Kings considering discipline for Cousins

UPDATE: Looks like Cousins is being fined an undisclosed amount, but is returning to the team one game into their road trip at OKC.  The Kings and Cousins released this statement earlier today:

“There is no place in the NBA for violence, either on or off the court,” said Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. “Upon investigating the events of Saturday night, we feel it is necessary to impose a significant fine related to DeMarcus’ behavior. We will now move forward together. We do not intend to give up on DeMarcus’ talent or potential. We look forward to watching his continued improvement and development, which has been significant since the beginning of the season.”

“I wish to apologize to my teammates, the Kings organization and Kings’ fans for my role in an unfortunate altercation between teammates,” Cousins said. “I accept full responsibility for my actions and know that I must keep raising my standard of professionalism to be my best and a great player in the NBA.”

After being inactive (but not officially suspended) for Sacramento's game last night, a win over Phoenix, Demarcus Cousins met with Kings General Manager Geoff Petrie this morning to discuss the postgame altercation that led to Cousins being removed from the team plane Saturday night. The team is expected to make a decision on punishing the fifth overall pick sometime today, according to Yahoo!'s Marc J. Spears. Also from Yahoo!, there seems to be someone who thinks the problems plaguing Cousins are a product of a dysfunctional team structure in Sacramento, as Ball Don't Lie takes a look at the Kings' big picture and tries to put the Cousins problems in perspective with the rest of the problems in the organization. It certainly doesn't absolve Cousins of blame, but does paint a picture of a team whose problems run deeper than just their rookie big man. It's a good read if you're looking for something other than people just blasting Boogie for being a malcontent. Of course, that's all a pretty big downer. This being the day for love, how about we end the post on a more positive note. That means taking a look at the love affair between Boogie and Kentucky's Tuesday opponent, Mississippi State, from last year. It started, like so many romances, with a phone call, and ended with Cousins and John Wall engaging in one of the classic bro hugs in SEC tournament history. Take a look back, wont you...