Sixers trade acquisition Nik Stauskas, not far removed from having become the eighth overall pick in 2014, is still struggling to become the sort of dead-eye 3-point shooter in the NBA that he was in college. His minutes shrunk in Monday’s game, but even as coach Brett Brown insists he’s sticking by him, “If you fall out of the raft, you have to participate in your own rescue,” Brown said, according to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
“He [Stauskas] knows this,” Brown continued. “This coaching staff loves that kid and he has got a green light to go play and play fearlessly, and we will help him. He just happens to be missing shots right now, and it can’t creep into his defense, which is the area that upsets me the most. So right now he’s swimming, and you have to swim hard. Nobody is going to scold him and bench him right now. He’s going to play, and we’re going to help him move forward. But it is a case of participating in your own rescue, and it’s in him. We need it to be in him. It’s all about being a two-way player.”
See more on the Sixers amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets are a woeful 1-9, but they’ve challenged in many of their losses and Brook Lopez believes that unlike during their rough patches last season, the team remains engaged, observes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “We haven’t had guys quitting — it definitely doesn’t feel like other previous seasons where we had a losing season and losing mentality to go with it,” Lopez said in part. “We have a positive group.”
- The Knicks spent heavily on Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, Kyle O’Quinn and Derrick Williams and drafted a new point guard in Jerian Grant, but none are scoring as much as Langston Galloway, who’s third on the team with 11.4 points per game, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “Everybody gets an opportunity. Can you capitalize on it? Then once you capitalize on it, can you continue?” Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. “Langston’s doing so. And it’s impressive because it’s not easy to do. It really requires a commitment and a discipline that’s not easy to maintain.”
- The Sixers have a decent chance to add four lottery picks to the lineup at the start of next season, if Joel Embiid gets healthy, Dario Saric signs, and the Lakers miss the playoffs but fail to land a pick within the protected top-three range on the draft choice they owe Philadelphia, notes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. That shows the wisdom of GM Sam Hinkie‘s plan, Kennedy opines. To keep track of the Lakers’ pick and the Sixers’ own selection, keep tabs on our Reverse Standings, which will be updated daily.
I don’t think it’s a matter of attitude regarding the Nets. It’s a matter of talent, and the Nets just don’t have enough.
Embiid, Sari, and the Sixers & Lakers pick aren’t all. They also have OKC’s first and Miami’s first and Denver’s 2nd.
It makes little sense to add seven players, plus god forbid a free agent. Even the Sixers don’t have room for all that. They have to package OKC, MIA, Den2d and future considerations to get a third top ten pick.
The Sixers could conceivably add Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, (B.Simmons or B.Ingram), Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid. That starting five would be worth tanking for, before even considering Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and Robert Covington.
All the jokes would cease.
Don’t you think the lakers pick is a guarantee for the sixers. Lakers will have a strong chance to keep it. They had the fourth worst record last year to number 2 maybe it can happen again or maybe it won’t