NBA Week in Review: DeMarcus Cousins’s escape, Danny Green, more

The latest NBA Week in Review is discussing DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings, Ben Simmons and more.

Welcome to the NBA Week in Review. Today, we discuss an escape from Sacramento, bad rules and Danny Green's last meal. Read last week's installment here. 

Stories of the Week

• How much longer until we can get DeMarcus Cousins out of Sacramento? Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder why he ever even re-signed with that dysfunctional organization in the first place. The latest chapter in the Kings saga is Cousins saying his coach George Karl—not the organization—was responsible for his one-game suspension last week. As you’ve surely heard by now, the Kings fired the only coach (Mike Malone) who ever seemed to connect with their superstar early last season. The team was a mess before that move and has been even worse since. Has Vivek Ranadivé done enough for Adam Silver to make Jerry Colangelo split his time between Philadelphia and Sacramento? Cousins—and every great player, for that matter—deserves a chance to play for an organization that isn’t actively sabotaging its team with each subsequent decision. Talent almost always trumps all in the NBA, but Cousins’s situation is a stark reminder about the need for at least passable infrastructure around a team’s best player. 

Golden Touch: How to shoot like Steph

• Is there any reason why Ben Simmons isn’t in the NBA right now? Silver has been hailed as the progressive sports commissioner, and in some ways he certainly is, but disenfranchising players like Simmons continues to be ludicrous. It’s simple, really—if Simmons weren’t ready for the NBA, then the teams would decide not to draft him. But the artificial, one-year wait time isn’t helping players like Simmons in any way. And in the LSU star’s case, you can’t even argue about the excitement of watching him in college, because the Tigers weren’t very good and won’t play in any post-season games. The NBA is facing some more complex labor issues in the not-so-distant future, and the age restriction may not be high on the list come CBA negotiation time. But let’s never forget: Keeping 18-year-olds from entering the draft is one of the dumbest rules in sports. 

• Has the Derek Fisher-Matt Barnes mess finally been laid to rest? Fisher gave his side of the story in a first-person essay for The Cauldron last week. Whatever your thoughts on the situation are, I think Albert Burneko summed it up best in October.

Tweet(s) of the Week

I miss the old Kanye. https://t.co/staijL8Jpf

— Chuck The Condor (@ChuckTheCondor) March 13, 2016

Always reppin’ and always has your back. That’s family. #BringYourGame pic.twitter.com/SJ8CAroZFq

— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) March 13, 2016

"Phil [Jackson] won 'because he had great players'? No s--- sherlock. ... That's the silliest argument I've ever heard." Kobe Bryant

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 14, 2016

Vine(s) of the Week

This is not a no-look pass!

​• MORE NBA: Pre-tourney NBA mock draft | The battle to avoid Warriors

Roundup

Kobe Bryant tells Knicks fans to trust Phil Jackson ... Which teams need Tom Thibodeau the most? ... Here’s Andrew Sharp’s first mock draft ... Allen Iverson thinks Steph Curry is a monster ... A baby fell asleep during a baby race ... How coaches deal with their own injuries during the season ... The Jose Calderon game-winner against the Lakers was one of the worst plays I’ve ever seen ... Brook Lopez tells me his favorite James Bond actor.

The Ben Golliver YouTube Corner

People love watching highlights of NBA stars in college around the time of the NCAA tournament. LeBron never played in college, but he absolutely wrecked fools in high school.

​​Listen below and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud.

The Fashion Outlet

These are pretty awesome.

.@Buccigross was rocking original Air Jordans that he bought in 1985 on SportsCenter Sunday night. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/XhBB4s2FRy

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 14, 2016

The One-Question Interview

Off-the-court only. This week, more with One-Question alum Danny Green.

Rohan Nadkarni: If you got to pick your last meal, what would it be?

Danny Green: Probably some good steaks, mashed potatoes, asparagus, corn, maybe some macaroni and cheese. Something like that, you know?

RN: Anything for dessert?

DG: Yeah, probably like a hot fudge brownie or some chocolate chip cookies. Warm cookies with ice cream or something like that.