Ala Hann Sport picks

2010 World Cup betting players don’t have to worry much about a draft, but NBA betting players will be gearing up for next week’s draft, and the most polarizing player in the draft is a teammate of the player everyone believes will go No.1.

DeMarcus Cousins is being listed to go anywhere from third to eighth in the draft, and the opinions on the big man are varied.  Cousins spent a year at Kentucky with John Wall, who is expected to be the No.1 pick, and it was Cousins who was the SEC Freshman of the Year with 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds.  Cousins was also a second-team All-American, and he’s a load for anyone to handle in the paint.  However, being a load is what may be causing his stock to drop, among other things.

Cousins has always been a big man, and he was listed as having 270 pounds on his 6’11” frame.  But it’s been reported that Cousins has ballooned to 290 pounds, and some are saying more than that.  Cousins’ weight has always been as unpredictable as World Cup Round of 16 betting, and even at 270, you could see that he had a lot of work to do to turn some of that into muscle.  Of course, he didn’t have to do that at Kentucky as he was just physically bigger than anyone he faced 90% of the time.  But Cousins won’t be able to get away with that in the league, and slimming down a bit would also help him get up and down the floor.  We all know that Cousins has tremendous footwork for a man his size, but he would be so much better if he wasn’t carrying that extra weight.  If he wasn’t in basketball, Cousins would have probably boosted the Wildcats’ NCAA football betting odds.

Another worry about Cousins is his temperament, as he was prone to sulk and get into foul trouble last year.  That won’t fly in the NBA, but unlike his weight, that’s something that Cousins has dealt with.  Early in the season, and in particular, the game against rival Louisville, Cousins had problems controlling his emotions, and he almost got ejected from that game after 45 seconds.  Coach John Calipari took him out of the game, talked to him, and Cousins ended up with 18 points and 18 rebounds.

Drafting all depends on need, of course, but you have to say that Cousins should be the first big man taken after Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors, who is a better athlete than Cousins and has more upside.  But Cousins comes with a polished post game and a willingness to hit the glass, and if he can keep his weight and head in check, he’ll be a huge boost for some team’s betting odds in a couple years.