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Cousins has made strides

The perception is that DeMarcus Cousins is difficult to coach and difficult to deal with. And he has done little to disprove that since being labeled a malcontent in high school.

But the 6-foot-11-inch forward’s production cannot be denied. Cousins, who doesn’t turn 22 until August, is averaging a double-double in his second season with the Kings (16.6 points, 11.5 rebounds). He is a prototype franchise cornerstone but has endured a lot of upheaval in Sacramento and spent considerable time fielding questions about his attitude.

An NBA scout compared Cousins’s footwork with Kevin McHale’s, and he has a solid mid-range jumper and a mean streak. Rumors that he wants out of Sacramento are just that, especially since the Kings replaced Paul Westphal as coach with Keith Smart.

“Man, that’s something I’ve been dealing with my whole life,’’ said Cousins. “I’ve got tough skin. They can say what they want. They are always going to have something to say.’’

Asked if the misperceptions bothered him, he said, “No, because they’re not really trying to understand me. They’re just following the crowd.’’

Cousins came to the NBA (fifth overall pick in 2010) with an advanced skill set, but he and Westphal clashed during the former Celtic’s short tenure as coach, and Cousins’s work ethic came into question.

His numbers have improved since his rookie season but he still shoots 44 percent, an alarming number for a post player.

“I know it’s happening,’’ he said of the improvement. “It may not happen at the speed other people want it to happen at, but I know it’s happening. I’m going to keep working hard.’’

A mentor who has emerged for Cousins is former Kings forward Chris Webber, who played seven seasons in Sacramento. He has tried to offer sound advice, not criticism.

“I have the utmost respect for C-Web, he’s a real person,’’ Cousins said. “He just gives me advice, tells me how to handle situations. He went through similar situations so of course he has advice for me. I guess you can say a big brother looking over me.’’

The Kings have been saved in Sacramento by a $391 million arena plan, and the organization has drafted Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Isaiah Thomas, and Jimmer Fredette as the potential core for a Western Conference contender. They have shown signs of progress, but it could take several seasons before they unseat the Lakers, Mavericks, and Spurs.

Cousins said he wants to be part of that effort.

“Sacramento is where I want to be,’’ he said. “I want to bring the organization back, help the organization get started back winning. I love the city of Sacramento. That’s where I want to be. End of story.

“We can dig a hole, throw that topic in there, cover it with dirt, pack it down. I want to be in Sacramento. End of story.’’

408Kings wrote:That's what a lot of us have been wanting all along. They have a pretty similar games and skill sets. C-Webb is the perfect mentor for DMC.

I just wished we could have gotten Mark Jackson in here as an assistant to mentor Tyreke and teach him how to post and pass.