An era looks to be ending, I'm sorry to report. As much as I've enjoyed watching KG over the years, I guess everything has to end, especially in professional sports. The delusional behavior by just about everyone associated with this drama brought this to a head. Here's what I posted on Britt Robson's Rake blog:
"If you can only primarily deal with one agent and GM in any professional league, you're screwed. Somewhere along the line, Glen Taylor must have an on-the-road-to-Damascus epiphany and understand what damage he and McHale have wreaked on an unsuspecting basketball market. If that understanding ever is achieved, sackcloth and ashes aren't nearly enough for what has transpired here during KG's tenure. Given that scenario, this deal is pretty much the same as any other realistic offer. It won't solve the core issues facing this club. At least we might get our draft pick back from the last botched trade.
Fred Hoiberg can't fix this, neither will Jim Petersen, who I'm sure --just like the other Boston trade--will defend it for at least a year and half. And, just like the other Boston trade, he will be wrong. It will take a totally fresh look to build the scouting, dealing and coaching acumen to make this team a success.
However, KG is no Tim Duncan. If reports are correct, him asking to get paid another 100 million dollars over four to six years demonstrates we could have never found the resources to build around him anyway at this stage of his career. The T-Wolves needed to get salary relief from him if he was to stay in Minnesota for life. So fine Danny Ainge, give him one last big payday. There are no excuses left for KG; if those three are healthy, they should make runs deep into the playoffs for at least three years, given the East's reputation as the JV conference.
As for what we have now, I guess I wouldn't worry about the rebounding. Other than Ticket, we were getting dominated when it counted anyway. KG wasn't tough on the glass, he grabbed a lot of easy rebounds at the end of plays. We now at least have a couple of players willing to play in the low post. Consistently.
What we have left are many gambles, but no safe bets. It will take much more hard work and fresh analysis to build the right mix of youth and veterans to compete in the Western Conference.
We're again at wait and see, with the Iron Ranger still at the controls. Given his performance at draft time, and Taylor's subsequent spin of this drama, why should we bother to trust anything they have left to say?"
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
SA goes Crazay
One thing I do like about this squad is that they don't give up. Last game it was Svet and SA, this time SA goes off for 39, against a much better team in the Monarchs, and on the road to boot. Any time you have a talent like Augustus, the game will generally be watchable, and when she's on...SA has the ability to put a team on her back. Minnesota took nine more shots than Sacramento, and made six of them. Combine that with Sac's inability to turn their overwhelming foul shot advantage into a real plus, and you've pretty much got the win figured.
The negatives: Noelle Quinn had eight assists, but eight turnovers. Considering Amber Jacobs had her shot at PG, it looks like we'll have to put up with Quinn the rest of the year. Nicole Ohlde once again disappears against better post talent. I am surprised that overall the Lynx have somewhat held their own rebounding-wise against other teams. Given Ohlde's soft play, moving Stansbury into the starting line up has paid dividends. Hopefully next year Ohlde will be someone else's marshmallow, while Stansbury could make a nice non-starting role player for the club, especially if she works on her free throw shooting.
While it's true the Lynx don't win unless SA has a monster game, this is another "credit where credit is due" victory. After the collapse last week again Washington, and the blowout loss against Phoenix, this team would have every reason to fold and play out the string. But finally being able to beat a team with a losing record at home, and then go on the road and beat a potential--if not slightly fading--championship contender, speaks volumes for their heart.
The negatives: Noelle Quinn had eight assists, but eight turnovers. Considering Amber Jacobs had her shot at PG, it looks like we'll have to put up with Quinn the rest of the year. Nicole Ohlde once again disappears against better post talent. I am surprised that overall the Lynx have somewhat held their own rebounding-wise against other teams. Given Ohlde's soft play, moving Stansbury into the starting line up has paid dividends. Hopefully next year Ohlde will be someone else's marshmallow, while Stansbury could make a nice non-starting role player for the club, especially if she works on her free throw shooting.
While it's true the Lynx don't win unless SA has a monster game, this is another "credit where credit is due" victory. After the collapse last week again Washington, and the blowout loss against Phoenix, this team would have every reason to fold and play out the string. But finally being able to beat a team with a losing record at home, and then go on the road and beat a potential--if not slightly fading--championship contender, speaks volumes for their heart.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Svet Equity
Let's discuss positives for a minute. How good has Svetlana Abrosimova been for the club this year? In fact, you could say that possibly they haven't used her enough. She's not the impact player they thought she'd be coming out of UConn, but given this abysmal season, when someone shines--even slightly--it's easy to notice. She deserves a ton of credit for keeping her focus and providing veteran leadership in a bad situation.
