Stauskas?

[Scalma]

I'm hoping for 2005-06 Mike Miller (13.7 ppg on .407 3FG%) off the bench. Not only does Stauskas have the 3-point shooting like Miller, he also showed a very Miller-like left handed spin move off the dribble penetration tonight:





BNM

Former blazer great.

 

[PHXBlazer1]

There’s a reason he was the #8 pick..we got ourselves a steal!

 

[dviss1]

He's not just a shooter. That little dime to Collins was nice!

Bro... He USED Kuzma on that baseline drive with the spin to left hand...

THAT is not what I was expecting...

 

[Boob-No-More]

Bro... He USED Kuzma on that baseline drive with the spin to left hand...

THAT is not what I was expecting...

I loved the way POR as a team attacked the basket whenever the Lakers went small.

It's interesting that Hart and Kuzma combined for 35 points off the LAL bench, but they were also -13 and -12 and a big reason why our bench out scored theirs by 9 points. Which also happened to be our final margin of victory. Their starters played our starters even, but their bench could not stop ours (to the tune of 55 points).

BNM

 

[theprunetang]

Bro... He USED Kuzma on that baseline drive with the spin to left hand...

THAT is not what I was expecting...

You and me both man. He has legit skills that I wasn't aware of. I guess Sac was so poorly run there for a while that it could make any prospect look bad. It didn't help that he went to Philadelphia when they were purposely trying to lose as many games as possible. He got lost in the shuffle, big time.

 

[theprunetang]

I loved the way POR as a team attacked the basket whenever the Lakers went small.

It's interesting that Hart and Kuzma combined for 35 points off the LAL bench, but they were also -13 and -12 and a big reason why our bench out scored theirs by 9 points. Which also happened to be our final margin of victory. Their starters played our starters even, but their bench could not stop ours (to the tune of 55 points).

BNM

This is exactly the reason why Collins is going to be so important going forward. We can put him at the 5 to counter small ball lineups, with Chief or Moe at the 4. But, we lose no rim protection with Zach at the 5, and he can stay with most 3's and 4's as well.

 

[Boob-No-More]

You and me both man. He has legit skills that I wasn't aware of. I guess Sac was so poorly run there for a while that it could make any prospect look bad. It didn't help that he went to Philadelphia when they were purposely trying to lose as many games as possible. He got lost in the shuffle, big time.

And then last year in BRK, he barely played as he was one of 12 players they had on their roster between 6'6" and 6'8".

BNM

 

[theprunetang]

And then last year in BRK, he barely played as he was one of 12 players they had on their roster between 6'6" and 6'8".

BNM

Today might be an aberration, but I'm definitely interested in seeing how he competes throughout the season now. Could be a Diamond in the rough kind of pick up.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'm hoping for 2005-06 Mike Miller (13.7 ppg on .407 3FG%) off the bench. Not only does Stauskas have the 3-point shooting like Miller, he also showed a very Miller-like left handed spin move off the dribble penetration tonight:





BNM

Hell I'd be happy with Martell Webster.

 

[BonesJones]

This is exactly the reason why Collins is going to be so important going forward. We can put him at the 5 to counter small ball lineups, with Chief or Moe at the 4. But, we lose no rim protection with Zach at the 5, and he can stay with most 3's and 4's as well.

Yup. We can defend against small ball and big ball lineups while keeping roles relatively constant by simply swapping Collins/Nurk and Meyers/Forward(Moe, Chief, Jake).

 

[illmatic99]

I wish he had a longer wingspan and about 2-3 inches taller. He'd be our fulltime starter.

 

[BonesJones]

You don't post our Nik Stauskas Highlights? FAMS

 

[illmatic99]

Struggling to find one thing Allen Crabbe does (or will do) better than Stauskas.

 

[CupWizier]

Today might be an aberration, but I'm definitely interested in seeing how he competes throughout the season now. Could be a Diamond in the rough kind of pick up.

Stauskas is definitely looking like a bargain basement deal and I think he will, like most players off the bench be a little inconsistent but over all he should be a nice plus for this team. The kid can shoot.

 

[Lanny]

Former blazer great.

Miller wore his hair like a girl. That was enough to disqualify him right there.

 

[Lanny]

Stauskas is definitely looking like a bargain basement deal and I think he will, like most players off the bench be a little inconsistent but over all he should be a nice plus for this team. The kid can shoot.

The kid can shoot. You think? He was unreal.

 

[e_blazer]

Okay, anyone who thought we’d be looking at a Nik Stauskas highlights package from the first game of the season raise your hand.

If your hand is up you’re a stinking liar, but I love you anyway because I’m still basking in the glow of yet another Blazers win over the Lakers. That just never gets old, and the LeBron media frenzy made it that much sweeter.

 

[oldmangrouch]

The kid can shoot. You think? He was unreal.

But can he do it when the other team is actually making a concerted effort to defend him? I think it fair to say he caught the Lakers by surprise.

 

[e_blazer]

But can he do it when the other team is actually making a concerted effort to defend him? I think it fair to say he caught the Lakers by surprise.

You crack me up. Every sunny sky has a dark cloud floating in it somewhere for you to worry about.

 

[CupWizier]

But can he do it when the other team is actually making a concerted effort to defend him? I think it fair to say he caught the Lakers by surprise.

The kid can shoot, When a player can shoot as well as he has shown he will be able to score.

 

[tester551]

Struggling to find one thing Allen Crabbe does (or will do) better than Stauskas.

Completely agree.

Crabbes contract is ludicrous....

 

[Scalma]

But can he do it when the other team is actually making a concerted effort to defend him? I think it fair to say he caught the Lakers by surprise.

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.

 

[illmatic99]

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.

 

[Scalma]

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.

 

[TBpup]

Struggling to find one thing Allen Crabbe does (or will do) better than Stauskas.

Get paid.

 

[Scalma]

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.”

 

[illmatic99]

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.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Awesome!

And I thought this was Steve Blake coming back in disguise - not at all!

 

[Scalma]

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.

 

[HailBlazers]

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.”

Not gonna lie. That made me cry. But it's easy to do.