The Sacramento Kings drafted Isaiah Cousins last year but never signed him to a contract that brought him to the Kings’ regular season. He deserves a shot on an NBA team, and the Kings should give him the opportunity to prove himself.
The Sacramento Kings have spent the better half of the last decade being the laughing-stock of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They’ve been stuck in mediocrity for what seems to be forever, but recently, it seems the Kings have finally found the light at the end of the tunnel.
They had a very interesting draft in 2016. They flipped the eighth pick (Marquese Chriss) for the 13th pick (Georgios Papagiannis), the 28th pick (Skal Labissiere), rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic, and a future second round pick from the Detroit Pistons. Kings also had the 59th pick, selecting Isaiah Cousins from Oklahoma, who probably caught their eyes while scouting the highly heralded Buddy Hield.
Cousins Released Before The Start of The 2016-17 Season
The Kings opted to release Isaiah Cousins and assign him to the Reno Bighorns, where he was a standout last year.
Major Improvements Against Better Competition
2015-16 Statistics: (Oklahoma Sooners)
MPG: 33.3
PPG: 12.6
AST: 4.5
REB: 4.5
STL: 1.4
TOV: 2.4
FG%: 40.6
FT%: 67.0
2016-17 Statistics: (Reno Bighorns)
MPG: 34.9
PPG: 17.0
AST: 3.9
REB: 5.8
STL: 1.9
TOV: 2.3
FG%: 45.4
FT%: 79.1
Cousins has been playing against older and more skilled athletes than in college and has made a significant improvement in only one more minute a game. He’s increased his efficiency from the court while averaging 4.4 more points than in college. His free throw percentage has also skyrocketed within one season. This proves he’s willing to continuously improve his game and be a gym rat; exactly what Vlade is looking for.
What does he bring to Sacramento?
Cousins has also shown he’s a good on-court leader, and his game seems to have escalated at a decent rate. His mid-range shot seems automatic and his height helps execute the pick-and-roll to perfection. Although he’s still young, he plays like a veteran. He brings a team-first mentality and a player who brings winning plays to the team.
Oklahoma Reunion?
After breaking the internet by trading the face of Sacramento for the last seven years; DeMarcus Cousins for Buddy Hield, Hield mentioned that Isaiah Cousins was the first person to contact him asking to put a good word in for his teammate. They played four years together at Oklahoma and have developed a great on-court relationship.
The Kings’ narrative seems to finally be changing with their phenomenal draft this last week. The Kings are projected to have nine players on rookie contracts next year and are in serious need of veteran leadership, but Isaiah Cousins can still earn a spot on this team. He’s a combo guard who brings maturity and decent play.
Final Thoughts:
A lot of fans may disagree with me, but I believe the Kings should take it into serious consideration to sign Cousins. To truly succeed in a salary cap driven sport, you have to find the best value from the less noticed players. Isaiah Cousins could potentially be just that.
Can the #Kings find the next Jonathon Simmons, the next Tyler Johnson, next Yogi Ferrell, etc. . . after a solid #NBADraft ?
— Bill Herenda (@billherenda) June 24, 2017
Vlade has been pushing this new youth movement with work horses and good overall human beings, and Isaiah Cousins seems to fit that mold. Surrounding your current franchise piece (Buddy Hield) with people he enjoys being around can never hurt either. Cousins has a real potential to become a nice rotation player for this Kings team, or any NBA team moving forward.