Offense
Strengths
• Great size, very athletic
• Good offensive rebounder
• Very good footwork – quick post moves
• Runs court well
• Uses body well to seal off defender
• Draws fouls
Weaknesses
• Needs to work on face-up game
• Forces too many shots
• Needs to improve free throw shooting
• Better decisions against double teams
Defense
Strengths
• Uses body well to keep offensive players off balance
• Strong rebounder
• Athletic shot blocker
Weaknesses
• Step slow on help rotation – picks up a lot of fouls
• Can be over-aggressive – susceptible to ball fakes
• Defensive effort is uneven
Analysis
Cousins has shown tremendous improvement throughout his freshman season. On offense, he shows remarkable combination of speed and power. His post moves are developing well and his footwork allows him to move quickly around conventional post defenders. He shows very good touch around the rim and anticipates offensive rebounds well. Defensively, he makes up for a lack of skill with his athleticism. He clears space around the rim well and goes up and grabs rebounds. His biggest weakness is his ability to stay on the floor for large stretches of time. Between foul trouble and being benched for mistakes, he is only averaging a little more than 20 minutes a game. This makes the numbers he puts up even more remarkable. If he can find his way to more time on the court, his stock will continue to rise.
