Nik Stauskas will be reduced to a cheerleader for much if not all of the preseason as he has a stress fracture in his right tibia aka the larger of the two shin bones. Nik says he plans to be back by the start of the regular season, giving him a little over 3 weeks to heal up.
The sky isn’t falling for the second year player but this certainly isn’t good news. There’s always a learning curve when a player switches teams, whether it be adjusting to playing with new teammates or learning new offensive schemes. On top of that, Nik has another reason to want to get on the court ASAP: to erase the memory of a forgettable rookie year in Sactown. This now opens the door to Hollis Thompson starting at the two guard to open the season. Nik will need some time with all the adjustments. The sooner he can get back to being a full participant in practice the better. Don’t be shocked if Brett Brown limits his minutes upon his return.
Fringe roster point guards Pierre Jackson (groin) and TJ McConnell (left foot sprain) are also dinged up and will miss tonight’s 7pm matchup with the Washington Wizards. This is bad news for both players as the preseason is essentially part of their try-outs to make the team and as I've stated in a previous post the point guard position is still very much up for grabs. Reports indicate that Jackson has been dealing with nagging injuries during training camp and only participated in one of the team’s intersquad scrimmages. Jackson also played through injuries during his summer league stint and although he showed some flashes, his overall lack of consistency was a bit of a disappointment. If Jackson can’t showcase his full capabilities, he’ll find himself wasting away another year in the D-League and the Sixers will find themselves on opening day starting Isaiah Canaan or Scottie Wilbekin at point guard. Neither of these players are known for passing or ball handling and will struggle to set up teammates, which may adversely affect the development of the Sixers first round pick Jahlil Okafor.
TJ McConnell, the other injured point guard, never appeared to have a real chance to make this team. Now TJ can at least tell his future kids, “If it wasn’t for that daggone foot.”
The predictions and views displayed on this post are mine alone, including but not limited to assumptions related to the linguistic choices of certain players and their inclination to use terms such as 'daggone.'
By: Leo Porth
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