie Irving in 2013 during the dog days of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Love when he made it with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The most recent example is Kobe Bryant, who most likely will make the team this year even though the Los Angeles Lakers have been atrocious this season (record 5-24).
Overall, Sacramento Kings fans know Boogie Cousins deserves to be part of the All-Star game that takes place in Toronto on February, but regardless of what team someone supports he should be an All-Star in all NBA fan’s eyes.
No one can deny that Cousins has done his part for the Kings this season, and has been the star player for his team. Obviously he has not been the ideal superstar for his team, rarely anyone is, but when you compare him to the rest of his NBA peers his level of efficiency stands near the top of list.