As for last night, it's great that the Lynx could beat ANY team the rest of the season. The Sparks are a shell of their former selves, and are continuing their descent to join the Lynx at the bottom of the standings. Unlike the Lynx however, it will probably be a short stay, since Lisa Leslie will potentially rejoin the team next season. Our team has a lot of work to do, and many holes to fill, starting with the front office, and working their way up to the players.
As for last night, it's great that the Lynx could beat ANY team the rest of the season. The Sparks are a shell of their former selves, and are continuing their descent to join the Lynx at the bottom of the standings. Unlike the Lynx however, it will probably be a short stay, since Lisa Leslie will potentially rejoin the team next season. Our team has a lot of work to do, and many holes to fill, starting with the front office, and working their way up to the players.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Black Eye Friday
A bad day for basketball on Friday, both from a local and national perspective. The FBI's investigation into alleged game fixing by an NBA referee is bad enough on it's own merits, but will stimulate the rise of conspiracy theorists everywhere when a team loses or mysteriously comes back to cover the spread. At the Lynx game, you could hear the insinuations of the crowd as the referees called foul after foul on our club. It's hard to imagine a game where the opposition shoots 55 foul shots to our 15 at home and NOT suspect something was going on. However, I don't think anyone is all that interested in the point spread of WNBA games. Yeah, the refereeing was bad, but this second black eye was all on the Lynx, especially coach Zierden.
Zierden was over matched on Friday, as he has been most games during this horrendous slump. Once the Mystics decided to pressure the club with occasional full court presses and frequent half-court traps, the Lynx melted down faster than Chernobyl. He couldn't call a time out, make an adjustment or find a substitution pattern that would prevent the Lynx from committing 32 TURNOVERS. As the referees were ringing up fouls, allowing the Mystics to get back into the game with no time running off the clock, Zierden could not find a way to work the refs, either by a technical or other means. It was the most incompetent display of coaching I have seen ever at the professional level, men or women. I was trying to see Glen Taylor's reaction as the game changed from Lynx blowout to Mystics steal, but I think even he was stunned into speechlessness.
To be fair, the first half and initial part of the third quarter showed promise. The Lynx displayed a better ability to work inside-out and not depend primarily on long jump shots. Clearly however, when the opposition decides to show up and play defense, this team can't run a half court offense to save it's life. Once the easy transition buckets stop, and the jump shots don't fall, the Lynx become painful to watch. To see Amber Jacobs throw entry passes at people's feet was especially disappointing. Since the FO didn't try to pickup an accomplished veteran backup for Lindsey Harding, Amber and Noelle Quinn are it. Quinn failed miserably to break a press or a trap, and unfortunately Jacobs was even worse. No court awareness or leadership skills whatsoever. Usually a PG ideally is the extension of the coach, but given the coach, I would advise Amber to raise the bar. Her career depends on it.
Of course, everyone's concerned about Seimone. She again was an offensive marvel, but had 8 turnovers on her own, and by the time of her injury late in the 4th looked spent. It's tough to play 1 on 5 in a half court offense. I'll amend that a bit because Abrosimova stepped up with 20 points, especially when SA went down. But SA makes tough shot after tough shot; this team doesn't make it easy for her to find a rhythm. By the fourth quarter, as in the Sun game, she was starting to disappear, then came the injury. The house of cards then started to cave.
This team has talent and a fair amount of feistiness. They hung in given the refereeing, poor coaching and their own lack of execution. Even with the meltdown, it wouldn't dissuade me from showing up to the TC and cheering the team on. It's clear however that the players and fans deserve better than what's been given them. We're now back at the same place when the Lynx were winless, and we were wondering if they were going to win any games at all. Tonight it's Phoenix, and while it looks like SA might play it will be interesting to see if the ladies can pick themselves up from such a poor showing and compete. This has to be wearing on them; black eyes are hard to hide.
