The player-coach partnership DeMarcus Cousins has forged with Dave Joerger could be the best of his career.

"He’s a sweetheart," Joerger says without a hint of irony. "We get along great."

"He’s amazingly talented," Joerger continued. "We watched his talent get better every year from the other sideline. Like man, this guy just keeps getting better. And then when I got to coach him, I’m like, holy cow. He is incredibly talented. And then, the way that he has gone about his business and grown. Again from the other sideline to now here, he has really grown in the way he handles his business. Whether it’s practice, shootarounds, games, dealing with officials, handling adversity. Those two things have impressed me."

Cousins will be a free agent in 2018 and his future with the Sacramento Kings is uncertain as they continue to work towards becoming a playoff team.