But not all of those teams are Miami.
Hang onâŚyouâre only going to develop more in the NBA if you actually get the chance to do so. Duncan was very lucky that he got picked up by one of the best-run organizations in the NBA and they were willing to give him such opportunity in the G-league. How many stories are there of guys that are struggling just to stay on G-league rosters playing in empty arenas, making no money, and just filling a roster spot? Historically the G-league hasnât been known for good coaching or player development, though that seems to be changing?
It makes me wonder if things would have been different for Nik Stauskas if he ended up with a team like Miami instead of the dumpster fire of Sacramento he was drafted into.
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Thatâs probably true of a lot of guys. But Stauskas never showed he could be an elite shooter (surprisingly). Duncan got a chance and was nearly forced by Miami to force threes in the G league. If he struggles, they cut him. When they didnât, heâs now a starter. Nik was drafted too high for that and had to struggle at the NBA level. And heâs had multiple chances on other teams.
Nik starting out anywhere except where Boogie Cousins was probably would have helped.
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I really donât think that mattered. Boogie may have been a headache at points in Sacramento but the odds of him impacting Stauskasâs development in 1 season there are incredibly small. The bigger issue was Stauskas just wasnât a good NBA player.
I expected him to struggle on D and have less success attackingâŚbut I was shocked that he wasnât a good outside shooter. I figured at worst he would hold on to a job because he would be a plus shooter.
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The stories thoughâŚ
Maybe Iâm in the minority, but felt like Stauskas had the skillset to be in a Duncan Robinson role. Expectations, poor player development by the Kings, and Boogie all came together to kill the dream.
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I think if you put Nik in a similar role on a ball movement team he can be successful. He played on teams where the offense was all about isolation and hero ball. Poor teams usually have a few guys who need to âget theirsâ based on contract extensionâŚwinning not really the goal. Thereâs been a big shift over the past 5 yearsâŚthe ball canât stick and players canât stand around. Moving without they ball and shooting off the catch/handoff will be the new normal. Bigâs are out unless they can play on the three liane.
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I agree that such a situation would have given him the best chance for successâŚbut he never showed he could hit threes consistently enough to thrive in that role. And that remains the thing that surprised me most. All of those highlight videos in his backyard, challenging Steph to a shooting contest, hitting clutch shots at MichiganâŚ
Nik was a 37.4% shooter from deep over his last three years, so he did show some solid promise there. But yeah, for him being terrible inside the arc and a defensive liability, thatâs just not a high enough percentage for him to be a viable rotation player.
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He was more than a headache. Think Rickie Incognito. Some people handle it. Others are destroyed.
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Has the NBA announced a plan for next season? In a normal year theyâd be starting pretty soon (Preseason is October, right?), but obviously the finals just ended so they canât just turn around and start three weeks later.
They are looking at January 18th, 2021 right now, but I believe no official date has been set.
Christmas Day was the original target. Then they said New Yearâs Day. Now itâs MLK Day. Nobody knows right now, still a lot to figure out. Bill Simmons, who does have solid NBA sources, has said that some owners donât want to start next season until they can have fans in arenas. Very fluid situation.
That is basically right where Caris got paid. I donât think itâs impossible that on the open market Duncan could be seen as worth more than Caris right now. Obviously it is a lot less simple than that with Carisâ Bird Rights and Duncan going through the RFA process. Still an interesting reference point.
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Question for all: Will Michigan have an alum make the NBA all-star game within the next 5 years and (if so) who will it be?
Best shot right now is Caris if he gets traded. I think heâs the only guy who is close to that level but wonât put up the numbers with KD, Kyrie and Dinwiddie all there. If not him Iâd honestly say wait for a current player/recruit.
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My guess would be ânoâ unless we got a rocket ship one and done in this years freshman class or next.
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