Kings' Rajon Rondo could limit DeMarcus Cousins' post game
It's not enough in the NBA simply to acquire the most talent on paper and roll the basketball onto the court. Teams must truly be teams in order to win championships, at least more often than not. And although they're far from championship contention, the Sacramento Kings could come to find out how important synergy is this season if newly acquired point guard Rajon Rondo has an adverse effect on the offensive output of DeMarcus Cousins.
On the surface, that might seem a silly notion. Rondo has a reputation as one of the best passers in the game; this is a player who famously hunts assists at the expense of easy layups, after all. But Ian Levy of Sporting News points out that when Rondo is flinging the ball around the floor, those passes often lead to mid-range jumpers -- which aren't exactly Cousins' forte:
"Last season, a far bigger share of Rondo's assists went to mid-range jump shots than the average point guard. This balanced out with fewer assists around the basket and fewer assists on above-the-break three-pointers."
It's that "around the basket" part that should have the Kings perhaps a bit concerned. While Cousins is a solid shooter from the left elbow, his game is around the basket. His strength, dexterity and intelligence make him an almost impossible assignment to guard when he's sealed and catches the ball down low. If he's getting the ball outside of the paint instead, especially on the right side, it could be trouble for the Kings. Levy gives some numbers to show just how much trouble:
"It can be hard to appreciate what that difference in FG% [from around the basket to the mid-range] really means but, per 100 shots, we'd expect Cousins to score about 17 fewer points taking catch-and-shoot jump shots than shooting from inside of 10 feet. And this only includes Cousins' field goal attempts. Having him close to the basket also pays dividends in the form of free throw attempts and offensive rebounds."
None of this is preordained, of course. Rondo and Cousins are smart basketball players, and coach George Karl is known for his offensive ingenuity. There's every chance that Sacramento will make this work. But there's also reason to be cautiously concerned at the beginning of the year. These things can take time to develop, and the Kings might need to be patient.
(h/t Sporting News)
