Kings select for the 8th pick - Nik Stauskas

[fursty13]

What's up fellas? I'm a student at Michigan who happens to be a big Kings fan due to DMC. To me, he's the best offensive big man in the league. I was looking for somewhere to discuss the pick with other Kings fans (not many here in MI, although more now than ever) and came across this site.

My thoughts: Stauskas was a good selection. Having the #8 pick was a little tough, as it seems it's a spot where you just miss out on the truly "top" tier in the draft. His shooting is well marked already, and everyone is mentioning his underrated athleticism. Watching every home game live this past season, I can tell you two things about Nik: 1) He is a fiery competitor and no moment is too big for him and 2) He is willing to work to get where he knows he wants to be.

It's true that his defense is below par right now, but it's not due to effort. Once he gets stronger and Coach Malone works with him on the fundamentals, I think he can, at the very least, hold his own. He can come in and immediately knock down 3s from anywhere on the court, facilitate the offense, and contribute to the culture the front office is trying to build.

Bright times are ahead for the Kings. I'm just glad I hopped on the bandwagon before they start. Seeing the passion Sactown has for the team over the past few years has been incredible, and I'm looking forward to the brighter days ahead!

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I know people think I'm crazy for saying he reminds me of Brandon Roy, but they really do have similar games. He isn't as explosive as I remember Roy being, but they are both excellent ball-handlers and passers for their position. I can definitely see Stauskus running the point for short stretches.

I think it's an accurate style comparison and do see the similarities. Roy wasn't all that explosive...more of a 'controled' athlete

 

[Capt. Factorial]

So I guess I'll take my turn to chime in.

I was never high on Vonleh. As has been said earlier in this thread, I don't see him as a good defender. I don't really like his motor and all-around game - he seems incredibly passive to me, and given that he was far and away the best thing that Hoosier team had going, I was really nervous about how he didn't seem to take over games. The package just didn't match the hype in my eyes. So of the "top 8", Vonleh was the one I most hoped would NOT fall to us. He did. And I'm completely OK with us passing on him.

That leaves the question of who to take. Outside of Vonleh, the tier there seemed to be Payton, Stauskas, McDermott, and Saric. I haven't had an opportunity to see Saric play, but given his two-year deal in Turkey, he's off the list. Like Vonleh, I'm not at all sold on McDermott, in this case because I find his lack of athleticism disturbing. That leaves Stauskas and Payton. I was for Payton at that point. Now Payton's not perfect. He's a great passer, but he's a terrible shooter and while he gets a lot of credit for his D, he's not in Smart's league on that side of the ball. If he were that good defensively, I'd be really upset that we passed on him, but he's more of a guy that disrupts passing lanes than a guy who gets up in your face and takes your lunch money and makes you like it. And that's where Stauskas gets a window of opportunity to make the case that he's better.

I did a short writeup on Stauskas earlier this year (not here), and it started out kind of like this: "Stauskas is a one-trick pony, but it's a really nice trick." He's a plain stunning jump shooter, but in the few games I watched him, I didn't really pick up on a whole lot of other attributes. But looking into it now, I think Stauskas has quite a bit more handle, quite a bit more passing, and at least a little bit more athleticism than I had previously given him credit for. Defensively he is going to struggle, and he's got a very pedestrian wingspan that isn't going to help matters on that end of the floor. But if he can shoot and drive and facilitate like he has shown (for instance in the the Iowa clip above) then he may well make himself worthy of this pick. I hope he does, and I'll be at Summer League this year scrutinizing him.

We know that there are two ways to win a basketball game - you can either score more than your opponent, or you can force your opponent to score less than you. It's fairly obvious which approach this front office has taken, all lip service to defense aside. But at the same time, a win is a win, and an average defensive team that scores 120 per 100 possessions is going to win about as many games as an average offensive team that holds their opponents to 80 per 100 possessions. We're going to more resemble the former than the latter, and we have to make peace with that. The question is whether we can get ourselves to be a sufficiently good defensive team to avoid wasting the offensive firepower we've put together. Can we acquire a post defender in free agency or the trade market? Can we put together team defensive schemes that will hide, to at least a reasonable level, the fact that many of our players are not great individual defenders? This all remains to be seen. But whatever happens, if you like watching scoring, make sure to tune in. We'll be lighting it up.

