Who Joins Embiid Simmons As Philadelphia Core?

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) is greeted by center Joel Embiid (L) during a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) is greeted by center Joel Embiid (L) during a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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Dec 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 107-106. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 107-106. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Get The Sauce, But Only If It’s Hot Enough

Nik Stauskas, a.k.a. “Sauce Castillo”, is a shooting guard who perplexes Philadelphia 76ers fans. He is dedicated to his profession, putting in long hours to work on his shooting. After all, he is an NBA “shooting” guard. His play has been excellent at times, scoring 21 points in five of six shooting from three point range. But just as suddenly, he can struggle in a two out of seven night from the same distance.

Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

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  • When he’s hot, he hot. When he’s not, he’s not.

    Perhaps it was his inconsistency on offense which persuaded Brown to encourage Stauskas to work on his defense and develop as a two-way player. While he struggles at both sometimes, he also is beginning to win over the fanbase.

    But like Saric, Sauce is inconsistent.  Unlike Saric, this is his third year in the NBA. So far this season, his shooting from the perimeter is a very respectable 41.5 percent. But two of eleven shooting from three point range in the month of December 2016 has squelched optimism that the Sauce is hot in Philly.

    When Ben Simmons arrives, he will need shooters who are dependably accurate if they get the open shot.   Through November 2016, he had his three-shot up to 45 percent.  But a cold December has cooled that hot shooting to 41.5 percent.  Stauskas could be a huge asset to this team, but only if he’s hot.