Two Knucklehead Draft Picks: Two Different Perceptions

Last night the Washington Nationals made Bryce Harper the number one overall pick, but he's not without his critics. He's got his fair share of red flags most associated with his attitude. His defenders argued that his talent was too much to pass up and that he'll mature with time. So why is Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins not being extended the courtesy as we head toward the NBA draft? Cousins was not ejected from a game the way Harper was in the Junior College World Series, but his "knucklehead" status has him dropping down the boards despite handling a hostile situation in Mississippi State quite well. Harper's supposed to be an all-world talent, Cousins likely the 2nd pick talent. I understand that, but Cousins is only two years older than Harper and while Harper has been in position to showcase his talents, Cousins played in a guard dominated situation at Kentucky. Looking forward to the NBA draft, I'd be hard pressed to pass on a big man that has the skill set of Cousins, pretty much anything you could want minus blocks, should be picked below Evan Turner. It should also be noted that Turner was more of a hot head as freshman, ironically enough and his skill set is more easily attained by teams than Cousins. Unless a GM is convinced that Turner will be special, he better be certain that Cousins will not mature with age the way people say Harper will, otherwise that GM will regret it.