Michigan Players in the NBA

This is why I liked the Redick signing in Philly even though you knew it was going to come at the expense of Niks PT. As much as we dislike him JJ is about the best model Nik should shoot for and I thought having a front row seat in practice and during games would give Nik insight as to how he could get there.

I think the biggest issue for NIK in Philly, at least early on, has been the lack of ball movement and finding the open man. The nets distribute and i think NIK will find playing time…or at least a chance to fit in. Atkinson has done a nice job building his team into the new NBA ball movement strategy. I watched some of the coverage on YES last night and the biggest question mark for OKAFOR is fit. He doesn’t run the floor well and is a post up center. The NETS like to run and distribute…should be fun to watch. We now have 3 JB ballers in NY…for what it’s worth…THJ has trouble guarding Caris!

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It’s so bittersweet to remember that he was looking that smooth and effective for Michigan, at the start of 14 and 15 seasons. Could’ve racked up so much recognition and added to the win totals. Love his game.

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Definitely a “what could have been” situation.

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Interesting that Timmy and Levert look like they’ll have the best careers and both were 3* guys.
While Trey (NPOY), Stauskas (BT-POY), and McGary (highest ranked recruit) have fizzled.
All had nice careers at Michigan though.

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Looks like GRIII will have the 3rd best career too if his injury heals as expected. I never would’ve guessed that after all the respective drafts.

Where the hell is Mitch and what is he doing? The clock is ticking…

“Meatloaf…hey Ma…bring us some meatloaf…what is she doing? I never know what she’s doing back there”

Last I heard he was pursuing professional bowling. So it’s more “the dude abides” than “where’s the meatloaf,” but equally as ridiculous and disappointing.

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I hope he finds a place to play…too much talent to end up bowling. Seems like he could play anywhere overseas. I wish him good fortune for 2018.

Amsterdam would be a good fit.

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22pts on 9 FG attempts — that’s pretty impressive efficiency
(and even removing the 5-for-5 FTs, his 17pts from the field on 9 shots is still very efficient)

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I saw this in a Stauskas article:

“He got shell-shocked in Sacramento by [DeMarcus] Cousins. His confidence was shot,” an Eastern Conference scout told The Post. “He had a bad experience there and lost confidence. Cousins is a bad teammate, and it affected him poorly. He comes to Philadelphia, and showed flashes but never consistency, never enough.”

The positive impact of having the guy who he was roommates with for both years in college to keep him mentally in the game has to be enormous.

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Think it went beyond ‘bad teammate.’ Think he got badly abused. You would think that managers, owners, and team personnel would figure they had big enough investments in their players not to let that happen, but apparently not. There was a long, thoughtful article out there but I am not finding it. This gives a little bit of an idea, though. Hope Nik has his revenge, and soon:

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Caris…

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Lived in Brooklyn for almost five years and have soured on all my other old NBA teams (especially the Lakers); I was a Knicks fan growing up in NJ, but that circus. . . The NBA seems to be going through a nice healthy stretch, too. Going to start seeing if I can tune in to some Nets games.

Bullying is a very real problem in society - beyond elementary and secondary school, as this article shows. I also agree with your point that you’d think teams would have enough invested in players to not allow this (though calling the Kings a professional franchise, in terms of how their ownership and team management operate is a serious stretch).

That said, I don’t buy the idea that this is why Stauskas’ pro career has been a struggle. It’s not on Cousins that Stauskas has made less than 35% of his 800+ NBA 3-point attempts, most of which occurred away from Sacramento. As a pro player, Nik can’t create offense (83% of his baskets are assisted, and his assist rate is tiny), and can’t defend (generally grades out as one of the worst shooting guards). If he’s not putting the ball in the basket, I’m not sure what he’s for.

Caris, on the other hand, is looking REALLY promising.

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Yeah, the Kings do sound like a mess. I can’t say I know all the factors that have held him back, but there was a suggestion he was something of a basket case coming off of that experience. And especially with sharpshooting players confidence does seem to play a huge role. For the niche players finding that comfortable spot is also obviously key, and somewhat a matter of luck c/w persistence. I would love to see him catch on with Brooklyn and have a little more of a ride.

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I hear what you’re saying about the NBA…and to be honest I was never really a fan until the UM kids started playing. It’s been fun watching the KiNICKS and NETS where the game has transformed relying on ball movement and 3 point shooting. If you get a chance watch the next head to head game, CARIS and THJ were matched up in the last game. I think NIK should fit in well with the NETS as they spread the floor and hit the open man.

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