Kings' Nik Stauskas: Teams will challenge me because I'm white
Sacramento Kings guard Nik Stauskas said teams will attack him on defense because he's a rookie and he's white, the Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones reports.
Stauskas, the No. 8 pick in the 2014 draft, scored 12 points while also turning the ball over four times in his preseason debut on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors in Vancouver. He said he expected team's to single him out on the defensive end, and he had four fouls during 26 minutes.
The former Michigan star said nothing surprised him about his debut.
“I understand that I’m a rookie and I’m white, so people are going to attack me at all times,” he said. “Just coming out there in the game, I felt it right away.”
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Stauskas, the 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year, averaged 17.5 points and 3.3 assists last season for Michigan as a sophomore. The three-point specialist shot 44.2 percent last season from behind the arc. During Summer League play, he scored 9.9 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent on three-pointers.
The Kings open the regular season Oct. 29 when they host the Golden State Warriors.
