National Basketball Association

Philadelphia 76ers: Nik Stauskas And The Evolving Process

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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As the Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuild continues to progress, it’s very possible that it leaves some of their more unsure players like Nik Stauskas on the outside looking in.

No matter what you may believe, The Process is still alive and well for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Sam Hinkie, the mind behind the team’s polarizing methods, may have departed under controversial circumstances just before the end of last season. However, the 76ers are now starting to bear the fruit of their labor from over the last three years.

With big man Joel Embiid seeing his first NBA action and European sensation Dario Saric joining the team after playing overseas, the Sixers’ future doesn’t seem as far away as it looked mere months ago.

That by no means that they’ll suddenly turn to winning ways, but with more potential mainstays on the roster and even more likely high draft picks coming, the 76ers’ present has many fans and followers excited for what’s in store this season and beyond. But as the 76ers’ rebuild starts to truly get off the ground, they now start to face an interesting dilemma regarding their roster.

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There’s already been plenty of intrigue with what they do with their former high draft picks and key players that have been through much, if not all of the last three years. We all know players like Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel have been the subject of many trade rumors for months now, due to the team’s crowded frontcourt situation.

However, those questions extend far deeper than the players that may face a logjam for minutes. Inevitably, it will include players who have yet to prove themselves in the NBA.

If that last part applies to anyone on the 76ers, it has to be Nik Stauskas.

Despite only entering the league two years ago, Stauskas’ NBA career has been without much success.

Originally drafted ninth overall by the Sacramento Kings, Stauskas has struggled to reach his potential as a knockdown shooter and three-point threat, shooting a combined 32.4 percent from beyond the arc in his first two seasons.

Of course, Stauskas made his way to Philadelphia after his one season with the Kings as part of the magnificently short-sighted deal in which Sacramento and Philadelphia exchanged rights to swap picks (which goes into effect in 2019 as an unprotected first-rounder for the 76ers).

While that move has given the team yet another valuable asset in the team’s stockpile of draft picks, Stauskas’ struggles have left the 76ers with a player with more question marks than when he first arrived to the team.

That led to speculation whether Stauskas would face the possibility of having his fourth year option get declined or even being possibly cut before the start of the season, given the team’s overloaded preseason roster.

Obviously, that has since disappeared and earlier this week, Real GM reported that the 76ers had picked up Stauskas’ team option for the 2017-18 season, along with Embiid and Okafor.

With that being said, Stauskas’ uncertain future still hangs over him, even with the security of next season in his pocket. Proven NBA options like Jerryd Bayless and Gerald Henderson are now in the team’s backcourt, and that leaves Stauskas with much more competition for minutes than he may have been used to last year.

Getting off on the right foot will be key for Stauskas (his season debut Wednesday night was encouraging), but the true key will be to start living up to his role playing potential over the entire season. His 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the team’s season opener were a promising start.

It’ll be a stiff challenge for the 23-year-old, but given how his young NBA career has gone, he has no choice but to do so to help find his footing with the 76ers and more importantly, within the league.

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