For the life of me I can't figure out the thinking on this and I went back and watched that play a few times.
First off, why would Nik be an option above Rudy/DC/Ben? Second, there was no other screening action and clear attempts to get anyone open. Third, if the 1st option was shut down as it was with Nik, then why would you want Nik handling up top waiting to hit someone else coming off a screen? Has Nik handled up top under pressure and found someone in rhythm for a jumper even once this year? That should have been either Rudy or DC up top handling and waiting for Ben or Nik to come off a screen, if we were going to put Nik out there.
And I go back to the time on the clock. If that 1st option is closed down we had time to quickly attack the rim, then foul, hope for a miss and come back down. That again begs the question why Nik was up top with that responsibility.
I have quite a problem with our guys fighting for 47 mins and 45 secs, then for Malone to decide it's time to develop Nik Stauskas. Not fair to Nik, not fair to the team. The kid's confidence has been in the gutter for over a month, a few days ago could barely get on the court at all and now we're running a game winning play for him, when he didn't even have a good game? The ghost of Douby has appeared.
But if DC doesn't shoot his FT's like Shaq, we're 12-10 and never get to that situation.