Sixers guard Nik Stauskas will try to stay relevant amongst more promising talent
The Sixers still may not be sold on the talents of a major piece in the fleecing of the Kings, and he’ll have a lot to overcome to remain relevant.
The famed deal between the Sixers and the Sacramento Kings may go down as the best deal former general manager Sam Hinkie has made. The major effects of it were not felt until this past summer, when the fifth pick was swapped with the third pick, giving Philadelphia a more valuable asset to flip for the top pick in the draft.
Domino after domino after domino came falling, as expected. The deal worked perfectly for the Sixers, as all the pieces came together in a move to get the star prospect they wanted. For the Kings, it was all for the one year rental of Rajon Rondo, and their domino fell in the blink of an eye.
The one immediate piece that would be there long-term, however, was once-promising shooter Nik Stauskas. The former lottery pick has thus far failed to have his offensive star power translate from his Michigan days.
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Stauskas has shown glimpses of improvement, most notably with the ball in his hands. At times, he looked comfortable in the one-on-one game, driving past defenders with a quick first step. Problem is, he isn’t a great finisher, and his instincts passing the ball aren’t quite up to par for an experienced player.
Now, as Stauskas enters his fourth season, will he even get the chance to find a rhythm in the final year of his rookie contract? He has shown slight improvement in efficiency year to year, but is far from an efficient shooter. With his ceiling dropping with each coming day, it seems as though he’ll be on the outside looking in rotation-wise.
The additions of superior guards in Markelle Fultz and J.J. Redick will severely decrease his role. Add-in the return of Jerryd Bayless as well. Even the two younger guards in Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz may surpass Stauskas despite the rawness of the two.
He’s probably ahead of Korkmaz talent wise, as of today. But then comes the question of what matters more. If Brett Brown is in the middle of a playoff run, does development take a back seat? Usually, the answer would be yes. But this Sixers team is in a unique situation.
They are still technically in rebuild mode, just in the developmental stage. The core pieces are set, now the organization must hope for health and improvement while adding key players around them.
They have done so for this season, but the fact is the Sixers will still be banking on draft-mates Korkmaz and Luwawu-Cabarrot to blossom into major rotation players. This leaves Stauskas in the background of a team moving forward, while his career is standing still.
Next: Will the Sixers show different philosophy?
The clock on Stauskas is ticking feverishly, and he may be riding the pine for much of his final rookie contract year.