Atlanta Hawks: Signing Boogie Cousins Would Be Horrendous
4 Reasons Why Signing Boogie Cousins Would Be Horrendous
1. Offensive Inefficiency
Looking at his raw numbers and the advanced defensive stats, signing DeMarcus Cousins seems like a great idea on the surface. However with a young impressionable team like Atlanta has, we must dive deeper to see if he is the proper fit.
A closer look DeMarcus Cousins’ advanced offensive stats, gives us a surprising outcome in the other direction. Boogie tied the fourth highest usage rate among qualifying centers, yet ranked number 19 in offensive rating.
Looking to the ESPN offensive real plus/minus stat, shows us that Cousins ranked number 27 among centers. That is below both Atlanta Hawks centers Dewayne Dedmon who ranked 19 and Alex Len who ranked number 21.
On a positive note, DeMarcus Cousins ranked number 13 among centers in assists ratio. However a major positive is negated, by the fact that he ranked number 32 in turnover ratio.
Shooting Regression
Looking at more advanced stats, the concerns grow about rather DeMarcus is a fit for the Hawks. Cousins is tied for number 45 in true shooting percentage. Only four qualified centers have a lower percentage.
Floor spacing from the center position is an essential part of the Atlanta Hawks offense, that ranked second in the NBA post All Star break. Alex Len and Dewayne combined to attempt 411 shots from downtown. Omari Spellman also attempted 128 threes.
DeMarcus Cousins saw a sharp decline in his three-point percentage last season. He had shot better than 35 percent for two seasons and at least 33 percent from beyond the arch, for three consecutive years. Boogie regressed to 27.4 percent last season.
Shot Selection
25.6 percent of the shots DeMarcus Cousins attempted, were from three-point range. Cousins attempted 41.5 percent of his shots in the restricted area and converted 65.6 of his shots.
The other area where DeMarcus Cousins takes many shots, is three to ten feet away from the basket. That area accounts for 25.6 percent of shots that DeMarcus takes. He converts 44.1 percent of those shots.
Inability to Finish at the Rim
Boogie Cousins attempts a low percentage of shots at the rim as a big man, because he lacks the lift to finish over NBA rim protectors. This was true even prior to injuries.
In 2016-17, an all-star year for Boogie Cousins, he had his shot blocked more than any other NBA big man. According to an article by Brad Stevenson of fadeawayworld.com, Cousins was the fourth most blocked player in the entire NBA that season. The Atlanta Hawks do not need a shot blockee, they need a shot blocker.