A season ago, DeMarcus Cousins was left off the initial list of All-Star reserves. It was a snub of epic proportion that was made right a day later when Commissioner Adam Silver added the Kings center as an injury replacement for Kobe Bryant.
Cousins will not have to go through that torment again this season.
Despite finishing in 10th place in the fan voting among Western Conference forwards and centers, Cousins was named an All-Star reserve Thursday by NBA coaches.
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In addition to the All-Star Game, Cousins will participate in the skills challenge on Saturday, a source told CSNCalifornia.com.
This marks the second straight All-Star appearance for the Kings big man, who currently ranks third in the NBA in scoring at 27.3 points per game and fourth in rebounding at 11.2 a night.
Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, James Harden and LaMarcus Aldridge were also named Western Conference All-Star reserves.
After an injury plagued start to the season, Cousins and his Kings teammates have found their groove in the month of January. The Kings are 8-5 since the calendar turned 2016 and they come into Thursday night’s play tied for the eight spot in the Western Conference standings.
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Cousins is crushing the competition in January, averaging 33.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 36.6 minutes per night. He has already won a Western Conference Player of the Week award and he is clearly in the running for the monthly award as well.
In past seasons with the Kings out of playoff contention earlym personal accolades were all that Cousins had to play for. With his team in the thick of it, the 25-year-old center has changed his focus while putting up incredible numbers.
“Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs, playoffs,” Cousins said when asked earlier this week about his potential for making the All-Star team.
The former Kentucky star will travel to Toronto to take part in the festivities Feb. 12-14.
Cousins wasn’t the only Kings player deserving of a call to the midseason celebration. Despite leading the NBA in assists by nearly two per game at career-best 11.8 per contest, four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo was left off the team.
The veteran guard has five triple-doubles on the season and is the undisputed leader of a surging Kings team. But there are only so many spots on the All-Star roster.
“My main thing coming in was I wanted Cuz and Rudy (Gay) and opportunity to get in,” Rondo told CSNCalifornia.com over the weekend. “If it happens, so be it, but I’m to try and win games, to turn this franchise around, change the culture and win games. That’s what I’m here to do.”
Rondo comes into Thursday night riding a streak of 13 consecutive games with 10 or more assists. If he dishes out another 10 assists against the Pelicans, he will tie Tiny Archibald’s franchise record streak of 14 consecutive games set back in 1972.
Sacramento Kings All-Star Game Participants
1993 – Mitch Richmond
1994 – Mitch Richmond*
1995 – Mitch Richmond (MVP)
1996 – Mitch Richmond
1997 – Mitch Richmond
1998 – Mitch Richmond
2000 – Chris Webber
2001 – Vlade Divac, Chris Webber
2002 – Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber
2003 – Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber+
2004 – Brad Miller, Peja Stojakovic
2015 – DeMarcus Cousins
2016 – DeMarcus Cousins
* Started that year’s game
+ Named, but did not play due to injury