Rookie DeMarcus Cousins Facing Punishment From Kings

Added on Feb 14, 2011 by Scott in

NBA

Tempermental rookie power forward/center DeMarcus Cousins’ act might be wearing thin with Sacramento management. Cousins pitched a fit after Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State because Donte Greene didn’t pass the ball to him for the final shot. Leading scorer Tyreke Evans got the ball instead, and missed a three-pointer. Cousins alleged response was to throw a punch at Greene. Due to his childlike antics, Cousins was not allowed to travel to Phoenix for yesterday’s win over the Suns, and it’s unclear when he’ll return to the team.

This isn’t the first time Cousins has voiced complaints. Back in November, he was booted from practice after clashing with the coaching staff. He also has the reputation of being a whiner on the court. Watch a Kings game and it won’t take long to see him visibly perturbed with teammates and/or referees. At 20, he still has time to mature. But for a guy labeled a “problem” since high school, he doesn’t seem willing to change.

Statistically, Cousins is having a productive first season with the Kings. He leads the team in rebounds at 8.1 a night and is second in scoring at 13.9. However, at 13-38, they are mired with the third worst record in the league. The team is extremely young, fond of launching awful shots and head coach Paul Westphal is struggling to keep the big personalities on his roster in check. The biggest of which is probably Cousins.

Needless to say, these aren’t happy times in Sac Town. And if history is any indication, this won’t be the last time Cousins makes headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Source: ESPN.com