 

[The_Jamal]

so would i. But now we're probably stuck with another year of JT and a bad contract for IT

The PF situation is not nearly as dire as the SG position is. Between, JT, Reggie, and a healthy Landry, there's potential for us to get some value out of that spot. Before Nik, we were stuck hoping Ben improves after essentially being the worst starter in the NBA last year. We also needed to shore up a HUGE need of another ball-handler/playmaker, both of which Nik is. Ray as the only guard on the roster who has any idea how to dribble the ball is simply frightening.

And while I liked Payton, the guy is just as much a project as Ben is. He'd probably be able to defend a bit, but I don't see him ready to run a team next season or the season after that.
I see Stauskas as a guy who's ready to come in day 1 and fit right in with Rudy-Cuz (and IT if he comes back).

 

[chasen4r1]

I did a short writeup on Stauskas earlier this year (not here), and it started out kind of like this: "Stauskas is a one-trick pony, but it's a really nice trick." He's a plain stunning jump shooter, but in the few games I watched on him, I didn't really pick up on a whole lot of other attributes. But looking into it now, I think Stauskas has quite a bit more handle, quite a bit more passing, and at least a little bit more athleticism than I had previously given him credit for. Defensively he is going to struggle, and he's got a very pedestrian wingspan that isn't going to help matters on that end of the floor. But if he can shoot and drive and facilitate like he has shown (for instance in the the Iowa clip above) then he may well make himself worthy of this pick. I hope he does, and I'll be at Summer League this year scrutinizing him.

These are my feelings exactly

 

[The Hammer]

Hopefully in the coming weeks or days we will see Mclemore and maybe a future pick for Rondo.

There has to be something more. Why on earth draft 2 SGs in 2 lotteries back to back. That just shows that you screwed up the first time. This front office is starting to irritate me. I think I will start calling PDA the gerbil now too.

Ridiculous line of thinking.

You hypothesize there is something more, then later in the paragraph you sum it all up by saying there isn't and PDA is a poopyhead (oh, sorry, the cool new insult/nickname I mean).

Mental laziness at its finest. Strong work.

 

[fursty13]

So I guess I'll take my turn to chime in.

I was never high on Vonleh. As has been said earlier in this thread, I don't see him as a good defender. I don't really like his motor and all-around game - he seems incredibly passive to me, and given that he was far and away the best thing that Hoosier team had going, I was really nervous about how he didn't seem to take over games. The package just didn't match the hype in my eyes. So of the "top 8", Vonleh was the one I most hoped would NOT fall to us. He did. And I'm completely OK with us passing on him.

That leaves the question of who to take. Outside of Vonleh, the tier there seemed to be Payton, Stauskas, McDermott, and Saric. I haven't had an opportunity to see Saric play, but given his two-year deal in Turkey, he's off the list. Like Vonleh, I'm not at all sold on McDermott, in this case because I find his lack of athleticism disturbing. That leaves Stauskas and Payton. I was for Payton at that point. Now Payton's not perfect. He's a great passer, but he's a terrible shooter and while he gets a lot of credit for his D, he's not in Smart's league on that side of the ball. If he were that good defensively, I'd be really upset that we passed on him, but he's more of a guy that disrupts passing lanes than a guy who gets up in your face and takes your lunch money and makes you like it. And that's where Stauskas gets a window of opportunity to make the case that he's better.

I did a short writeup on Stauskas earlier this year (not here), and it started out kind of like this: "Stauskas is a one-trick pony, but it's a really nice trick." He's a plain stunning jump shooter, but in the few games I watched him, I didn't really pick up on a whole lot of other attributes. But looking into it now, I think Stauskas has quite a bit more handle, quite a bit more passing, and at least a little bit more athleticism than I had previously given him credit for. Defensively he is going to struggle, and he's got a very pedestrian wingspan that isn't going to help matters on that end of the floor. But if he can shoot and drive and facilitate like he has shown (for instance in the the Iowa clip above) then he may well make himself worthy of this pick. I hope he does, and I'll be at Summer League this year scrutinizing him.