Zierden was over matched on Friday, as he has been most games during this horrendous slump. Once the Mystics decided to pressure the club with occasional full court presses and frequent half-court traps, the Lynx melted down faster than Chernobyl. He couldn't call a time out, make an adjustment or find a substitution pattern that would prevent the Lynx from committing 32 TURNOVERS. As the referees were ringing up fouls, allowing the Mystics to get back into the game with no time running off the clock, Zierden could not find a way to work the refs, either by a technical or other means. It was the most incompetent display of coaching I have seen ever at the professional level, men or women. I was trying to see Glen Taylor's reaction as the game changed from Lynx blowout to Mystics steal, but I think even he was stunned into speechlessness.
To be fair, the first half and initial part of the third quarter showed promise. The Lynx displayed a better ability to work inside-out and not depend primarily on long jump shots. Clearly however, when the opposition decides to show up and play defense, this team can't run a half court offense to save it's life. Once the easy transition buckets stop, and the jump shots don't fall, the Lynx become painful to watch. To see Amber Jacobs throw entry passes at people's feet was especially disappointing. Since the FO didn't try to pickup an accomplished veteran backup for Lindsey Harding, Amber and Noelle Quinn are it. Quinn failed miserably to break a press or a trap, and unfortunately Jacobs was even worse. No court awareness or leadership skills whatsoever. Usually a PG ideally is the extension of the coach, but given the coach, I would advise Amber to raise the bar. Her career depends on it.
Of course, everyone's concerned about Seimone. She again was an offensive marvel, but had 8 turnovers on her own, and by the time of her injury late in the 4th looked spent. It's tough to play 1 on 5 in a half court offense. I'll amend that a bit because Abrosimova stepped up with 20 points, especially when SA went down. But SA makes tough shot after tough shot; this team doesn't make it easy for her to find a rhythm. By the fourth quarter, as in the Sun game, she was starting to disappear, then came the injury. The house of cards then started to cave.
This team has talent and a fair amount of feistiness. They hung in given the refereeing, poor coaching and their own lack of execution. Even with the meltdown, it wouldn't dissuade me from showing up to the TC and cheering the team on. It's clear however that the players and fans deserve better than what's been given them. We're now back at the same place when the Lynx were winless, and we were wondering if they were going to win any games at all. Tonight it's Phoenix, and while it looks like SA might play it will be interesting to see if the ladies can pick themselves up from such a poor showing and compete. This has to be wearing on them; black eyes are hard to hide.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Offensive Measures
The biggest gap in last night's loss wasn't the score, it was the difference between two players--Seimone Augustus and Katie Douglas. During the game, the ESPN announcers frequently brought up the thought that many other players--and Seimone herself--believe she's the best offensive player in the league today. On natural talent alone, that's a good argument to make. However as we saw last night, it's when that offense is applied, and also the ability to play defense that wins games. SA has a ton of talent, and is a marvel to watch, but her inability to stop Douglas and/or score at the end of the game was crucial to the Lynx's defeat.
Of course, you can't play 1-on-5 in this league and expect to win many games. Zierden's offensive strategy seems to have three legs: transition scoring, pick and roll, and perimeter movement of the ball for a three point shot. This team--whether Harding is healthy or not--has extreme difficulty in a structured, half court offense. That could be simply because of youth, but I think it goes deeper. As a coach, Zierden is an able assistant, but seems unprepared to handle the demands of a head coaching position. To his credit, this team has generally played hard during the season, and last night on national television they displayed a good amount of grit; but they are woefully unprepared and disorganized. How many times this year have they come out of a time out on offense only to turn the ball over? Why does Seimone seem to disappear during stretches of the game? The problem with this team is that there are too many questions, and not enough answers.
From a stats perspective, they are holding their own in many categories. Last night they dominated the boards, which helped the ladies to stay in the game, and created many offensive opportunities in transition. They shot well from three point distance, and buckled down on defense enough in the second half to make the overall shooting percentage close enough. Tiffany Stansbury has shown an increased amount of aggressiveness in the paint, but only shot 50% at the free throw line. If you're going to be Shaq-like at the stripe, you had better finish well or draw fouls against the opposition's best post player. Given that all year I've been harping on the lack of low post acumen, Stansbury has been a welcome addition to the starting squad, but --like the rest of the team--is a work in progress.
In the final analysis, the Lynx were right there, positioned to steal one on the road. It was the ability of Douglas to take over the game--giving Whalen a nod for the assist--and the inability of our team to deal with it that lost the game. If Seimone is a true team player, she should take a few lessons from last night's game. Be an offensive machine when it counts, and don't forget about defense. With a little more tough mindedness--along with better coaching and talent--this team will truly be able to build around you.
