New Kings coach Dave Joerger spent seven years in Memphis coaching Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol as an assistant and a head coach. Now, in Sacramento, he has DeMarcus Cousins, already ranked as our top center in the NBA. But if Joerger can inject a little Gasol-Randolph mentality into Cousins, the guy could get even better.
Around the league, there is obvious respect for the talent that Cousins has. There is also no doubt that he’s been a pain in the ankle for pretty much his entire seven-year career in Sacramento. But what worries other team executives and coaches — and this could be important should the Kings decide the time is ripe to trade Cousins, who has two years left on his contract, in the coming months — is Cousins’ approach to Xs and Os more than his surliness with coaches and referees.