Prime DeMarcus Cousins is one of the most overrated players of the last 20 years

[Im Still Ballin]

I see these posts online talking about how, if DMC was in his prime, he'd be up there with Embiid, Jokic, and KAT. Got me SMH'n.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/images/smilies/facepalm.gif

I used to be the biggest fan of him on this forum, but even I eventually had the face the truth. The man simply wasn't a winning basketball player. Probably the best example of empty stats that I've ever seen. He could put up 30 points in a game, but it'd be offset by 5 turnovers, 5 fouls including a technical foul, and not getting back on defense.

Here's the key reason reasons why he wasn't a winning player.

1) Inefficient volume scorer.

Despite taking lots of shots in the post and in the paint, he was incredibly inefficient. Routinely led the league in getting his shot blocked.

2) Foul prone.

Averaged close to 4 fouls a game.

3) Turnover prone.

Turned the ball over a crazy amount.

4) Out of shape and lazy.

Took forever to get back on defense. Teams probably scored 3-4 easy baskets a game because of this. When you boil it right down, this was the difference between potentially making the playoffs and being 10+ games below .500%.

Also took forever to get into the half-court offense. Gave his team less time to actually run plays. This may seem insignificant, but think about how many times it happens in a game. Probably robbed his team of 2-3 quality shots a game.

5) Emotionally unstable.

All his problems heightened during any high-pressure, clutch situation. Routinely put up errand, low quality shots, turnovers, technical fouls. One of the more unclutch players I've ever watched.

[SouBeachTalents]

Cousins legitimately hasn't been discussed on here at all since he signed with the Warriors 3-4 years ago. And even then at the time a lot of people considered what he did on the Kings & Pelicans to be empty stats. I'd be shocked if you could find many people or lists who had him top 10 during his prime playing years. Just being honest, you couldn't have picked a worse example of someone being overrated :lol

[FultzNationRISE]

We tried to tell you breh.

[Im Still Ballin]

Cousins legitimately hasn't been discussed on here at all since he signed with the Warriors 3-4 years ago. And even then at the time a lot of people considered what he did on the Kings & Pelicans to be empty stats. I'd be shocked if you could find many people or lists who had him top 10 during his prime playing years. Just being honest, you couldn't have picked a worse example of someone being overrated :lol

I was referring to this Reddit post

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/sdgrmi/where_would_prime_boogie_be_in_best_center/

I'd honestly take Gobert and Bam over him.

[MrFonzworth]

Only dumbasses like K0kak thought DMC was worth a percentage of his hype. Pelicans got better once he blew out his Achilles.

[Akeem34TheDream]

Only dumbasses like K0kak thought DMC was worth a percentage of his hype. Pelicans got better once he blew out his Achilles.

Cold but true

[Im Still Ballin]

For reference, here's the top upvoted post from that Reddit post from today



Educational-Beyond81
·
3 hr. ago
Warriors
Prime Boogie was better than Kat and Gobert, dude was a beast, he'd be pretty comfortably 3rd IMO


3rd best center? I just cannot co-sign that. I'd have him 6th or 7th probably off the top of my head.

[PeroAntic]

can't argue with OP's arguments, but Cousins was still a genius level player in terms of pure talent and skill and of course he should be appreciated for that. One thing is consistency and winning, another completely that when he was in the mood he was better than anyone out there because there was nothing he couldn't do at an absolutely elite level.

[Im Still Ballin]

1. Jokic
2. Embiid
3. KAT
4. Gobert
6. Bam
7. Allen
8. DMC

[highwhey]

more skilled than gianna, but yeah, inefficient is the right word. his temper tantrums did not help him.

[PeroAntic]

Allen though? lets not get carried away..

[FultzNationRISE]

1. Jokic
2. Embiid
3. KAT
4. Gobert
6. Bam
7. Allen
8. DMC

Ummm.... arent you forgetting someone?

Ill give you a clue:

He has an 11 inch peni$, and his name is Lebron.

[Im Still Ballin]

If you include AD and Giannis as centers then he's not even top 10.

[Axe]

Cousins would have gotten better recognition for his past efforts if he played in the paltry east back then.

[warriorfan]

With DMC it was because he had great skills in a big body. People love that and then think they are able to do anything. They look past all the faults you mentioned. Most people aren’t watching a whole lot of Kings games anyways. They might catch a few highlights on sports center or on YouTube and see some flashes of greatness and think “man, only if he was able to get out of Sacramento”.

[ArbitraryWater]

bruh I know you were his biggest fan

[Xiao Yao You]

1. Jokic
2. Embiid
3. KAT
4. Gobert
6. Bam
7. Allen
8. DMC

let me know when Towns makes the playoffs

[Axe]

let me know when Towns makes the playoffs
He already did once, troll.

