Nik Stauskas

[webc5]

Raps fan here. What's wrong with this kid? 33% on FG and 27% from 3 for someone who should be a good shooter doesn't make much sense. I know he is a rookie, can she still turn is around? Can his kid be a starter or is he nothing more than a 3pt shooter off the bench?

[longfellow44]

Honestly I think it is an adjustment issue. In college he had the ball in his hands a lot. If you take a look he was a pretty decent passer and was asked to create for himself a lot. His role with the kings couldn't be more different. We are asking him to play off ball more and become more of a catch and shoot player. His shooting form is very good so he should eventually be pretty effective. It's just that he has to learn a completely new rhythm for scoring and shooting. It is very difficult to develop that when you aren't getting minutes.

I would assume we will see a major improvement from him when we either change how we are using him or when he has had a sufficient number of reps to feel comfortable as a catch and shoot type player versus a create your own shot type player.

[bleeds_purple]

Confidence.

He literally has none. When the season started he looked decent shooting the ball. That was until every player in the league acted like they were Michael freaking Jordan when they saw Nik defending them. I'm pretty sure getting abused on a nightly basis defensively (blow-bys; wrecked in the post; each and every way you could imagine) killed him for the whole season. I think he realized he is deficient in almost every possible aspect. He's too weak and too slow. Since there's nothing he can do about his speed, he absolutely must get stronger if he has any hopes of defending anyone.

I hated the pick from day one (wanted Vonleh or Payton) but going into the year I had high hopes. Now I just hope he can become a Mike Dunleavy type.

[ICMTM]

That and he's not NBA quick.

[beb0p]

Actually, Stauskas is not slow. He is quite athletic, at Michigan he had no problem blowing by people and elevating to finish. His numbers from the combine (max vert, sprint, lane agility) is very similar to Tony Wroten's. This kid is not some slow prodding turtle. To say that is to give people the wrong impression.

Stauskas's issue is that 1) he cannot read defense. 2) He takes bad shots. 3) He doesn't touch the ball enough. 4) When he does get the all he is all amped up to shoot it, resulting in 2). 5) he does not know what to do when he has the ball. 6) The Kings are not running plays for him to get him good shots and he rarely gets the ball where he can do something with it. Again, resulting in 2). 7) He is adjusting to a new role as a primarily off the ball player. 8) It also appears that he doesn't know some of the plays being called and therefore doesn't know what to do/where to go.

Furthermore, Corbin told Stauskas if he turns down shots then the coach will take him out. Resulting in many times, Stauskas jacking up ill advised shots for fear of being taken out. Needless to say, Corbin's words hurt more than help. Stauskas simply isn't someone who jacks up shots like Nick Young. He is an around player who can pass as well as shoot, and a coach should just nurture that instinct instead of forcing that player to be one-dimensional.

His lack of strength is probably the biggest issue right now. On defense he was getting killed earlier in the season but has improved as of late (until Klay Thompson showed up). He will never be a defensive stopper, but adding strength will really help.

All in all, the speed of the game plus his new role and bad coaching is what making this kid underperform. Also, Stauskas takes some of the blame for his crappy play/not knowing plays, etc. But he does show what he is capable of, once in a while. Check back two years from now and you will see a totally different player.
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[ICMTM]

Or...

I sit six rows behind the visitors bench. He's not that quick. I'm not saying he can't play. Steve Nash wasn't the quickest pg but I'm saying he's not going to go out and "out athlete" anyone. He will have to be a smart player to be effective.

[beb0p]

First of all, Steve Nash is very quick. To say that Nash got to his level without quickness is just, wow speechless.

To "out athlete" at this level, you have to be a freak like a Gerald Wallace or Lebron James. No, Stauskas is not that kind of athlete. But he is probably right about par for his position. I agree he has to be a smart player, but that applies to just about every SG in the league.

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[ICMTM]

If Nik is "par" athletically then how does he become elite with par tools?

That's my point. Nik Stauskas isn't showing out of this world shooting skills, handling skills, or jumping skills. I'm not saying he's a bust, but like Steve Nash it wasn't until he mastered all these skills was he a great player. He wasn't great in the mid 2Ks in Dallas, and he was drafted in 96.

