Yesterday was the Kings Draft Party at ARCO Arena, which I attended, along with about 4,000 other Kings fans! Prior to the start of the draft, Mayor Kevin Johnson was on hand and made this statement, "I'm going to name off 4 players and with applause let me know who you want" well Favors, Turner, and Johnson received applause worthy of a drunken karaoke performance, but when Cousins name was announced, the fan favorite was obvious! With all the rumors floating around about Houston attempting to make a deal with Minnesota to move from the #14 to the #4 pick to steal Demarcus Cousins from any team waiting to snag him off the block; not to mention his sudden jump from #5 - #7 picks to a possible #2 and #3 in some mock drafts, I was nervous! It came as no surprise that John Wall went to the Wizards at #1, Congrats! Turner was no surprise nor was Favors. Then came the #4 pick. I am pretty sure that those in attendance at the Draft Party set a world record for largest collective sigh of relief when David Stern took to the podium and said "With the 4th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft the Minnesota Timberwolves select.....Wesley Johnson." PHEW! With anticipation building it took a commercial break to build the already fragile nerves of all in attendance! When David Stern announced the #4 pick ARCO erupted in cheers as if we had just beat the Lakers in a game 7 championship series! It was loud and it was clear that the fans got their pick!
Here's a little info on each of the rookie selections.
Demarcus Cousins- University of Kentucky
6'11" 270-290 lbs
True Center
7'6" wingspan (rounded up .25")
9'5" standing reach
Averaged a Double-Double last season playing around 20 minutes per game.
Now Demarcus is only 19 years old. When he begins play after summer league he will be 20 (August 13th is his birthday for all who want to give him a shout out on Twitter @boogiecousins). What most people will tell you about him right now is that he's a risk. They assume that because he's had a few yelling matches with coaches in the past that he has a problem with authority or that he's crazy! That happens to be my personal favorite! Granted I do not know this young man any more than the bulk of the country, but what I have seen of him thus far is no different than anything I'd expect of a 19 year old. I don't think he's crazy, lazy, authority challenged if you will. I think he's got drive, ambition, and a pure competitive blood running in his veins. With the right direction and coaching, he's bound for greatness if he is willing to put the work in. Talent isn't enough to make it in the NBA. It's about developing and improving on your existing game to make yourself the best player you can be. From all accounts, Demarcus is looking forward to joining the Kings and being in SacTown and I know from the sounds at ARCO that SacTown is ready for him too!
Hassan Whiteside- Marshall
7'0" 235 lbs
PF/Center
7'7" wingspan
9'5" standing reach
Top shot blocker in NCAA with 5.4 b/pg
I will admit, I've heard Whiteside's name in the past, but only briefly. I had to do my homework on him before writing this. I love the drive that he displays. Once thought to be a lottery pick, he dropped to the 2nd round where the Kings may have struck gold, once again! It's not his numbers or his workouts that made all other teams pass him up 32 times before the Kings took him. Hassan suffers from a very common disorder, A.D.D. bringing his maturity level into question. When I think basketball powerhouses Marshall isn't a school that comes to mind, and surely the competition within the conference is probably lower than that of top teams Duke and North Carolina, but great players can come out of nowhere. Hassan is using his snub from the league as fuel to make them regret not choosing him. If you ask me, that's pretty mature. But let me put into perspective just what a 7'7" wingspan means....Hassan opens his arms straight out and could touch Yao Ming's head with one hand and his toes with the other! Yes! That's right! Yao Ming is 7'7" tall! INSANITY! And we have another rookie who is just one inch less at 7'6"!!!
In the end only time can tell what will come of these two, and all other rookies taken last night, and those who weren't. But as a Kings fan, I am more than excited about both of these guys. So welcome to Sacramento Demarcus and Hassan!!!
Oh, and I TOLD YOU SO! I've been calling for Cousins since March! I'm happy I was right!
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