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Blazers: 5 goals for Nik Stauskas in his lone season with Portland

By Nate Mann

Portland Trail Blazers Nik Stauskas Seth Curry (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Portland Trail Blazers Nik Stauskas Seth Curry (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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PORTLAND, OR – JULY 6: Terry Stotts and Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers introduce Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas to the media during a press conference on July 6, 2018 at the Trail Blazer Practice Facility in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – JULY 6: Terry Stotts and Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers introduce Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas to the media during a press conference on July 6, 2018 at the Trail Blazer Practice Facility in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Nik Stauskas finally has a chance to settle down with a team and positively contribute. Here are five goals for him to convince the Blazers to re-sign him next summer.

Ed Davis became one of the first players to move teams when the signing period opened on July 1 – ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted the news at 9:43 p.m. PT. To get back at Brooklyn for adding another Blazers player to its roster, Neil Olshey signed Nik Stauskas less than two hours later. (Disclaimer: not his actual reasoning.)

Giving Stauskas a one-year minimum deal officially unofficially ended Pat Connaughton‘s time in Portland. The team acquired two new guards via the draft, plus Seth Curry later inked a two-year deal and Wade Baldwin had his contract extended later in the summer. A seven-guard backcourt rotation simply didn’t have room for the hometown favorite, or Shabazz Napier for that matter.

Immediately, Blazers fans started questioning Olshey’s thought process involved with signing Stauskas instead of retaining Connaughton. After being drafted in the 2014 lottery, the shooting guard failed to make an impression on any team he suited up for. He bounced around to three organizations in four years, never able to get his footing.

Olshey thinks Portland is the place for Stauskas to recover the skill and talent he displayed in Michigan’s 2014 Elite Eight run. Here are five goals for him to finally live up to expectations and earn another contract with the Blazers.