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Former Kentucky Wildcats: The Reality of the Willie Cauley-Stein and Demarcus Cousins Duo

By Shelby Caudill

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If you’re anything like me, when Willie Cauley-Stein’s name was called 6th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, you wanted to scream, you were excited and the thought of he and Demarcus Cousins playing on the same team, just seemed scary, but great.

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Truth be told, we don’t know how well Willie Cauley-Stein and Demarcus Cousins compliment one another. We know they’re both pretty dominant in their positions and can make for a defensive nightmare on their own, but the two of them together? Sheesh. That could get ugly, fast.

Demarcus Cousins is a defensive nightmare for opponents, but he is also very, very dominant offensively too, while Willie Cauley-Stein is strong offensively, but it’s something he’s going to have to work on in the league, it’s not as natural for him, defense is, but not offense. Sim Risso, from the Bleacher Report has quite the similar outlook as myself on the potential of this duo in Sacramento.

"Cousins is known for his offensive prowess, and that shouldn’t change just because Cauley-Stein’s on board. With Cousins’ versatility, the two will be able to coexist without detracting from one another on the offensive end.But it’s on defense where Cauley-Stein will really help the Kings. In recent years, Cousins has made himself into a formidable defensive player, but there wasn’t another front-line player who could match his ability. That changes with Cauley-Stein, and it could change the whole dynamic in Sacramento."

He goes on to explain that with the rumor trades swirling, they must make reiterate that it’s not certain the Demarcus Cousins is going to be a King next season. But here is more from his post in relation to their potential in Sacramento.

"Cauley-Stein will make his most profound impact on defense.Part of that is because the Kings simply aren’t a good defensive team."

"That’s important to note because the Kings are getting another player in Cauley-Stein who is a bona fide rim protector.He averaged 3.6 blocks per 40 minutes during his three years at Kentucky, while his career block percentage of 9.2 is the 10th best in the SEC since the stat was first recorded in the 1997-98 season.He was also one of the nation’s premier all-around defenders. The center led the NCAA in defensive win shares in 2014-15, with 3.4. He also averaged more than a steal per game in each of his last two seasons at Kentucky.Where Cauley-Stein will really help Cousins and the Kings is with his versatility. Despite his 7’0″, 242-pound frame, he’s athletic enough to guard perimeter players. This dynamic already has Karl thinking about pairing Cousins with Cauley-Stein."

"How Cauley-Stein complements Cousins on offense isn’t as clear.At least at Kentucky, Cauley-Stein was seen as a limited offensive player. He never averaged more than 8.9 points per game or 14.2 per 40 minutes. Part of that can be explained by his 17.2 career usage percentage since Cauley-Stein was never a focal part of the Wildcats offense."

"For the Kings, there are two things on their side in terms of how this will mesh with Cousins. The first is that DMC has versatility to his offensive game.Granted, throughout his career, 67.6 percent of Cousins’ field-goal attempts have come within 10 feet of the hoop. But he can also stretch his offense to the mid-range and knock down jumpers, knocking down 38.3 percent of his 253 attempts between 16 feet and the three-point line in 2014-15.Cousins is also a willing passer, averaging a career-high 3.6 assists last season. That’s important because he’s going to continually command double-teams, and finding open teammates is the best way to counteract it.Speaking of which, one of Cauley-Stein’s strengths on offense is moving without the ballIf nothing else, it will be interesting to see how Cousins and Cauley-Stein play together. For his part, Cousins has already reached out to the rookie and expressed he’s looking forward to playing with him.The argument can be made that the Kings would have been better off adding a big man with the capability to stretch the floor, thereby giving Cousins more room to work on offense. But that may not be necessary with DMC’s offensive versatility. He’s not confined strictly to the paint and should still be effective regardless."

Risso’s outlook on the dynamic of this duo is on point. He knows what he is talking about and I happen to agree completely. Seriously, check out his article about it.

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