Player Discussion: Nik Stauskas

[Skates]

Stauskas never looked like a SG/SF type, but he handles the ball pretty well to play as a distributor and ballhandler at the two next to a scoring PG, so he has some versatility that way. I'm not sure he will ever be better than a windmill who tries on defense and poaches the passing lanes a bit, but on offense I think he has a lot to offer with his shooting and ballhandling.

[joyeuxnoel]

I was a big fan of Nik's going into the draft. I probably had him top 10 or so for the sixers.

Obviously, Nik's shooting is his biggest strength, and Nik needs some space to get his shot off successfully. Hartford had the stat showing just how poorly Nik shot when a defender was within 3 feet. And a lot of those contested shots were launched with Cousins drawing doubles. I hope in our scheme he gets clean shots and develops confidence.

Shooting aside, Nik is very crafty around the basket. Also, has a good enough handle.

Defensively, he reportedly gives effort but struggles due to lack of athleticism. My hope is that Staukas can benefit from having Noel behind him. Maybe he can guard close on the perimeter and if he gets beat, Noel could bail him out.

I am excited that he could be another important rotation piece for us.

his shooting percentage when contested is alarming and his defense is pretty awful. he'll never be klay (klay has elite d) but nik does have a couple strengths other than his shooting

he's pretty creative around the rim on his finishes and finishes at an above average rate, he has a good handle, hes not undersized, and hes very good off the ball

[sixers hoops]

Anyone expecting a star because he was drafted 8th will likely be disappointed. However, I think he has the potential to be a really nice part of the rotation.

[ankle420breaker]

Agreed. The likelihood of him ever being a star isn't favorable. I'd be more than happy if he's able to develop to the point where he's in the same tier as guys like JJ Redick and Wally Sczerb.

Our roster compliments Nik's game pretty well. Add in that he'll have ample playing time and a defined role on a team that emphasizes player development and you have an ideal situation for a guy like Nik looking to rebound off an underwhelming rookie campaign. If he's unable to make a decent leap next year then I'll be pretty discouraged.

[Ericb5]

Stauskas never looked like a SG/SF type, but he handles the ball pretty well to play as a distributor and ballhandler at the two next to a scoring PG, so he has some versatility that way. I'm not sure he will ever be better than a windmill who tries on defense and poaches the passing lanes a bit, but on offense I think he has a lot to offer with his shooting and ballhandling.

I agree.

He isn't a point guard, but he does have some point guard skills. His floor game is pretty underrated imo.

I like the fact that he is not only a great shooter, but he has some skills in getting his own shots too. I'm not saying that he can always get his own shot, but he is better than you would think.


Sent from my iPad using RealGM Forums

[PhilasFinest]

Anyone expecting a star because he was drafted 8th will likely be disappointed. However, I think he has the potential to be a really nice part of the rotation.

Agree 100%. That being said, def think he can become a quality, sharpshooting wing in the mold of JJ Reddick/Kyle Korver. A player like those 2 is a really valuable addition to the roster, especially with a dominant big man and in a tempo/ball movement offense like Spurs/Hawks run.

[76ciology]

Only way Stauskas turns into a star is if improved his lateral speed and ball handling then eventually playing a PG. A.K.A. "OSU ET/DLO" scheme.

[NJ SixerFan]

I ultimately see him as a high-end 6th/7th man who can come in and be a scoring threat on the 2nd unit or a very nice fit as a starter on the wing depending on what the pg and sf positions look like when it is time to compete.

[Kobblehead]

He's a passable secondary distributor, at best. I seriously doubt he ever transitions to the PG spot. I heard some people on here mention that, in passing, about Jordan McRae, too. That's not his game, either.

[Sixerscan]

He's a passable secondary distributor, at best. I seriously doubt he ever transitions to the PG spot. I heard some people on here mention that, in passing, about Jordan McRae, too. That's not his game, either.

The McRae thing came from the article about the Sixers trying him out at point in summer league. Which was probably just some half baked idea the Sixers tried in practice one day.

Stauskas actually played a decent amount of PG in college and was very effective in the P&R. He'd never be a Chris Paul or even MCW level ball dominator but I could see him improving to the point where he could the 1 guard in offenses that are more interchangeable like the triangle or certain motion sets.

[phillthy13]

He's a passable secondary distributor, at best. I seriously doubt he ever transitions to the PG spot. I heard some people on here mention that, in passing, about Jordan McRae, too. That's not his game, either.

Have you seen them play in the NBA in a system like ours? Their "game" is far from being established yet, who knows what they can turn out to be...consistency can create some really interesting results.

[76ciology]

Can anyone confirm this and this is just a theory of mine. Did the Kings went out to find the next Steph Curry with the way they overpaid to get Jimmer and Stauskas? I mean, they did hire Mike Malone who was a former assistant coach of GSW as headcoach.

