Nets coach Kenny Atkinson has a reputation as a guard whisperer.
First he had to convince Joe Harris he could be an elite shooter. Then, when they added Spencer Dinwiddie, the guard’s confidence was so badly battered he became timid on the floor. Next up: Nik Stauskas.
Viewed as a throw-in for the Trevor Booker deal that brought back Jahlil Okafor and a 2019 second-round pick, Stauskas is a former lottery pick who has clearly had some confidence and a lot of playing time in the past.
“He got shell-shocked in Sacramento by [DeMarcus] Cousins. His confidence was shot,” an Eastern Conference scout told The Post. “He had a bad experience there and lost confidence. Cousins is a bad teammate, and it affected him poorly. He comes to Philadelphia, and showed flashes but never consistency, never enough.
“He can shoot, but he’s not a great shooter. … This is his third team now. He had an opportunity in Philadelphia; I don’t know. He’s not very good defensively. You’ve got to do something well, and I can’t answer that. Can he shoot? He’s got a funky-looking shot, and just never really got it going.”
Stauskas, who was drafted in 2014, seemed to make progress after going from Sacramento to Philadelphia. But after averaging career highs in points (9.5) and minutes (27.4) last season, he’d logged just 45 minutes in six games this season. That’s the kind of thing that will sink already-low confidence.
“That’s a fair point. Obviously, he’s coming from a situation where he wasn’t playing, so we are in the buildup phase [to] build confidence and show him where he can fit and definitely get a sense of where he is psychologically and emotionally,” Atkinson said. “It’s normal. Both of those guys are coming from a situation where they weren’t playing.
“Hopefully the players agree with this — [I’m] a positive coach and someone who builds up and gives players freedom if they do certain things and defend the basketball. Yes, that’s definitely a goal of mine with him is to build up his confidence and give him freedom and obviously hold him accountable on the defensive end. ”
Stauskas, who dealt with ankle woes last month, was looking forward to a reset.
“I kind of hit a road block this year, where for the last month I was dealing with an injury and I kind of fell out of the rotation. For myself, I felt it was a good opportunity to have a new start,” Stauskas said. “I’m very excited. From talking to coach Atkinson on the offense they run here, I’m very [suited] for that. It’s something I’m comfortable doing.
“With the NBA, it’s always going to be competitive. These are the best players in the world. No matter wherever you end up, you’re always going to be competing against someone for a job, and that’s the way the business goes. Sooner you can wrap your head around that, the easier it’s going to be.”