[tpols]

Cousins is the Westbrook of centers. I remember I drafted him in the 1st or 2nd round of fantasy basketball when he was on the Pelicans and he hung like a 44/25 revenge game on the kings. :roll: It was awesome for my squad but the fact of the matter is he's incredible vs low level or medium level competition, but when faced with a high level chess match his bully pulpit just falls terribly short.

[bizil]

If Boogie DIDN'T have the injury issues, he would be among the top four centers in the league. With Embid, Joker, and KAT. At one point, Boogie was INDEED the best center in the league. But this was BEFORE Embid, Joker, and KAT got rolling. When it comes to OFFENSIVE SKILLSET, he's one of the most gifted centers ever. I'm talking scoring skillset, passing, and handles among 5's. But frankly, Embid, Joker, and KAT at this point are BETTER than Boogie ever was. Doesn't change the fact Boogie was a stud in his prime. Was YES at one point the best center in the league. In terms of him being overrated, I don't think he was. The center position during his best years wasn't WHERE IT IS NOW in terms of overall talent. And he wasn't seen on the LEVEL of the Shaqs, Dreams, Admirals, and Ewings of the past.

[PeroAntic]

If Boogie DIDN'T have the injury issues, he would be among the top four centers in the league. With Embid, Joker, and KAT. At one point, Boogie was INDEED the best center in the league. But this was BEFORE Embid, Joker, and KAT got rolling. When it comes to OFFENSIVE SKILLSET, he's one of the most gifted centers ever. I'm talking scoring skillset, passing, and handles among 5's. But frankly, Embid, Joker, and KAT at his point are BETTER than Boogie ever was. Doesn't change the fact Boogie was a stud in his prime. Was YES at one point was the best center in the league. In terms of him being overrated, I don't think he was. The center position during his best years wasn't WHERE IT IS NOW in terms of overall talent.

KAT is not better than prime Cousins. Cousins was a better defender and his passing ability is second only to Joker at the center position. Thats why he also has more turnovers, his teams relied on him to be a post playmaker and he needed to make more risks to get his teammates into scoring positions.

[bizil]

KAT is not better than prime Cousins. Cousins was a better defender and his passing ability is second only to Joker at the center position. Thats why he also has more turnovers, his teams relied on him to be a post playmaker and he needed to make more risks to get his teammates into scoring positions.

Embid and Joker HANDS DOWN are better than Boogie ever was. KAT is a closer race. BUT the thing is KAT is 50-40-80 guy among centers. Averaging 25 PPG-10RPG-4 dimes over the last three seasons. That type of production COMBINED with the level of scoring efficiency is basically UNHEARD OF for a center. Once KAT started getting on that level consistently three years ago, I would take that over a prime Boogie. Not a huge gap. Boogie is the better passer. But KAT getting 4 dimes a night is still MORE THAN ENOUGH for a center!

And when it comes to defense, you don't see two way threats on the level of David, Dream, and Ewing these days ANYWAY! Embid is the only one who is a great two way threat at the 5 spot in today's game. Boogie was NEVER on that level of defense. IF HE WAS, he would have been a top FIVE caliber player in the league in his prime. INSTEAD of top 10-12! So even if Boogie in his prime was a better defender than KAT today, it's not like Boogie was a standout defender TO BEGIN WITH! LOL

[PeroAntic]

He wasn't a standout defender to begin with but when he gave a shit, he was elite rim protector. Towns tries hard but hes still a bum on defense. Embiid is obviously a much better defender and Jokic is more or less around Cousins level. I'm just saying Cousins was much more relied on to create than Towns, so turnovers can be partially forgiven.

I have other beefs with op, namely the going back slowly on defense part (this is true for literally every big man) and the temperament issue (refs are soft and always hated him). But the foul trouble thing bothered me a lot.

[Xiao Yao You]

Take KAT over Cousins any day but wouldn't want either. Winning more important than empty stats

[meat]

If Boogie DIDN'T have the injury issues, he would be among the top four centers in the league. With Embid, Joker, and KAT. At one point, Boogie was INDEED the best center in the league. But this was BEFORE Embid, Joker, and KAT got rolling. When it comes to OFFENSIVE SKILLSET, he's one of the most gifted centers ever. I'm talking scoring skillset, passing, and handles among 5's. But frankly, Embid, Joker, and KAT at this point are BETTER than Boogie ever was. Doesn't change the fact Boogie was a stud in his prime. Was YES at one point the best center in the league. In terms of him being overrated, I don't think he was. The center position during his best years wasn't WHERE IT IS NOW in terms of overall talent. And he wasn't seen on the LEVEL of the Shaqs, Dreams, Admirals, and Ewings of the past.

