Nik Stauskas Shares Hilarious “Process” Story About Elton Brand
Nik Stauskas joined The John Kincade Show to talk about the Philadelphia 76ers during the notorious “Process” era.
The Sixers narrowly missed out on selecting Stauskas in the 2014 NBA Draft. They entered the draft with two first-round picks, and they ultimately landed Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.
A trade with the Sacramento Kings brought the Ontario native to Philadelphia in 2015. He played 159 games with the Sixers during a rough period for the franchise.
An Unforgettable “Process” Story
The 2015-16 76ers limped through one of the worst seasons in NBA history. Isaiah Canaan, Ish Smith, and Hollis Thompson didn’t exactly make up the core of a playoff contender.
However, they signed 36-year-old Elton Brand out of retirement during the season.
The tanking reached cringeworthy levels in 2015-16. The Sixers went 1-25 from Jan. 27-April 2. When they stood with nine wins in the final weeks of the season, losing out and finishing tied for the worst record in NBA history looked entirely possible.
An accomplished veteran and former first-overall pick like Brand wasn’t accustomed to writing off losses for the sake of NBA Draft Lottery odds.
He didn’t want younger players or anyone else in the organization to accept it either. He even made a banner telling them so.
“We come into the locker room one day. This is when we were still at PCOM. There’s a huge banner in the locker room, and it says, ‘Congratulations 2015-16 Philadelphia 76ers…Worst Record in NBA History.’ It says like 9-73, so it was basically projecting that we would lose the rest of our games. Then, underneath the banner was just the names of every person in the organization.” -Nik Stauskas
Stauskas said that Brand was demanding his teammates to keep his name from association with the worst record in NBA history.
An April matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans loomed. Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday didn’t dress for a team that ultimately finished 30-52. The lowly Sixers scratched and clawed for a 107-93 victory.
The Sixers finished 2-15 in games that Elton Brand played in 2015-16. However, their 10th win overall kept Brand, Stauskas, and the Process out of the record books.
It was a forgettable era in franchise history, but at least they got a cool story out of it.
Watch the full interview to hear Nik Stauskas talk more about “The Process,” the 2023-24 Sixers, his days with Bob Cooney at the practice facility, and his solid Brett Brown impression.
Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
Meet the 2023-24 Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid
It’s no secret that the 76ers will depend on Joel Embiid. The 7-footer out of Cameroon has outdone his own career high in scoring in three consecutive seasons, and he finally earned his first NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season. The continued improvement is a testament to his ability to continue adding tools to his arsenal to find his highest potential.
However, it’s also no secret that playoff success is the real focus. Embiid hasn’t helped his team advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the fact of the matter supercedes all individual accomplishments in the minds of most 76ers fans.
Tyrese Maxey
The Sixers found the steal of the 2020 NBA Draft when they selected the guard out of Kentucky with the 21st-overall pick. Maxey has improved consistently throughout his NBA career, and he must take the next step by improving at the defensive end of the floor. He will reach stardom as a 20+ point scorer who shoots over 40% from three-point range if he can overcome the label as a defensive liability.
Tobias Harris
Harris has shown incredible ability at points during his 12-year NBA career. However, his season averages in scoring has dropped in each of his four full seasons in Philadelphia. He has room to reemerge as a bigger offensive focus in an era when excellent wing players dominate the NBA.
De’Anthony Melton
Melton didn’t get the most attention during his first season in Philadelphia in 2022-23, but he proved himself as a key part of the franchise’s future. The former second-round pick averaged double figures last season, and he’s made Daryl Morey look excellent for fleecing the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade in June 2022.
Paul Reed
An offer sheet from the Utah Jazz spelled the end for Paul Reed in Philadelphia. However, the Sixers dug deeper into the wallet to keep their young big man. Reed played an expanded role in the 2023 playoffs. His ability to play the 4 position with Joel Embiid on the floor will go a long way to determine the amount of playing time he’ll get under Nick Nurse.
Mo Bamba
Bamba played 275 games for the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers in five NBA seasons before signing with 76ers in July. He attended Westtown School in West Chester before going to the University of Texas to play college ball. The Magic drafted him with the sixth-overall pick in 2018.
Patrick Beverly
The Sixers are looking for Patrick Beverly as the veteran guard off the bench who adds experience and intangible value. The 35-year-old has earned three selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team. He’s played key minutes in 65 playoff games with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Sixers signed Kelly Oubre Jr. to a one-year deal this offseason. The 6-foot-7 wing took hold of an opportunity for more offensive focus on a struggling Charlotte Hornets team in 2022-23 when he averaged a career-high 20.3 points. He has averaged in double figures in six consecutive seasons, but he is best fitted for a bench role on a contending team.
Jaden Springer
The Sixers drafted Springer with the 28th-overall pick in 2021. He’s played 18 NBA games in his first two seasons, and he hasn’t yet become a contributor in key minutes. The 6-foot-4 guard will scratch and claw to earn his minutes. The fluid situation with James Harden could leave things up for grabs in the backcourt.
Furkan Korkmaz
While fans and media have called to replace Korkmaz seemingly every season in recent memory, the Turkish shooting guard is entering his seventh season in Philadelphia. His scoring average has decreased in four consecutive seasons, and he might not have a long leash with a spot on the bench at age 26 if he doesn’t work into a role as a bigger contributor than he was in 2022-23.
Danuel House Jr.
The Sixers dished out $8.4 million on a two-year contract for House entering the 2022-23 season as part of a roster overhaul that included a heavy focus on players with experience under Daryl Morey with the Houston Rockets. He played a minimal role by the time the playoffs came around, but he ended up providing a little bit of a spark off the bench in the second round against the Boston Celtics. Nurse will see what the 30-year-old journeyman has left in the tank.
Robert Covington
He became a polarizing microcosm of The Process during his first stint in Philadelphia from 2014-18. The 32-year-old has grown into an experienced NBA journeyman who’s spent time with five different NBA teams. He earned NBA All-Defensive Team honors for the 2017-18 season.
KJ Martin
The 22-year-old KJ Martin averaged 12.7 points for the Houston Rockets in 2022-23. He is the only player the Sixers acquired in the James Harden trade who might have a legitimate long-term upside. Nick Nurse will determine the rotation as the team develops an identity with a lot of question marks about their future.
Nicolas Batum
Batum hasn’t averaged in double figures since the 2017-18 season with the Charlotte Hornets. The 6-foot-8 guard will have to carve out a role for a team that acquired him more for his expiring contract than his skill set on the floor. He has more than enough NBA experience to find a way to do that.
Marcus Morris Sr.
Daryl Morey acquired Philadelphia native Marcus Morris Sr. days after the season opener. The James Harden deal wasn’t about improving the Sixers in the short term, however. His value in the trade had to do with an annual salary of over $17 million coming off the books after the 2023-24 season.
Azuolas Tubelis
The Sixers loaded up on big men with no expectation for Montrezl Harrell to contribute in 2023-24. Tubelis spent three years as a major contributor at Arizona. He’s another young big man from overseas looking to make a name for himself at the NBA level.
Javonte Smart
Smart is playing on a two-way contract. He will almost certainly have to manage more bus trips down to Wilmington and earn his way into Nick Nurse’s rotation. The LSU graduate played short stints with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat before the Sixers signed him.
Terquavion Smith
Rookie guard Terquavion Smith played two years at NC State. The Sixers signed him on a two-year contract on July 1. His 165-pound frame isn’t ideal for the NBA, but he averaged 17.9 points for a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
