If teams start putting Stauskas in their scouting report it’ll be more than anything Connaughton or Napier did last year. And unlike the other two, mainly Connaughton, hes not just a set shooter. It’s why I think Niks performance is more sustainable. You can scout it all you want, it’s still difficult to stop. Guys like Redick have made careers out of their ability to shoot off flares, pin downs, etc. Stauskas has that same skill set. We’ll see if he can get more consistent with it in Portland.
If other teams start focusing some defensive energy on Stauskas, it will open things up so much more for Dame/CJ.
I just hope when Stauskas is on the court with those two he’s not relegated to handing off the ball and parking himself in the corner. He’s more dynamic than that.
Great piece on Stauskas today by Quick. It’s behind a paywall but I’ll post the good stuff. https://theathletic.com/600556/2018...ik-stauskas-is-experiencing-both-in-portland/ PORTLAND — To appreciate what happened Thursday in Portland during the Trail Blazers’ 128-119 victory over LeBron James and the Lakers, you have to know what happened in a Brooklyn apartment last year. It was there, when he was alone, that Nik Stauskas said he was often reduced to tears. A former lottery pick who had bounced between three teams in four seasons, he wondered if he was a bust. And by February of last season, after being told he would no longer be considered for a rotation spot with the Nets, he wondered if he had enough talent to stick in the NBA. “I mean, I cried sometimes. There was just a lot of self doubt,” said Stauskas, who signed a free agent contract with the Blazers this summer. “I had this fear that I was going to be one of those guys who fizzled out and had to go overseas. I would go to bed and be like, this is actually happening. That was scary for me.” Fast forward to Thursday. It was a night that featured several touching tributes to Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, who died on Monday two weeks after he announced a relapse of his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. And it was a night when James made his ballyhooed Lakers debut amid dignitaries such as NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Nike founder Phil Knight, Seahawks’ receiver Doug Baldwin and Portland’s own Grammy winning band, Portugal. The Man. Yet, it could be argued that Stauskas was the biggest story. A journeyman guard who earlier this preseason was momentarily denied entry to Portland’s arena because he was mistaken as a member of the media, Stauskas on Thursday tied his career high with 24 points, which included a string of 13 consecutive points during the turning point of the game. “Nik,” coach Terry Stotts said, “got us going.” It was fitting that Stauskas’ shooting rescued the Blazers from an early 10-point deficit. After all, in his mind, the Blazers have saved his career. On Thursday, Alex was in Section 112, five rows from the court, now sporting a ring as Stauskas’ fiancée. As she celebrated with the sellout crowd as Stauskas hit first six shots, she estimates she got carried away. “I stood up so fast I literally blacked out and fell over,” Alex said, showing off a cut on her left wrist from tumbling into the seat in front of her. “I was so excited because I know he wants this more than anything.” When told of Alex’s tumble, Stauskas was tickled. “That sounds like her,” he said. It was a chuckle of contentment, a realization that things are starting to fall in place. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve felt any sense of heading in the right direction,” Stauskas said. “There’s been a lot of down days, a lot of wondering, a lot of soul searching.” Alex knew something was special about Portland and Stauskas by the first week of training camp. “When he comes home, all he talks about is how much he loves practice, how much he loves the guys, and he has started journaling about basketball,” she said. “I think he has re-found his love.” Stauskas says the doubts and misery that encompassed him in his previous stops were almost immediately erased when he studied Stotts’ playbook and met the Blazers’ roster. In training camp, the buzz among Stotts and the players has been the chemistry of the second unit, particularly between Evan Turner, Seth Curry and Stauskas. “These teammates, I just feel a connection with these guys,” Stauskas said. “Especially the second unit. I haven’t really enjoyed playing with a group like this since I was at Michigan.” Meanwhile, Stauskas says Stotts’ flow offense, which is predicated on movement, is tailor made for his skillset. “I’ve been saying from day one of preseason that this offense is a guard’s dream, just with the movement we have, the screens,” Stauskas said. “For me it’s a dream come true to play in this offense.” In truth, his life has become a dream compared to those nights alone in Brooklyn. Alex remembers that era, and it’s why she had one wish when she moved to Portland. “All I wanted was for his basketball to go right,” Alex said. “I just want him to finally feel like he has a home somewhere.” Thursday went a long way in establishing a footprint in Portland, as the sellout crowd roared throughout his performance. One mile from the arena, at The Wurst bar, owner Jason Tucker announced during Stauskas’ 13-consecutive points streak that he was renaming the bar “Stauskas.” It has created what Stauskas calls “the perfect storm.” He has the love of his life in Alex. And he has rediscovered his love of basketball thanks to a connection with teammates and a system that suits him. Meanwhile, he and Alex have fallen in love with Oregon’s mountains, scenery and Trail Blazers fans. “He loves it here,” she said. “He said it is by far his favorite team he has been on.” And to think, he was crying eight months ago. “My agent used to tell me: it’s going to be sweeter when it all works out,” Stauskas said. “But in the moment you can’t see how it’s going to work out because you are in such a low place. So at times it was hard for me to believe that I could dig myself out of that hole, you know what I mean?” Alex, however, says she can see he has changed. On Thursday, as they were in their bathroom getting ready before the game she told him “You are going to score 20 tonight, right?” “And he said, ‘Of course, what else would I do?”’ she said. “And that’s him. He has such confidence now.”
I really didn't want to pay for this. Kinda annoyed at the Athletic, tbh, with them scooping up every big writer in every market and hiding behind a paywall (ya, ya I know, free market capitalism, still doesn't seem right). Do you have a sub? Thanks for posting.
Hell no, I ain’t paying to read Jason Quick, but if you download their app you get a couple free articles. If you like baseball it’s probably worth it though.
Somewhat amusing reading first two pages of this thread. I think Pinwheeel should get some credit for the first positive post. I'm sure there were others after that.
Let's hope this continues, but this was his debut for BK against TOR in a blowout loss last season. He then fell off a cliff in that environment with inconsistent PT. Really need Terry/ET et al to keep feeding him. A confident Sauce is key.
Post #317 of this thread on August 10; “Having experienced the ups and downs/mood swings (to put it nicely) in Blazerland since 1970, I’d almost be willing to put down some real cash that says that Sauce Castillo is a Blazer fan favorite by mid season. Or that’s the way it usually seems to work around here......” Other than it came earlier than expected Blazer fans are so predictable..... Post #318 of this thread one August 11 by Bones Jones; “I'd take that bet.” Pony up Jones......and I don’t take pennies.......
This thread is so funny to go back and read. He has more to his game than shooting, his first step is quicker than I thought and his ability to find his teammates shows that he is a willing passer unlike some other guards on the team. I'm excited for the bench mob this season. They could be trouble for other teams second units, forcing them to bring their starters back earlier than they wanted to while Dame and CJ get more rest than in any previous season. Go Blazers!
Well, I seem to recall that Jake put up that great game but then didn't get ANY playing time for the next several games. With our roster, there's no way Nik doesn't see the court every single game he's eligible to play in. He probably won't score like he did last night on a consistent basis, but he should be able to chip in 6-8 points on a regular basis, along with making the right pass.