Friedman: "In basketball you don’t very often have to beat someone in a full court race. Most of what happens in basketball that is significant happens in a confined space and if you get that one step over a person he doesn’t have 90 feet to recover."

D’Antoni: "You are right but I think that if both players started at the same time there are a lot of guys who would outquick him. He always starts before they do, because he knows when to go and how to go and he can anticipate what’s happening better. A little bit of his muscle twitch or his ability to be able to (anticipate), you know what I’m saying? There is a difference there."

Anyone who watched Phoenix' 103-98 victory over Utah on Wednesday saw a perfect example of this on a play in the first half: Nash used a pick to get half a step on Deron Williams, then Nash received an inbounds pass and slipped in a layup under the outstretched arms of Carlos Boozer. Williams is undoubtedly faster than Nash and Boozer is bigger, stronger and a better jumper than Nash but in a confined space--and with a "head start" based on the ability to anticipate or read a play--Nash beat both of them. That is an athletic play, even if Nash did not throw down a dunk that got replayed ten times on SportsCenter. Back to the interview:

http://20secondtimeout.blogspot.com/200 ... n-nba.html

I'm drawing a comparison. If Stauskas is going to be a great NBA player he's going to have to be extremely heady. He's going to have to see things happen 1st and move 1st. All great players do this anyway, but some (like Nash) couldn't get by without it. Guys like Ty Lawson and Eric Bledsoe are just naturally quicker players. They don't have to anticipate because they can create on athleticism alone. I think this is why guys like Paul and Deron Williams looked great as rookies but never really turned the corner. The smarter athlete has gotten the best of them.

I'm really saying Stauskas will have to be an extremely smart player to take advantage of his tools and play at an all star level.

[beb0p]

That's exactly my point, Nash is a quick player in confined space. I didn't say he was a speed demon or he was on par with a world class sprinter. I understand exactly what D’Antoni is talking about - in soccer that are different type of runners, some are faster at the beginning of the run, some are faster at the end of the run, and some are evenly throughout. Nash belongs to the first group, his first few steps are very quick but if he was dribble a soccer ball, he is someone that the defender can catch up to. However, in a smaller space like a basketball court, Nash's quickness is more useful. Notice D’Antoni is not saying that Nash is not quick, he is merely saying in a head to head sprint across a field, Nash is just ordinary. But reduce that distance to the top of the key to the basket, now his quickness (combine with his anticipation) is lethal.

On the subject of Deron Williams, presented as a given that he is faster and more athletic than Nash. Stauskas' combine numbers is actually quite similar to Deron's. That's my point. Stauskas is not some below par player who cannot match up athletically. He actually can, but he needs to gain strength without losing his quickness.

Speaking of Lawson and Bledsoe, they do anticipate. They're just not as skilled as Nash.

I'm really saying Stauskas will have to be an extremely smart player to take advantage of his tools and play at an all star level.

That's my point also. But I'd add that I don't know any SG who plays at an all star level without being an extremely smart player.
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[ICMTM]

You can believe Steve Nash was quick. I'll believe he was quick enough. We'll leave it there.

There are plenty of guards over the history of the league that aren't the brightest of players that have played at an all star level. See Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Latrell Spreewell off the top of my head. Stauskas won't be athletically gifted as them so he needs more tools.

[beb0p]

I think you have confused basketball IQ with actual IQ. Marbury, Francis, and Sprewell are not smart guys off the court; but on the court they were intelligent players (alas selfish). Yes, they can be ball hogs, yes they can freeze out teammates, yes they sometimes take bad shots; but those guys can also read defense and attack appropriately. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to acquire BBIQ and conversely, there some very intelligent and well-versed players (Adonal Foyle, etc) who never quite acquire elite BBIQ. Real IQ and BBIQ is often not related.
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[SacKingZZZ]

I think sometime before the deadline they need to put Nik into the starting lineup for a few games and see if he can adjust or maybe build some trade value. They may want to do the same thing with Landry. Shake it up and change the focus to auditioning spots for your own team as well as auditioning for other teams.