We know that there are two ways to win a basketball game - you can either score more than your opponent, or you can force your opponent to score less than you. It's fairly obvious which approach this front office has taken, all lip service to defense aside. But at the same time, a win is a win, and an average defensive team that scores 120 per 100 possessions is going to win about as many games as an average offensive team that holds their opponents to 80 per 100 possessions. We're going to more resemble the former than the latter, and we have to make peace with that. The question is whether we can get ourselves to be a sufficiently good defensive team to avoid wasting the offensive firepower we've put together. Can we acquire a post defender in free agency or the trade market? Can we put together team defensive schemes that will hide, to at least a reasonable level, the fact that many of our players are not great individual defenders? This all remains to be seen. But whatever happens, if you like watching scoring, make sure to tune in. We'll be lighting it up.

Agree with everything you said. I initially was all in for Vonleh and was surprised that he dropped to #8. That being said, I, along with tons of other Kings fans, fell in love with the notion of him being a stretch 4 and therefore overhyped him to myself. He's a good, not great athlete, who doesn't excel as a shot blocker, defender, or overall offensive threat. Michigan played Indiana twice, and if you asked me to name one thing Vonleh did that stood out, I wouldn't be able to.

I would have been fine with Payton. Watching his game film the past couple weeks had gotten me comfortable with the idea of him being a King, but his shooting is woeful, and the last thing this team needed was a guard who can't shoot. Stauskas was the logical pick.

Like you said, his defense needs work. Fortunately, he's a guy who is willing to work and has proven so in the past. While the Michigan basketball team went home in the summer of 2013, Nik stayed in Ann Arbor with teammate Caris LeVert, who showed tremendous improvement in his own right, to better his game. The results were obvious, as I can GUARANTEE that there was not a single Michigan fan who thought Stauskas would be a lottery pick, let alone early-entree candidate, prior to his sophomore season.

People will doubt him for now, comparing him to Jimmer, but beyond skin color, they are entirely different. Nik has played against the best, something Jimmer didn't do in college, and excelled. I'm looking forward to watching him in the summer league. Sacramento will learn to love his cockiness. There is no such thing as a bad shot for Nik Stauskas.

 

[D-Wade]

The BabyFaceAssassin

I didn't like Payton, but the real question is passing on Vonleh who seemingly would've been a nice fit next to Cuz. Seven other teams passed on him too.

In about 2 years this pick/passing on Vonleh will bite us. Unless this guy somehow reinvent the 2 guard position...Kings will be the laughing stock of the NBA.

 

[Prince_XY]

Yep. Although those stupid ****ing contested threes off the dribble truly were giving me Jimmer flashbacks.

Lol.

White guy, can shoot threes, and cannot defend. Those are actually the only things I can think of as similarities between the two.

I'll take Stauskas though. He is taller and have better ball handling abilities. And who knows, maybe he can be better in defense too, because he is fairly athlethic at 6' 6.5"?

 

[Bricklayer]

Here's a name for you: Manu Ginobili.

 

[randymoss1881]

Have you seen Vonleh play and not highlights? He is a bad defender Dude can't guard the pick and roll and isn't a shot blocker. Yes he could shoot and rebound but he isn't explosive and struggles to finish 59% at the rim.

Stauskas has that swag and confidence that you need on a team. Also you need 2 ball handlers in the back court which Ben can't provide as Stasuskas is good in pick and roll.

In about 2 years this pick/passing on Vonleh will bite us. Unless this guy somehow reinvent the 2 guard position...Kings will be the laughing stock of the NBA.

 

[upinsmoke]

Have you seen Vonleh play and not highlights? He is a bad defender Dude can't guard the pick and roll and isn't a shot blocker. Yes he could shoot and rebound but he isn't explosive and struggles to finish 59% at the rim.

Stauskas has that swag and confidence that you need on a team. Also you need 2 ball handlers in the back court which Ben can't provide as Stasuskas is good in pick and roll.