YOU really LIKE using the caps lock BUTTON at random TIMES for emphasis.

[PeroAntic]

Take KAT over Cousins any day but wouldn't want either. Winning more important than empty stats

Thanks for the original and insightful contribution.

[L.Kizzle]

Yall are making Boogie look much worse than he actually was. He was putting up similar stats to AD at the time and it's like AD was leading a powerhouse Pelicans team to deep playoff births.

[Axe]

Take KAT over Cousins any day but wouldn't want either. Winning more important than empty stats
At least cousins has been to the finals already. Toody? Not even for once. :oldlol:

[ArbitraryWater]

Yall are making Boogie look much worse than he actually was. He was putting up similar stats to AD at the time and it's like AD was leading a powerhouse Pelicans team to deep playoff births.

Yeah.

Bullshit revisionist history.

[LeCola]

Ummm.... arent you forgetting someone?

Ill give you a clue:

He has an 11 CM peni$, and his name is Lebron.

:cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

At least cousins has been to the finals already. Toody? Not even for once. :oldlol:

yet Gobert owned Cousins. He was a frustrated mess anytime he had to go against Gobert. Poor trolls

[bizil]

Yall are making Boogie look much worse than he actually was. He was putting up similar stats to AD at the time and it's like AD was leading a powerhouse Pelicans team to deep playoff births.

I agree. Boogie in his prime was a beast, top 10 caliber player in the league, and the best center in the league at one point. I just think Embid and Jokic came down the pike and are BETTER than a prime Boogie. Just think Embid's defense and Jokic's triple double shit while being the best passing center ever gave them the edge. But if Boogie was still in his prime, he would would give them all they could handle. Scoring and rebounding wise, would ABSOLUTELY be on their level. Passing wise, only Joker would be a better passer among centers. Injuries started for Boogie when he should have been at the PEAK of his game.

When AD and Boogie linked up in NO, I figured that COULD have been the start of a potential title team. For a big PF and C tandem like that, I thought they could complement each other well. Because both were CRAZY SKILLED with inside-outside game, handles, and passing. So they WOULDN'T get in each other's way.

I even said Bron SHOULD SERIOUSLY consider going to them when he was a free agent. Ironic that Bron, AD, Boogie, and Rondo ALL ended up on the Lakers at one point. BUT Boogie was the start of the new age TRUE FIVE in today's game in opinion. Not a small ball undersized 5. But a true 5 who could hit the three, had great handles, great passing ability, and could still get busy down low. While getting 25-27 PPG, 11-12 boards, and five dimes a night.

I'm NOT SAYING he was better than a Dream, Shaq, Ewing, or David. But those legends WEREN'T AS SKILLED in terms of three point shooting and handling the rock. After Boogie, Embid, Joker, and KAT hit the scene. And are crazy skilled of course as new age 5's.

[imdaman99]

He might have been putting up better numbers than prime Webber did back on Sacramento, but he wasn't nearly the player.

[tpols]

Cousins for his height and strength was remarkably nimble and skilled. But he played the game like it was 1v1. He had no concept of chess level team play. He solely sought to dominate the guy in front of him. Against great professional competition he was schemed out very easily.

[John8204]

Overrated is such a loaded term because do you judge the player based upon how good he was or where people normally rank him.

For me Shaq is the most overrated player because people put him in the top ten all-time and I don't have him in my top twenty.

Westbrook, Allen, Lillard, and Anthony Davis all made the top 75 and I don't know if I would have any of them on that list.

Is a player overrated when they get max deals?

Alan Houston, Brandon Roy, Chandler Parsons, etc

[Im Still Ballin]

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/srldid/prime_boogie_or_prime_embiid/

:facepalm

[Akeem34TheDream]

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/srldid/prime_boogie_or_prime_embiid/

:facepalm

Don't bring up discussions from low quality forums please. This is a first class website that has no place for trash like that.

[Im Still Ballin]

Don't bring up discussions from low quality forums please. This is a first class website that has no place for trash like that.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/images/smilies/roll.gif

[Im Still Ballin]

:facepalm

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/swo0ln/how_good_was_prime_demarcus_cousins/

[999Guy]

No. In his real athletic Peak of 2014-2017, he was a damn good two-way center. Probably better on defense than offense.

Obv nobody gave a **** bc of the team.

The years after like 2018 and 2019 were overrated however yes.

And he was absolutely better than Towns year to year and had a consistent prime. Townsville had that “high” peak in 2020 and has nothing else.