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Ricky Rubio couldn’t believe DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t an All-Star

By Phil Watson

Jan 13, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) blocks a shot by Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler (6) during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings 108-104. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) blocks a shot by Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler (6) during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings 108-104. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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When the Western Conference’s All-Star reserves were announced and DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t one of them, lots of folks were surprised—even Ricky Rubio.

When Western Conference head coached bypassed Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins when voting for the reserves for the All-Star team, many were shocked.

Include injured Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio among that number.

“Wow” pretty much summed up how most people felt about the omission.

Cousins, who missed 12 games with viral meningitis in December, is averaging 23.8 points and 12.3 rebounds a game for the Kings. And it’s not as if missing games prevented Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder from being chosen as reserves.

Of course, that all got resolved on Friday when Cousins was named an injury replacement for the All-Star Game, taking the place of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who is out for the year after surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.

ESPN.com had the announcement of Cousins’ selection.

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Cousins’ numbers are certainly at an elite level—only five players in the last 20 years have averaged at least 23 points and 12 rebounds in a single season. Those five players aren’t bad—David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Kevin Love.

Cousins is Sacramento’s first All-Star in more than a decade, since both Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic were chosen for the 2004 game.

Since the team moved to California’s capital city in 1985, only Mitch Richmond, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Stojakovic and Miller had been named All-Stars prior to Cousins.

Sacramento’s 16-28 record could not have helped Cousins’ cause in the initial voting by the conference’s coaches—in a conference where the current No. 8 team in the standings is on pace to win 47 games, the competition is deep.

Of course, the selection of Cousins still leaves one high-profile Western Conference player on the outside looking in for the Feb. 15 exhibition at Madison Square Garden—Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard was also not chosen, again to the surprise of Rubio. 

Lillard—an All-Star in 2013-14—is averaging 21.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and shooting .434/.367/.863, but was bypassed in favor of point guards Westbrook and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers. Point guard Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was chosen by fans to start in the game.

Lillard is … not happy about his omission.

“I was surprised,” Lillard told The Oregonian. “I said it before: I thought I did all I could do individually. I thought my team has been successful. It wasn’t something I could control. Everything that I could control to give myself my best shot, I did. It played out how it played out.

“I’m definitely going to take it personal. I said I’d be pissed off about it. And I am. I just felt disrespected.”

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