I agree, Vonleh was my least favorite prospect out of the group and there is a reason he slipped down the draft.

 

[Bricklayer]

Stauskas has that swag and confidence that you need on a team. Also you need 2 ball handlers in the back court which Ben can't provide as Stasuskas is good in pick and roll.

I think this is the definite takeaway here. We lost Tyreke, kept Isaiah, and had NOBODY else after Greivis left to help handle. And it just froze the offense. IT is not a PG. Not really. In a lot of ways he's a 5'9" combo guard. he and Reke both drained each other, but between the two you could get barely enough playmaking. Replace Reke with Ben, and just no way.

Now along comes Stauskas, and three possibilities open up. With Ben you have 1: ben + pure PG. Only way he works. But Nik now is possible:

1) Stauskas + resign IT. Stauskas takes over the Reke half a PG timeshare with IT. We get that extra ballhandler we so desperately needed last year. But thing is in order to be a ballhandler you actually need, you know, the ball. And you remember how rarely Ben even got to touch it with Cuz/Gay/IT all there. So we would need a major shift to split handling duties int eh backcourt, and have IT play the SG half the time.

2) Stauskas + new PG. And here, the change is this: new PG should NOT be truly pure. A true pure Nash type PG wants/needs the ball all the time, and squishes other ballhandlers. Rondo/Stauskas actually may not get the most out of Stauskas. But you'd take it. And because Stauskas does handle well, we can easily afford to look at less pure, less elite PG types and again angle for split ballhandling duties ala what we once did with Bibby and Christie. If we were serious about that Knight report for instance, you could do that and get enough collective ballhandling (and shooting).

3) Stauskas himself as PG. Don't think that works at the NBA level. You go from having an elite handling SG, to a slow PG, and a slow PG who can't guard other PGs. Do not want to see Nik Stauskas checking Russel Westbrook. Do not. At all. Nonetheless you might be able to get away with it for stretches or in matchups.

 

[Pineapple]

In about 2 years this pick/passing on Vonleh will bite us. Unless this guy somehow reinvent the 2 guard position...Kings will be the laughing stock of the NBA.

The Stauskas pick wasn't that much of a reach, he was consistently ranked not too far from where we picked.

 

[mac]

Also interesting to me that Malone keeps harping on how we were 27th in the league in 3P% and hence Stauskas is gonna help us. A big reason why we were 27th was because our designated shooter was Sir Brickalot McLemore. So ... now that we've gone ahead and added Stauskas what exactly do we need Ben for?

 

[GoodOldDouwe]

A comparison that I haven't seen, but I think is accurate: Marco Belinelli. Great shooter with playmaking skills and a high basketball IQ.

 

[bajaden]

Ben and Nik's college shooting numbers are very similar. It doesn't always translate to the NBA, look at Ben last year

I guess my question would be, did you watch McLemore play, and did you watch Stauskas play? The numbers mean nothing. other than the results on paper were the same, but how they got those numbers wasn't the same. I'm not going to bash Mclemore in order to defend the pick of Stauskas. That's a pointless exercise. All I'll say is that they are different players, and for the most part the biggest difference between them, other than physical differences, is what's between their ears. McLemore is pure energy with great tools. Everything he needs to be great is sitting there, and so far, mostly unused. Hopefully that will change. Stauskas has discovered his tools and is having a great time using them. His BBIQ is outstanding, where McLemore is just learning to read the BBIQ book. Where McLemore is finding his way, slowly groping through the dark, Stauskas is confident, and almost cocky as he runs over you.

You want someone to take a big shot with the game on the line, just turn to Stauskas. The kid has ice water in his veins. He'll hit the shot, and smile at you before and after shooting it. If the Kings were to start camp and let McLemore and Stauskas go head to head for the staring job at the two, I have no doubt that Stauskas would easily win the job. This isn't a knock on Ben, its an affirmation of Nik. Ben will get there, and even if they decide to keep Ben as the starter, Nik can easily get 24 to 26 minutes backing up Ben for the most part, and also grabbing a few minutes at SF behind Gay, and a few minutes at PG as well. Stauskas is a very good passer, ballhandler, and shot creater. Although he's a terrific shooter, he's also a very unselfish player, who will always pass to the open man.