Of course, you can't play 1-on-5 in this league and expect to win many games. Zierden's offensive strategy seems to have three legs: transition scoring, pick and roll, and perimeter movement of the ball for a three point shot. This team--whether Harding is healthy or not--has extreme difficulty in a structured, half court offense. That could be simply because of youth, but I think it goes deeper. As a coach, Zierden is an able assistant, but seems unprepared to handle the demands of a head coaching position. To his credit, this team has generally played hard during the season, and last night on national television they displayed a good amount of grit; but they are woefully unprepared and disorganized. How many times this year have they come out of a time out on offense only to turn the ball over? Why does Seimone seem to disappear during stretches of the game? The problem with this team is that there are too many questions, and not enough answers.
From a stats perspective, they are holding their own in many categories. Last night they dominated the boards, which helped the ladies to stay in the game, and created many offensive opportunities in transition. They shot well from three point distance, and buckled down on defense enough in the second half to make the overall shooting percentage close enough. Tiffany Stansbury has shown an increased amount of aggressiveness in the paint, but only shot 50% at the free throw line. If you're going to be Shaq-like at the stripe, you had better finish well or draw fouls against the opposition's best post player. Given that all year I've been harping on the lack of low post acumen, Stansbury has been a welcome addition to the starting squad, but --like the rest of the team--is a work in progress.
In the final analysis, the Lynx were right there, positioned to steal one on the road. It was the ability of Douglas to take over the game--giving Whalen a nod for the assist--and the inability of our team to deal with it that lost the game. If Seimone is a true team player, she should take a few lessons from last night's game. Be an offensive machine when it counts, and don't forget about defense. With a little more tough mindedness--along with better coaching and talent--this team will truly be able to build around you.
Monday, July 16, 2007
At the Half....
While we are all hopefully enjoying our all-too-brief summer up in the hinterland, the Lynx have a lot of work ahead of them. People are making a fairly huge noise about Harding being out for the rest of the year, but the reality is that this injury has more of an impact on her career than the Lynx's season. Harding was having an up and down season at best, a struggle most rookies have in the beginning. We'll send a few positive waves her way and hope for a complete recovery in time for next year.
In her stead, it looks like Noelle Quinn and Amber Jacobs at the point. Quinn had nine assists in the last game before the All-Star break; it will be interesting to see how her style develops in the Zierden system. Jacobs will fill in when necessary; if I were her, this would be my last season here. It's pretty clear the team has no interest in developing her any further. I thought actually Amber would do a little better in the pros; coming out of BC, she had a decent shot and seemed to have excellent leadership qualities. Just like the men's game however, it usually takes a while for people to learn to play point guard at the pro level. it will be interesting to see where she lands next year, and whether she's with the club or not.
On the-beating-a-dead-horse front, I wonder if the same can be said for Nicole Ohlde. It's apparent she's not the answer in the front court, however the club has few options at this time. Ironically, this is a time when the team needs her the most. She can rescue an truly abysmal season by showing up and having a strong second half. The move to pair her off with Stansbury and bring Mann off the bench is decent, it takes some of the rebounding, low post pressure off Nicole. She needs to face the basket a little more, and let the game come to her. With Harding gone, I would run a few more plays for her to see if she's up to the challenge.
It's going to be tough no doubt; some amount of free tickets are being offered by the club to help maintain some semblance of attendance, there's not much buzz about the team right now. With their major acquisition now on the shelf, and no one waiting in the wings, it's time to look inward and see how mentally tough this team is.
In her stead, it looks like Noelle Quinn and Amber Jacobs at the point. Quinn had nine assists in the last game before the All-Star break; it will be interesting to see how her style develops in the Zierden system. Jacobs will fill in when necessary; if I were her, this would be my last season here. It's pretty clear the team has no interest in developing her any further. I thought actually Amber would do a little better in the pros; coming out of BC, she had a decent shot and seemed to have excellent leadership qualities. Just like the men's game however, it usually takes a while for people to learn to play point guard at the pro level. it will be interesting to see where she lands next year, and whether she's with the club or not.