[MCtripDub]

Man, rashad Vaughn is awesome! I just remembered that we were prepared to offer two seconds to move up for him, and we traded two seconds to acquire nik stauskas. Guess we were really going for shooting this offseason huh? Wonder if we still woulda gone for nik if we had drafted Vaughn


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[bebopdeluxe]

Stauskas never looked like a SG/SF type, but he handles the ball pretty well to play as a distributor and ballhandler at the two next to a scoring PG, so he has some versatility that way. I'm not sure he will ever be better than a windmill who tries on defense and poaches the passing lanes a bit, but on offense I think he has a lot to offer with his shooting and ballhandling.

Good point about his ball handling ability. It should allow for the Sixers to look at combo/scoring options at the other guard position. A Wroten/Sauce backcourt might actually work, because Nik can run the P'n'R effectively. I also think that he could eventually become a competent defender...not a Butler/Klay-level guy, but someone who will not be a sieve. It was my biggest frustration/concern when Korver was here - he always gave effort, he was just, shall we say, "laterally challenged". Sauce has a bit more athleticism than Korver - he just needs to hit the weights and get stronger. Korver eventually had to move to the 3...and to his credit he seems to have put on some bulk/strength to handle the banging of the SF position and offset his lack of lateral quicks.

[Unbreakable99]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/nstauskas11/status/621799972892094464[/tweet]

[76thBearCub]

When I first heard about the Sacramento trade all I knew was we got him. I thought that was cool, then I heard about the swaps and the future first headed our way. I've since cleaned myself up and decided the Kings franchise is some kind of sick child of Billy King and Isiah Thomas.

I'm now off topic, but what I feel is the trade was magnificent and anything this guy brings is absolute gravy.

I don't personally ever see him being a starting guard on a hopefully contending team for us but if he is a nice option off the bench for us then I am doing backflips.

[GameofLoans666]

Forget your low expectations. Stauskas is going to be the third to fourth best guy on a championship caliber squad.

He can shoot off the dribble, which is incredibly rare.

He has great ball handling ability for a SG.

He has solid vision for a SG.

He's an intelligent player, which is what matters in defense since 80% of NBA defense in the perimeter is just knowing your rotations.

He has above average height for a shooting guard.

I'm all in on Sauce and I'm driving that bandwagon. He's going to be freaking spectacular this year and will bring excitement back to the city. Stauskas is the case of a player's destiny being altered by the team he's on. With the Sixers, this is the opportunity of his life to become his best case scenario.

[roma258]

Forget your low expectations. Stauskas is going to be the third to fourth best guy on a championship caliber squad.

He can shoot off the dribble, which is incredibly rare.

He has great ball handling ability for a SG.

He has solid vision for a SG.

He's an intelligent player, which is what matters in defense since 80% of NBA defense in the perimeter is just knowing your rotations.

He has above average height for a shooting guard.

I'm all in on Sauce and I'm driving that bandwagon. He's going to be freaking spectacular this year and will bring excitement back to the city. Stauskas is the case of a player's destiny being altered by the team he's on. With the Sixers, this is the opportunity of his life to become his best case scenario.

I hope you're right dude. He showed some stuff at Michigan and looked pretty impressive at times. He strikes me as one of those guys where everything has to be right in order to click. He can't just get by on overwhelming athleticism, great size or pure stroke. But if he's fit, placed in the right system that gets him good looks and allows him to be a secondary ballhandler, I can see him flourishing in the NBA. Anyone that's played hoops knows that some players just go out there and kick ass no matter what, and some guys need the right teammates and the right circumstances to succeed.

[Sportfan73]

Forget your low expectations. Stauskas is going to be the third to fourth best guy on a championship caliber squad.

He can shoot off the dribble, which is incredibly rare.

He has great ball handling ability for a SG.

He has solid vision for a SG.

He's an intelligent player, which is what matters in defense since 80% of NBA defense in the perimeter is just knowing your rotations.

He has above average height for a shooting guard.

I'm all in on Sauce and I'm driving that bandwagon. He's going to be freaking spectacular this year and will bring excitement back to the city. Stauskas is the case of a player's destiny being altered by the team he's on. With the Sixers, this is the opportunity of his life to become his best case scenario.

I hope you're ride dude. He showed some stuff at Michigan and looked pretty impressive at times. He strikes me as one of those guys where everything has to be right in order to click. He can't just get by on overwhelming athleticism, great size or pure stroke. But if he's fit, placed in the right system that gets him good looks and allows him to be a secondary ballhandler, I can see him flourishing in the NBA. Anyone that's played hoops knows that some players just go out there and kick ass no matter what, and some guys need the right teammates and the right circumstances to succeed.

all I know is anyone who thinks last year can be used as ANY type of a sample or example is dead wrong. A 20 year old rookie that got speradic playing time and went through 3 coaches all while playing with a lot of volume shooting ball hogs is a complete throw out year. The way he operated the pick and roll at Michigan reminds of a poor man's harden and I think he plays that role with us this year

[Jstock12]

White Harden-lite