Sacramento Kings’ Nik Stauskas quickly adapting to NBA

By Bryan Rose | Jul 27, 2014

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Nik Stauskas (Michigan) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number eight overall pick to the Sacramento Kings in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

When the Sacramento Kings selected Nik Stauskas during the 2014 NBA Draft, it shocked many pundits and fans. It wasn’t that Stauskas wasn’t a good player, but some felt he was selected a bit too high and he didn’t really what the Kings needed, especially given the talent remaining on the draft board.

More from NBA

But despite drafting Ben McLemore, a fellow shooting guard, just the season before the Kings were one of the worst shooting teams in the league. That allowed opposing defenses to pack the paint on DeMarcus Cousins, forcing the Kings to look for shooting.

That’s exactly what Nik Stauskas brings to the table as he showed during the NBA’s Summer League and according to Sacramento Kings head coach Michael Malone, the former Michigan talent is quickly adapting to the NBA game.

“He’s a very smart kid,” stated Michael Malone. “He’s a very confident young man and he’s a hard, hard worker. He’s only going to get better because of his work ethic and the fact that he picks things up very quickly. And he had some very good moments here. This is his first taste of NBA basketball, so the more he plays, he’s only gonna get better.”

Many have compared Nik Stauskas to that of another elite college shooter, Jimmer Fredette, however the two play nothing alike. In addition to Stauskas being taller and stronger than the former BYU product, he is very athletic and can put the ball on the floor in addition to being a very capable dribbler for a two-guard.