On the-beating-a-dead-horse front, I wonder if the same can be said for Nicole Ohlde. It's apparent she's not the answer in the front court, however the club has few options at this time. Ironically, this is a time when the team needs her the most. She can rescue an truly abysmal season by showing up and having a strong second half. The move to pair her off with Stansbury and bring Mann off the bench is decent, it takes some of the rebounding, low post pressure off Nicole. She needs to face the basket a little more, and let the game come to her. With Harding gone, I would run a few more plays for her to see if she's up to the challenge.
It's going to be tough no doubt; some amount of free tickets are being offered by the club to help maintain some semblance of attendance, there's not much buzz about the team right now. With their major acquisition now on the shelf, and no one waiting in the wings, it's time to look inward and see how mentally tough this team is.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
A Painful Loss
At one time, the Mystics and Lynx were on parallel paths. Both started out poorly and then began to have winning streaks to try and turn things back to respectability. With last night's loss, we've truly seen the fork in the road, with the Mystics continuing on the road to success, and the Lynx careening into the ditch. Adding insult to injury, Lindsey Harding sprained a knee and may be out for awhile. This was a truly painful loss.
The Lynx once again came out flat, and spent the entire game playing catch-up, with Augustus tying the score with under a minute left. However, they could manage only four points from Nicole Ohlde in the overtime, and came up empty. Last night they teamed Stansbury with Olhde in the hope for a little more post presence, but it did no good. They simply haven't acquired or developed the depth to recover from any obstacles such as injuries or star players having off nights. There's no room for error on this club.
Harding has been shaky all year, but represents one less weapon in the arsenal for the Lynx to try and snap of out their doldrums, if she's injured for any length of time. The best thing you can say about the team now is that they have an opportunity to develop other players who can become part of the core rotation for next year, especially at PG, and should have clearly seen enough that Olhde and Stansbury can't start for a playoff contending or championship club. The choice they made before the season started to not acquire more post help has come back to hurt them, big time. Their goal now should be to find those role players (Jacobs) or microwaves (Quinn, Murphy?) who they think will be able to contribute long term and develop--dare I say it--a blueprint for the future. Not some embarrassing marketing ploy, but a real one that will target players to help them where they need it most: the front court.
It would also help to find a veteran and accomplished coach who had a vision to compliment the blueprint, but that's a post for a different time.
The Lynx once again came out flat, and spent the entire game playing catch-up, with Augustus tying the score with under a minute left. However, they could manage only four points from Nicole Ohlde in the overtime, and came up empty. Last night they teamed Stansbury with Olhde in the hope for a little more post presence, but it did no good. They simply haven't acquired or developed the depth to recover from any obstacles such as injuries or star players having off nights. There's no room for error on this club.
Harding has been shaky all year, but represents one less weapon in the arsenal for the Lynx to try and snap of out their doldrums, if she's injured for any length of time. The best thing you can say about the team now is that they have an opportunity to develop other players who can become part of the core rotation for next year, especially at PG, and should have clearly seen enough that Olhde and Stansbury can't start for a playoff contending or championship club. The choice they made before the season started to not acquire more post help has come back to hurt them, big time. Their goal now should be to find those role players (Jacobs) or microwaves (Quinn, Murphy?) who they think will be able to contribute long term and develop--dare I say it--a blueprint for the future. Not some embarrassing marketing ploy, but a real one that will target players to help them where they need it most: the front court.
It would also help to find a veteran and accomplished coach who had a vision to compliment the blueprint, but that's a post for a different time.
Monday, July 9, 2007
"Houston...we have a problem"
I had my hopes up that this would not be the epic battle for last place, as I wrote about a couple of weeks earlier. But after a small victory run, the Lynx have lost four straight to indeed be the worst team in the Western Conference. They gave it the old college try against Sacremento at Williams Arena last Friday, but it's apparent that youth, the lack of a low post game, mediocre defense, inconsistent shooting, and poor depth are the rocks in the sack that's plummeting this team quickly to the bottom.
Houston shot more and made more than our ladies, dominated on the boards, and also had a decisive edge in the paint, where we have struggled all season. Nicole Ohlde was again a no show, especially on offense. Harding rebounded from a bad game on Friday but her shooting inconsistency and overall inability to run an offense (what little of it there is, outside of Augustus) continues to plague this club and forces them to be a primarily jump shooting team. If the shots fall, great, but as we saw last night when you jack up 13 three pointers and hit only two, you're asking for trouble, especially if that's one of your main offensive weapons.
