DeMarcus Cousins: ‘I’ve Been Terrible. It’s the Truth’

Cousins says that getting tossed from practice was a good lesson for him, but sounds pretty down-and-out about his play these days (in fact, no one in the kings‘ locker room sounds happy.) The Sac Bee reports: “It was a good lesson for me,’ the rookie said. ‘I’m mad and I’m frustrated about losing, and in my opinion, I think different strategies should be in the game. But I was being selfish. I’m a big part of this team, and coach (Paul) Westphal has been saying it. I’ve been terrible. It’s the truth.’ ‘It’s not a perfect world,’ Cousins’ mother, Monique, said Tuesday afternoon from Mobile, Ala. ‘These kids are used to instant (gratification) and they come into the league so young. It’s hard. They have to learn. We preach this: ‘Just don’t say anything!’ He’ll get better, you’ll see.’ Is he listening? Is he learning? Is he getting too much blame for the Kings’ disappointing season? Yes. Absolutely. While the Kings struggle along, the Cousins debate is only one of several hot topics inside Arco Arena. The locker room is a nasty place of late. There is more sniping than conversation. Think of Sacramento as a chilly Miami. The players are mad at the coach. The offensive system often consists of five players standing or dribbling, and seemingly oblivious to the beauty and benefits of the pass. The pace is too slow. The defense seldom creates transition opportunities. Sort of like last year.”