The Age Of Devastation: How Tyreke And Cousins Spell A New Era Of Destruction
You want to know the best thing about Geoff Petrie?
He doesn’t make the same mistakes everyone else adores making. A year ago, he sat and watched as Tyreke Evans, at 6-6 with incredible length and explosiveness, drifted on down the board and fell in his lap at the fourth overall pick. This year, he cocked his head to the side as team after team passed on arguably the most efficient offensive force in college basketball, an absolute beast of a man, based on character issues despite the lack of an arrest or significant off-court incident. Let’s be clear on this. Xavier Henry and Cole Aldrich were more heavily involved in an event (the KU basketball versus football cross-campus rendition of West Side Story that got swept under the rug) off-court than Demarcus Cousins was. Boogie’s a big kid that needs to mature. And he will with age. Petrie knew that, and now has one of the most promising young combinations in the NBA.
Thunder and lightning. Elevation and Devastation. Rock and Roll.
Evans’ speed, elusiveness in traffic, and sheer athleticism is going to draw defenders. His height and underrated passing ability will do the rest. Cousins can clean up. It sounds like such a simple ability, to finish a dump-off pass, but so many rookies ruin those possessions to hair-pulling results. Cousins, though? He understands that basket. That sounds like a ridiculous statement, but it’s true. Some guys just instinctively know where the basket is and can translate physical actions into putting the little round thing into that basket. Basically, take the opposite of Hasheem Thabeet’s knowledge and abilities thereof.
That pick and roll? Try guarding it. You can flash the big on the switch and then recover, but Evans is tall enough to zip line the roll pass and fast enough to get by. Force Evans to the basket and then work to force a tough floater? You’ve just surrendered the weak side, which means Cousins is cleaning up the miss. How about the post? If Cousins can navigate even the simplest of cut passes? You’ve got a monster in the high block, flipping the ball to a speed demon ripping towards the rim. On defense, the two can contain and muscle and it will feel like you’re getting beaten by giant leather bat wings and having barrels thrown at you by Donkey Kong at the same time.
There will be mistakes. Defensively, offensively. Cousins will blame Evans for plays. Evans will defend himself. But if they can get past those moments, learn, and move on? Cousins is the Blaster to Evans’ Master, the Hammer to Evans’ Sickle. While other teams opted for the safe play, the traditional route, the weaker option, Petrie took the shot and now has a 1-2 punch to mix with his other weapons, and neither can drink yet.
The personalities will be interesting. Evans is quiet and unobtrusive, not the demanding leader that is typically modeled thereof. But maybe that’s just it. Evans the Rod, Cousins the Candy. One for fun, one for work. Both with the ability to strike fear in the hearts of their opponents, and both with a lot to develop.
Develop.
Oklahoma has set a dangerous precedent. Don’t interrupt. Don’t interfere. Don’t destroy the chemistry. Let it brew, simmer, and become something entirely new. Now Petrie has that idea in principle. All he has to do is commit to it. And it may not be as easy as it was with Durant, Green, and Westbrook. But the payoff could be similar. And if you commit to it, and don’t ruin it with pride and urgency, you can find your have something that’s not only powerful, but yours.
Oster-Tags: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings, Tyreke Evans
[...] Read full article here. [...]
[...] Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins could spell a new era of destruction, says Hardwood Paroxysm. [...]
[...] other news, I came across a great piece this morning written by Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm. Moore touches on the pairing of Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins and what what their future means to the rest of the NBA. I highly recommend the read – [...]