Actually, if somehow we can keep IT and bring him off the bench, I think the duo of IT and Stauskas together off the bench could be a deadly pairing. Just a silly dream I had.

 

[sterö]

PDA mentioned in the post-draft interview that they were even thinking about trading up to take Stauskas.

 

[John Galt]

PDA mentioned in the post-draft interview that they were even thinking about trading up to take Stauskas.

He loses credibility with that statement - seriously which team did he think was gonna snatch him out from under us? I don't believe a word out of the gerbil's mouth.

 

[bajaden]

Yep. Although those stupid ****ing contested threes off the dribble truly were giving me Jimmer flashbacks.

Stauskas has a lightning quick release, and doesn't need much space to get his shot off. More importantly, he makes those shots. Of all the players I watched this season, game to game, Stauskas was maybe the most consistent player I saw. Game after game, you knew what you were going to get with him, and I don't remember him having a real bad game all year. Obviously I couldn't see every game, but I saw most of them. I never saw him disappear in a game.

The most impressive thing about him, was the improvement in his game from his freshman year to his sophmore year. It was absolutely amazing. I thought I was watching an entirely different player. He went from a quiet spot up in the corner player, to a cocky, confident leader of the team that had added 15 to 20 pounds of muscle, and an entire arsenal of offensive weapons. He dominated games without looking like he was trying to dominate the game. He led his team in assists. He looked far more athletic than in his freshman year. He was in fact, the star of the Michigan team. Glenn Robinson was supposed to be, but he faded into the woodwork. As you can see, I like this pick.

 

[Bricklayer]

PDA mentioned in the post-draft interview that they were even thinking about trading up to take Stauskas.

That might have been the rumored offer to Boston for the #6. Hard to imagine trading up any higher than that than wasting it on Stauskas rather than one of the big names.

 

[CurseOfTheSalmons]

So ... now that we've gone ahead and added Stauskas what exactly do we need Ben for?

nothing!

 

[KingMilz]

A comparison that I haven't seen, but I think is accurate: Marco Belinelli. Great shooter with playmaking skills and a high basketball IQ.

If he's something like Marco that's actually not bad at all, although I don't think Macro ever came close to reaching his full potential.

 

[Albatros]

I like the pick, skipping on Vonleh, meh, wasn't too excited about him, Payton like his skillset but I haven't ever seen him play, not sure how many people have, a lot of people on twitter were whining like we'd skipped on the second coming of Magic Johnson, I wonder how much they'd seen of Payton. What would have been a "great" pick that I saw a few reporters saying we didn't take? Subjective I guess. Seeing tape of Nuric though ooowee he is tantalising, shame we couldn't nab a couple of highish picks.

having said all that, the FO simply cannot stand pat with the big 2 and a half they will have to be very creative to make this team better, you can't force deals if the other side aint listening.

I'll reserve judgement as a whole, like Nik a lot, but there better be a serious attempt to make an impact trade/S&T/ thats for sure. Not happy with the situation at PG or PF at all right now.

 

[Bricklayer]

I like the pick, skipping on Vonleh, meh, wasn't too excited about him, Payton like his skillset but I haven't ever seen him play, not sure how many people have, a lot of people on twitter were whining like we'd skipped on the second coming of Magic Johnson, I wonder how much they'd seen of Payton. What would have been a "great" pick that I saw a few reporters saying we didn't take? Subjective I guess. Seeing tape of Nuric though ooowee he is tantalising, shame we couldn't nab a couple of highish picks.

having said all that, the FO simply cannot stand pat with the big 2 and a half they will have to be very creative to make this team better, you can't force deals if the other side aint listening.

I'll reserve judgement as a whole, like Nik a lot, but there better be a serious attempt to make an impact trade/S&T/ thats for sure. Not happy with the situation at PG or PF at all right now.

I think its possible Stauskas was the right pick at that spot. And I say that just based on the things he can do. I raised Manu's name above, because accusing him of being Bellinelli is kind of an insult. Anyway, the truth is likely somewhere in between. When I watched vids of Ben last year, nothing I saw there screamed he's going to make it. Stauskas is going to make it. Don't know how big, but he's got an NBA level offensive game.

