Smallwood: Nik Stauskas' last shot with Sixers?

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. -

Nik Stauskas knows the deal. The NBA doesn't wait around too long for guys to figure things out - even if they were the eighth overall selection in the draft two seasons ago.

Professional sports are the ultimate system of meritocracy, and what you did yesterday doesn't hold up that long against what you are doing today.

"It's a big year," Stauskas said Thursday as the Sixers continued training camp at Stockton University. "Coming into my third year now, I can't really make excuses anymore, like I'm young and trying to figure things out.

"It's time for me to make the improvements that I've been trying to make over the last two years. It's time to show that."

Let's be honest, Stauskas could not have asked for a better opportunity than he got when the Sixers acquired him from the Sacramento Kings in July 2015.

Yes, the Sixers also acquired a future first-round pick and the right to swap first-round draft picks in 2016 or 2017, but the deal with the Kings was one of the few trades that Sam Hinkie made that was designed to provide immediate help as opposed to focusing on down-the-road assets.

The Sixers were desperate for a backcourt player who could shoot and score, and, despite struggling in his rookie season, Stauskas was worth the gamble that he could realize his potential with a change of scenery.

While the Sixers didn't give Stauskas a position, it was safe to assume that he could beat out undrafted free-agent incumbents Hollis Thompson and Robert Covington as a starting wing.

It didn't happen.

Stauskas didn't show consistency. He averaged 8.5 points while shooting 38.5 percent from the floor, 32.6 percent on three-pointers.

Two seasons into his NBA career, the 2013-14 Big Ten Player of the Year was at a crossroads.

The Sixers are still unquestionably an unbalanced team and the opportunity is still there for Stauskas.

"I think he still has great potential," coach Brett Brown said. "We had great communication over the summer about what we're going to be looking for from him. I think his body has changed where he has still has that bounce, but there is an athlete's strength. We talked a lot about him coming back with a swagger. I want him to be a cocky scorer, and, from that mindset, other things will happen.

"We want him feeling good about himself, and it's started with him getting his body stronger over the summer. He's come back more comfortable. He's come back more confident. I think he's come back more driven to do the things he needs to do to cement his identity in the NBA. He understands this is an important year."

Considering Stauskas' demeanor as a player at Michigan, it seems strange that swagger became an issue.

The NBA, however, has a way of humbling egos. The expectations that come with being a high draft pick overwhelmed Stauskas at times.

"I think there were times last year when I showed glimpses where I was getting to the basket well, shooting well and finishing," Stauskas said, "but I think I let my confidence waver throughout the year. I think I am mentally stronger. I know I belong now. My first two years, there were so many times when I wondered if I belonged. I'd get to be wondering if I really belonged here. Is this where I'm meant to be?

"This is the first time in my NBA career where I've said I know I belong here. I know I can compete at this level."

Stauskas, who is from Mississauga, Ontario, declined an offer to join Team Canada for its attempt to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in order to prepare for this season.

"It was hard to say no when Steve Nash calls and asks you to play," Stauskas said of the two-time NBA MVP who was the general manager of Team Canada. "It really came down to looking after my NBA career, and that's the most important thing at this point."

The Sixers have two big men with playmaking ability in rookie forwards Ben Simmons and Dario Saric. The offensive prowess of sophomore center Jahlil Okafor and the hope of center Joel Embiid makes for an intriguing inside game for the Sixers.

It offers possibilities for a wing player who can lift his game to be a reliable complement.

"No doubt," said Stauskas. "Anytime you have bigs like Joel, Jahlil and Nerlens (Noel) down low and then you add a guy like Ben drawing attention and driving to the baskets, it's going to come down to guys like me being able to knock down shots consistently.

"Every team has those guys who can knock down shots, and I think I can be one of them. I feel like an underdog again, and that's when I play my best."