It's time to regroup for this club and see what options they can develop for next year's squad. This time, they should understand the need for a superior low post presence, or trade for some accomplished parts. Vanessa Hayden's potential return next year will not be the decisive move they need to move up the ranks. They need to dump what they have in the front court and start over, and hope Harding develops and Augustus stays motivated enough to contribute to this team.
Houston shot more and made more than our ladies, dominated on the boards, and also had a decisive edge in the paint, where we have struggled all season. Nicole Ohlde was again a no show, especially on offense. Harding rebounded from a bad game on Friday but her shooting inconsistency and overall inability to run an offense (what little of it there is, outside of Augustus) continues to plague this club and forces them to be a primarily jump shooting team. If the shots fall, great, but as we saw last night when you jack up 13 three pointers and hit only two, you're asking for trouble, especially if that's one of your main offensive weapons.
It's time to regroup for this club and see what options they can develop for next year's squad. This time, they should understand the need for a superior low post presence, or trade for some accomplished parts. Vanessa Hayden's potential return next year will not be the decisive move they need to move up the ranks. They need to dump what they have in the front court and start over, and hope Harding develops and Augustus stays motivated enough to contribute to this team.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Reality Bites
I watched last night's game alongside some knowledgeable fans up in Section 130; moms bringing their daughters to watch the action. One in particular played high school hoops, and settled a first half discussion between my wife and I about whether the Lynx were going to come back and win the game. "I agree with your husband", she said, "no chance they're going to do it tonight". And so it came to pass.
Last night's game resembled the early Wolves expansion days, getting blown out early, then making a run to make the final score somewhat respectable. We saw a complete reversal from the last two games, and a slide back to where the club was a couple of weeks ago: low percentage field goal shooting, and very poor defense, especially in transition. This is the bane of all jump shooting teams; missed long shots that produce rebounds which lead to easy buckets for the opposition. The offensive strategy was poor from the beginning, jacking up three pointers in their first two possessions. If I were the coach--especially with a prized rookie point guard--I would have called time out early at that point, and mentored my star-to-be PG in the ways of running an offense. I think it's evident that Harding doesn't quite have the full command of running a pro team as of yet; Phoenix attacked the basket off those misses, and began their early run.
However, when they tried to go inside, there was no one who could deliver. Ohlde was awful last night. She had been playing seemingly more under control the last few games, but the way to get her off whatever game she does have is to put a body on her and get physical. Stansbury and Ress tried their best to provide some low post punch in the second half, but by that time the game was finished, even with the run.
Coach Z's dilemma is that if the jump shots aren't falling, it's a house of cards. They can't rely on their defense, their low post game is suspect at best, and they as of yet haven't developed anyone that can come off the bench on a consistent basis to microwave the team. Phoenix's Penny Taylor made the Lynx pay early, then Kelly Miller of Rochester HS fame made them pay middle to late. Miller was particularly aggressive throughout the game; she resembles the female athletes that came out East Germany in the 1950 and 60's, looking almost too ripped as compared to some of her teammates. Someone should tell her it's okay to change out the hair style as well; we're in the millennium now, it's only the social conservatives that wants to take us back to the 50's, not the WNBA.
It's disappointing when a team playing on essentially a holiday game at home comes out so flat, given they had some recent momentum going. I suppose the youth card will be played heavily the rest of this season, but I reject that wholeheartedly. Sure the jump shots won't fall some nights and mistakes will be made, but it was evident from the get-go that Phoenix came ready to play, and the Lynx didn't. Effort is something you can bring every night, especially for a decent crowd that bothered to show up last evening. People aren't stupid, and even though this is still a cheap ticket, there's lots of competition for the family dollar, so when they see a team going through the motions, how is that supposed to build a renewable fan base, especially after all the miscues of the Taylor organization? Minnesota fans love teams who at least play hard. Moms love teams who play hard, especially ones who've played the game. Watching the faces of the ones in Section 130 last night, they knew early that the team was mailing it in. Those are the fans this club can't disappoint.
Last night's game resembled the early Wolves expansion days, getting blown out early, then making a run to make the final score somewhat respectable. We saw a complete reversal from the last two games, and a slide back to where the club was a couple of weeks ago: low percentage field goal shooting, and very poor defense, especially in transition. This is the bane of all jump shooting teams; missed long shots that produce rebounds which lead to easy buckets for the opposition. The offensive strategy was poor from the beginning, jacking up three pointers in their first two possessions. If I were the coach--especially with a prized rookie point guard--I would have called time out early at that point, and mentored my star-to-be PG in the ways of running an offense. I think it's evident that Harding doesn't quite have the full command of running a pro team as of yet; Phoenix attacked the basket off those misses, and began their early run.