Regardless though, here is what I just simply cannot see: you have a $40mil frontcourt, including TWO max players...and for support you throw out a bunch of untested 1st/2nd year players in Stauskas and the two macs. You don't do that. if you are going to spend that much money trying to put together an All Star frontcourt, then you damn well better get them at elast a couple of proven guys to hold down the perimeter.

 

[JasonThompsonFan]

You will all come to realize this was a great pick. I have been watching Nik play the last two years and he can do a lot and he makes people around him better. You will also find out real soon he has a 36 inch vertical and his handle and passing abilty will be a suprise.

I just looked up the Bleacherreport to see how they graded our pick and here is what they had to say:

Overall Grade: A-
No. 8: Nik Stauskas, SG, Michigan
The Sacramento Kings may finally have figured out how to fix their shooting woes.
After all, Nik Stauskas' biggest asset is his ability to stroke the basketball from the perimeter, and he won't have any trouble making the transition from college basketball's shorter three-point arc to the longer one used in the NBA. His form is that pure, and he can both create his own looks and serve as a spot-up threat.
Making this even better is the former Wolverine's ability to work on the defensive end of the court as well. He can easily turn into a two-way threat while serving as an elite shooter, which is why he ended up going a bit earlier than some might have expected.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...grades-full-team-by-team-report-cards/page/23

 

[Boogie-havoc]

Personally I was really concerned with his ability to get past his man in PNR situation, when he faced NBA level defense and athleticism.

When he gets the defender up in his grill he really struggles - granted he is sneaky and creative which is something we might never say about Ben and is helping - but he really struggles nonetheless, and if he cant blow past his man to keep him honest then his ability to pass and work the PNR is severely damaged.

I love him overall as a player. Marks check in different areas for us as far as shooting, passing, and general bball IQ.

I am seriously pissed that we couldn't trade Ben to Philly for Payton, and maybe add a little something extra. I really hope we tried and Philly just said "No", cause if we had it on the table and rejected it, it's just a ridiculous decision by the FO.

I really hope we did everything we could to get Payton on top of Nik, cause not getting him is gonna haunt us imo down the line as he develops.

 

[Boogie-havoc]

That might have been the rumored offer to Boston for the #6. Hard to imagine trading up any higher than that than wasting it on Stauskas rather than one of the big names.

I personally believe that trade was on the books if Gordon was still available. From all the info out there it seems we really, really liked him.

Trading up for Stauskas makes no sense, seeing as he didn't really have a shot at going top 7, and even at 8th he was what one could describe as a minor reach, considering how the Draft was meant to be shaped.

 

[dude12]

I just watched the draftexpress video of him again, especially the weaknesses part. My takeaway from that is he could struggle against athleticism. He has handles but maybe not the foot speed to get his own shot on a consistent basis against NBA level defenders, which he will now see every game. Defensively, he is not going to e very good unless he really good at team defense but he showed little inclination to excel on that end. He will have to work very hard just to be passable on that end. If fans were upset at Ben's defense, then steel yourself for Nik's defense cause it won't be very good.

I wasn't on board with Stauskas before the draft and I'm not on board after the draft which is weird because my homerism tends to kick in but I think we missed the boat on not taking Payton. I want Stauskas to work out but there is some potential for this pick to not work out the way the FO is talking about using him as a combo guard. Hope he doesn't bust.

 

[Albatros]

I personally believe that trade was on the books if Gordon was still available. From all the info out there it seems we really, really liked him.

Trading up for Stauskas makes no sense, seeing as he didn't really have a shot at going top 7, and even at 8th he was what one could describe as a minor reach, considering how the Draft was meant to be shaped.

I think that was the usual post draft BS to big up the guy they've picked, don't forget last year they said they were willing to trade to number 1 to pick Ben.

They must have liked someone who was still there when the 6th pick rolled in, obviously Smart or Randle. But if Nik was their #2 guy then you have to make the pick and lump it.