[enderwilson]

I think you have confused basketball IQ with actual IQ. Marbury, Francis, and Sprewell are not smart guys off the court; but on the court they were intelligent players (alas selfish). Yes, they can be ball hogs, yes they can freeze out teammates, yes they sometimes take bad shots; but those guys can also read defense and attack appropriately. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to acquire BBIQ and conversely, there some very intelligent and well-versed players (Adonal Foyle, etc) who never quite acquire elite BBIQ. Real IQ and BBIQ is often not related.
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Right, but this kind of deflates your argument. Nik seems bright, but he often looks like he doesn't know what to do with the ball once he's gotten it. Teammates are getting on him every time he passes up a shot. I'm largely pro-Nik, but there is a statute of limitations when it comes to players. I'm glad that Bmac woke up. I think Nik should be given the same leeway. But if he doesn't screw his head on soon then it's hard to justify the investment. All in all, I want to think Nik has the capacity to develop a strong BBIQ but the evidence, so far, is not supporting the theory.

On the other hand, there is a growing list of former Kings players that came into their own once they moved on. Hassan Whiteside is turning heads. For how long is another question. Thomas Robinson was considered a bust draft pick, but has since become a valuable piece on an incredibly deep Portland bench. It kills me to think of Nik finding his confidence and stroke after moving on to another organization. All this perhaps speaks more to the stability this organization has offered it's player over the year.

Which brings up another point, anyone else bothered by how emotionally and psychologically fragile our team is? I mean stability is important and all, but it seems like we've comepletely imploded and forgotten how to play basketball after Malone was let go. Not professional at all.

[ICMTM]

I think you have confused basketball IQ with actual IQ. Marbury, Francis, and Sprewell are not smart guys off the court; but on the court they were intelligent players (alas selfish). Yes, they can be ball hogs, yes they can freeze out teammates, yes they sometimes take bad shots; but those guys can also read defense and attack appropriately. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to acquire BBIQ and conversely, there some very intelligent and well-versed players (Adonal Foyle, etc) who never quite acquire elite BBIQ. Real IQ and BBIQ is often not related.
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They had a lot of individual success, but no team success. The Rockets got nowhere with Francis. He went to the playoffs once. I'm not even sure Marbury played into the 2nd round of the playoffs? He can't even get his Chinese teams into the playoffs. Nothing about these guys screams high IQ. They are once in a generation athletes that didn't get it. They didn't play selfish because of choice. They literally didn't understand that by getting others involved it would make their teams better. That's called dumb! No distinction between real life and basketball IQ needed.

Nik needs to be the smartest player on the floor to operate. That's going to take TIME.

[King Ken]

I think you have confused basketball IQ with actual IQ. Marbury, Francis, and Sprewell are not smart guys off the court; but on the court they were intelligent players (alas selfish). Yes, they can be ball hogs, yes they can freeze out teammates, yes they sometimes take bad shots; but those guys can also read defense and attack appropriately. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to acquire BBIQ and conversely, there some very intelligent and well-versed players (Adonal Foyle, etc) who never quite acquire elite BBIQ. Real IQ and BBIQ is often not related.
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They had a lot of individual success, but no team success. The Rockets got nowhere with Francis. He went to the playoffs once. I'm not even sure Marbury played into the 2nd round of the playoffs? He can't even get his Chinese teams into the playoffs. Nothing about these guys screams high IQ. They are once in a generation athletes that didn't get it. They didn't play selfish because of choice. They literally didn't understand that by getting others involved it would make their teams better. That's called dumb! No distinction between real life and basketball IQ needed.

Nik needs to be the smartest player on the floor to operate. That's going to take TIME.

Marbury just won back to back titles in China.

[ICMTM]

You're right...his run with the Ducks has been great. I'm sorry for the omission. He's been in China for 4 seasons.

In any event Stauskas will need to shoot at a high level (one of the highest in the league) and have some of the best decision making in the league for this to work. He's nowhere NEAR being there.