DeMarcus Cousins - NBADraft.net (original) (raw)
Strengths: A physical mismatch in almost every sense. Cousins’ size, power, length and reflexes give him the ability to do things even when he’s not in position to do them … An underrated athlete, despite lacking great explosiveness, he’s extremely nimble and dexterous for such a huge man … His great hands and soft touch, along with his monstrous (7-foot-6) wingspan, allow him to finish easily around the rim … His feet are very quick for a player with so much weight allowing him to react to plays very well … Has a diverse skill set offensively, to go along with great footwork in the paint that makes him much more than just a big body … Extremely adept at finishing after contact … Feels he can score almost every time he gets the ball in the post. He can create for himself with a variety of offensive moves whether its facing up or with his back to the basket … Uses his strength well to overpower opponents and create space to score … Scores about 16 points, gathers 10 rebounds and shoots over 7 free throws in only 23 minutes per game, showing his efficiency and desire to stay active… He is capable of knocking down mid-range jumpers and with his huge wingspan can shoot it over just about anyone … Defensively he can block shots from the weak side as well as on the ball due to his length, and dominate the boards at the college level, while eating up more space than anyone on the court… He’s a defensive presence even if he just stands there with his hands up protecting the rim … Although he averages just 1 assist per game, Cousins shows remarkable passing ability and vision for a bigman. Also can handle the ball very well, even in the open court when called upon. Surprising ball skills for a bigman … Has a mean streak which scouts like to see, he just needs to learn to channel it in a positive way …
Weaknesses: Cousins’ lack of maturity and mental focus is evident in his negative body language and lack of composure … He tends to lose his head, looking disinterested or frustrated if things don’t go his way. Also does not appear receptive to coaching, tuning out his coaches when they attempt to give him advice on the bench … The big question is whether it’s merely a lack of maturity due to age or something deeper … To his credit he made it through the entire season without any suspensions or ejections. However, there were a few times (flagrant fouls) where he may have deserved to be … Free throw shooting, while showing solid form, goes through bouts of inconsistency due to lack of focus.(appears to decrease as games progress) … Occasionally forces the issue when its not there, and tries things that are out of his range … His lateral movement could be a liability when guarding more agile players that can put the ball on the floor … He lacks explosiveness, sometimes looking like he has weights on his feet, which could hurt him offensively as well as when facing up against more versatile big men in the NBA … Lack of great explosiveness also decreases his shot blocking to some extent … Tends to not hustle back on defense and disappear when his head is not in it … Weight could be an issue if he does not learn to become disciplined about diet and off court habits … Will basketball be his primary focus, or living life in the fast lane that accompanies it?
Overall: A true talent. You won’t find many guys that are as tall, strong and lengthy that have the touch, skills and footwork DeMarcus Cousins has … Cousins should be able to be an impact pro from day one potentially putting up 15 and 10 in his rookie season. As a freshman, he was easily the most dominant bigman in the country … NBA teams will love his offensive presence in the post, along with his rebounding and shot blocking abilities … If NBA coaches can find a way to help him focus, he has a chance to be an excellent pro …
Jonathan Wasserman 3/29/10
Strengths: An extremely strong player, his body is well developed and has a remarkable wingspan to boot … At this level, once he catches the ball on the block there is not much the defense can do because he is so big … He has very soft hands, helping him catch passes in traffic, as well as convert on difficult shots around the hoop … For a player his size, he has good coordination and balance … He never rushes his moves and is always under control … At times his post moves may not look pretty, but you can’t argue with the results … He has confidence in his ball handling and is not shy about pushing the ball in transition …Although his shot is a bit flat , his form is decent and he is more than capable of stepping out beyond the arc and knocking shots down …
Weaknesses: The biggest concern with him right now is the lack of explosiveness … He is very effective at the current level because he simply outmuscles opponents, but once he faces bigger defenders, his athleticism (or lack thereof) will be exposed further. His post game is predicated on brute force, but he has not really shown many reliable back-to-the-basket moves … His motor might also be an issue as he gets winded fairly quickly, but it could just be the lack of conditioning … He has stretches where he completely disappears, at times he doesn’t even try to make an effort to run down the floor … He does not add much in rebounding department, as he lacks desire to attack the glass…
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