Nik Stauskas: The Legend Of Sauce Castillo Begins

In what was an honest mistake made by the Philadelphia 76ers‘ broadcast team, in which their closed captioning erroneously called Sacramento Kings guard Nik Stauskas by his  now widely renowned nickname, Sauce Castillo, the snafu was met with an avalanche of applause and excitement for the return of real, authentic nicknames.

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It seems we, as the NBA universe, are entrenched in an era where the doldrums of generic nicknames based on the abridgement of one’s government name — i.e., D-Rose (Derrick Rose), D-Wade (Dwyane Wade), Melo (Carmelo Anthony), CP3 (Chris Paul) — are eternally in vogue.

Original monikers that capture the imagination of a player’s set of skills, style on the court, and distinct athletic traits — like the Iceman (George Gervin), Dr. J (Julius Erving), The Answer (Allen Iverson), Air Jordan (Michael Jordan), and the Custodian (Brian Cardinal) — have become a distant oddity of the past.

The birth of Sauce Castillo not only reminds us, the society, of how awesome genuine nicknames are, even if it comes at the expense of a slightly racial blunder, it also builds the character and persona of an individual player — a vital marketing tool former NBA commissioner David Stern exhaustively utilized in his successful efforts to monetize and globalize the game of basketball during the late 1980s to early 1990s.

Certainly, the players are having fun with it.

The unexpected surge in media attention also came at a perfect time for Castillo, or I mean, Stauskas.

For all intents and purposes, Stauskas has struggled this year. Billed as a dead-eye perimeter sharpshooter with enough athleticism and a functional handle to serve as a secondary ballhandler in spurts, Sauce had the in-demand expertise — and a complementary set of offensive skills — to evolve into the prototype modern day two-guard.

However, not only has his play on the defensive end been predictably detrimental on the aggregate, his most sought-after skill had deserted him for the better part of the incumbent season. In fact, prior to the All-Star break, Stauskas shot at an abysmal 26.1 percent from beyond the arc and averaged a measly 3.4 points per game, per NBA.com.

In college, the former Michigan Wolverine was a one of the most prolific and feared jumpshooters in the nation. He was just as effective shooting off-the-catch or off-the-bounce. Most notably, he produced an elite 1.156 points per jump shot during his sophomore campaign, per DraftExpress.

Playing under coaches Mike Malone and Tyrone Corbin, though, Stauskas could not stay on the court, driven in large by his defensive incompetence and his penchant for racking up personal fouls.

With that in mind, in his defense, as a shooter that uses his legs, it is hard to build a rhythm when playing 10-12 minutes a game.

His actual defense, however, prevented the Kings brass from giving Stauskas (Stauskas?) a material amount of minutes. Castillo is not only a horrendous individual defender, often conceding easy baskets from in close due to his lack of strength and/or quickness; he also takes some of the worst and most mind-boggling angles when defending the pick-and-roll.

Since George Karl took over the helm, where he has implemented his trademark run-a-gun, high-paced system where defensive play is optional, Stauskas has shown glimpses of why he was so highly touted coming into the 2014 NBA Draft.

With increased playing time, where Sauce is enjoying a stable 18.7 minutes per contest post-trade deadline, Stauskas is beginning to find his shooting groove.

Sure enough, the 6-foot-6 Mississauga, Ontario, native is converting on 41.9 percent of his threes since the All-Star break and is averaging a respectable 6.5 points per game on 57 percent TS% (true shooting percentage) over the ongoing stretch.

Much of his newfound success comes from catch-and-shoot opportunities. In fact, under the leadership of Karl, approximately 37.5 percent of his shots derive from spot-up three-point attempts where he converts said shots on a blistering 41.7 percent rate, per NBA.com’s SportVU Data.

In comparison, prior to the trade deadline, Sauce struggled to capitalize on such opportunities, as he converted on only 28.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-point attempts over his first 44 games as a pro.

Not surprisingly, his improved outside shooting has opened and freed Stauskas up to showcase some of the athletic prowess and ballhandling skills that separated him from your typical spot-up shooting prospect coming into last June’s draft.

Just ask Alexis Ajinca.

Since the All-Star break, Stauskas has made a more concerted effort in attacking the rack. Chiefly, roughly 36.5 percent of his shots under Karl have derived from 10 feet and in; where in contrast, only 20.7 percent of his attempts came from said area prior to the trade deadline.

While he may never become an above average interior finisher, thanks in large part to his below average length (6-foot-7¾ wingspan, 8-foot-6 standing reach) and middling explosiveness, Stauskas has the capacity to expand his dribble drive game and refine his capabilities as a ball-in-hand creator.

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Sauce can leverage his late season penchant for attacking the tin, continue to work on his handle, and study game film, to perhaps unleash some of shrewdness he showed as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll situations he routinely displayed during his sophomore season at Michigan.

Thus far this season, while a healthy 19.1 percent of Stauskas’ offensive possessions come as the ballhandler on the pick-and-roll, it is a significant dip when compared to the playmaking responsibilities he was instilled with in college.

Explicitly, over 29.5 percent of his possessions came from him serving as the handler in screen and roll sets during his second and final year at Ann Arbor.

Not everyone can make an instant impact — a la Andrew Wiggins. Sometimes, as the old adage goes, the best things come to those who wait.

In Staukas’ case, he’s had to wait for the restoration of his jumpshot and the trust of his coach. But now, equipped with the league’s most distinctive nickname, a sweet stroke, and ample room to amplify his multi-faceted skill set, the legend of Sauce Castillo has officially begun.

Next: 5 Likely First Time NBA All-Stars Next Season

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