However, when they tried to go inside, there was no one who could deliver. Ohlde was awful last night. She had been playing seemingly more under control the last few games, but the way to get her off whatever game she does have is to put a body on her and get physical. Stansbury and Ress tried their best to provide some low post punch in the second half, but by that time the game was finished, even with the run.
Coach Z's dilemma is that if the jump shots aren't falling, it's a house of cards. They can't rely on their defense, their low post game is suspect at best, and they as of yet haven't developed anyone that can come off the bench on a consistent basis to microwave the team. Phoenix's Penny Taylor made the Lynx pay early, then Kelly Miller of Rochester HS fame made them pay middle to late. Miller was particularly aggressive throughout the game; she resembles the female athletes that came out East Germany in the 1950 and 60's, looking almost too ripped as compared to some of her teammates. Someone should tell her it's okay to change out the hair style as well; we're in the millennium now, it's only the social conservatives that wants to take us back to the 50's, not the WNBA.
It's disappointing when a team playing on essentially a holiday game at home comes out so flat, given they had some recent momentum going. I suppose the youth card will be played heavily the rest of this season, but I reject that wholeheartedly. Sure the jump shots won't fall some nights and mistakes will be made, but it was evident from the get-go that Phoenix came ready to play, and the Lynx didn't. Effort is something you can bring every night, especially for a decent crowd that bothered to show up last evening. People aren't stupid, and even though this is still a cheap ticket, there's lots of competition for the family dollar, so when they see a team going through the motions, how is that supposed to build a renewable fan base, especially after all the miscues of the Taylor organization? Minnesota fans love teams who at least play hard. Moms love teams who play hard, especially ones who've played the game. Watching the faces of the ones in Section 130 last night, they knew early that the team was mailing it in. Those are the fans this club can't disappoint.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Splitting the Weekend
Our ladies are showing signs of progress in the weekend split again San Antonio and Sacramento. They shot over 50 percent both games, and are at least holding their own in other team related categories, such as assists and rebounds. Yesterday's game at Sacramento was won by the Monarchs at the free throw line, hitting 20 of 24 at the stripe, in contrast to Minnesota's 7-11. Seimone Augustus continues to be the primary star, while Lindsay Harding had a good shooting night last night, going 7 for 12. Her assists to turnover ratio was poor last night however, with 4 assists and 4 turnovers. Amber Jacobs finally was used off the bench with significant minutes, dishing out 5 assists with only one turnover. While she only scored 4 points, this seems to be a good role for her as a veteran backup to Harding.
Both the Silver Stars and Monarchs are good teams; the Monarchs will be contending for a championship, while the Stars are a rung below them. Our club is still a primarily jump shooting team, but the shots are falling with more frequency, and teams are beginning to shoot a lower percentage against them. I can't say this is because the Lynx are actually playing better defense, but they are beginning to develop some chemistry.
I'm guessing the mid-season cut down might provide an opportunity to add/subtract a player, but the season is nearly half over, and they are who they are. At this point, barring a trade that would add significance to their front court, I would develop the pieces they do have and plan for next year, whether that's here or in another city. Give credit where credit is due; there's still a lot not to like in Coach Z's approach to the game and the front office decision making, but they hung in there with each other and are now beating or truly competing against some pretty good teams. Given the awful start, that's saying a lot.
Both the Silver Stars and Monarchs are good teams; the Monarchs will be contending for a championship, while the Stars are a rung below them. Our club is still a primarily jump shooting team, but the shots are falling with more frequency, and teams are beginning to shoot a lower percentage against them. I can't say this is because the Lynx are actually playing better defense, but they are beginning to develop some chemistry.
I'm guessing the mid-season cut down might provide an opportunity to add/subtract a player, but the season is nearly half over, and they are who they are. At this point, barring a trade that would add significance to their front court, I would develop the pieces they do have and plan for next year, whether that's here or in another city. Give credit where credit is due; there's still a lot not to like in Coach Z's approach to the game and the front office decision making, but they hung in there with each other and are now beating or truly competing against some pretty good teams. Given the awful start, that's saying a lot.
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