Maybe I am biased, but the NBA Summer League has had a decidedly Big Blue tint to it.  If the cable companies in Kentucky were smart (false premise?), then they would all have NBATV as an alternative.  Thanks to the heat in Memphis (and TiVo), I have found myself almost glued to the set watching the Summer League.  As I said earlier, I have watched more NBA this summer than all last season combined.

Of the five UK players, I would have to say that Cousins has been the biggest star.  Clearly Wall and Patterson have been solid to very good and Bledsoe has shown that he belongs in the league.  Orton was drafted as a project and it will take time to see if that bet pays off.  That being said - Cousins has been a beast...Links and more after the jump...

As the title says - 3 Games - 3 Double Doubles.  In the last two games, he has led the SacKings in both scoring and rebounding.  Now I know that who you play and who you are surrounded by has a great deal to do with it (for example, I believe Bledsoe would be having a better go of it if he had a better supporting cast).  But clearly, Cousins is on fire.

Against the Lakers 19 pts/12 rebounds.  See the highlights here (in one sequence late in Q4, he blocks a shot with his LEFT hand, runs the floor and gets the basket and 1):

http://www.nba.com/summerleague/games/20100713/SACLAL/gameinfo.html

Last night against the Timberwolves (who I believe had a chance to either pick or trade up for Cousins), he had 22 pts/12 boards/5 assts.  See highlights here:
http://www.nba.com/summerleague/games/20100714/SACMIN/gameinfo.html

Here are some random comments on Boogie:

- Chris Webber (a former SacKing) was the color guy at the Minn game  and was very impressed.  He said he hated to be a "homer" but he could not help himself.

- Cuz has gotten into a talking contest with an opponent in 2 of the 3 games - under control, but it is clearly part of his game (and I love it)

- Cuz can pass

- At the end of the Minn game, in crunch time, he DEMANDED the ball, got it, and executed on several of the last possessions.

- In the highlights, you see him spin and go baseline against the guy who was mouthing with him

- In the highlights, you see him go to the middle of the lane and make a 5 foot jump hook for the winning shot.  As Webber said, it was the first time all night he had not gone baseline and he picked the perfect time to mix it up (and of course make it).

It is "just" summer league and has only been 3 games, but I will have to say Cuz has looked even better than at UK and it is against better than college competition.

One last comment - I believe it was the SacKings player personnel director that said Boogie has his own style - a style he has never seen before.  In other words, we might compare Wall to other great point guards and we might say so-and-so is the next Larry Bird or Michael Jordan, but when it comes to Big Cuz, the SacKings believe he is an original.  Of course BigSkyCat and the rest of us here at ASOB already knew he was one of a kind!!!

UPDATE:  I took a look at the what the Sacramento Paper was saying.  The "He is an original" quote is in one of the stories and there is one discussing his attitude.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/15/2891381/cousins-play-has-caused-buzz-from.html

http://bleedblackandpurple.blogspot.com/2010/07/carril-cousins-only-original-player-ive.html

http://blogs.sacbee.com/sports/kings/archives/2010/07/cousins-gets-ma.html

Some good stuff on the Big Cuz.....