Another DeMarcus Cousins controversy, another instance of Cousins saying we all misunderstood his words.
The latest: Cousins said of the Kings’ draft-night moves, “I don’t really understand what’s going on. I just control what I can control; I let them do their jobs.”
Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports:Despite expressing his support for the team’s additions of more defensive-minded veterans in Arron Afflalo, Matt Barnes, Garrett Temple and Anthony Tolliver, and also describing first-round pick Skal Labissiere as “very impressive,” Cousins was disappointed with the backlash to his overall comments about doing “my job.”
“I’m trying to figure out what I said wrong. Of course, they’ve twisted it into something negative, in some type of way,” Cousins told The Vertical. “I’m clueless. It’s to the point now, where I don’t want to say anything about any situation. Then I’ll be the bad guy about that as well. Anything I do. Anything I do, it’s … it’s whatever, man.”
Most players have learned to avoid this situation by just offering praise by default. Cousins, for whatever reason, has not.* Add a history of criticizing his own team, and he doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt.
I can’t say what was in Cousins’ mind when he said,"I don’t really understand what’s going on.” I interpreted it to mean he -- like many of us -- didn’t understand Sacramento’s draft-night plan because it seemed non-sensical on the face. If he meant he didn’t understand because it’s not his role to understand, OK, I guess. Kings executives should probably explain their strategy to their franchise player, but that’s their problem.
*If it’s because he’s bluntly honest, great. I’m all for that. If it’s because he’s a poor communicator, that’s also fine. He’s a basketball player, not a public-speaking specialist. But he should also realize that’ll lead to complications like the one here.
