#1 Goes to........

[VAMike23]

Well I do believe Chicago has just become my favorite team.

It'll be great watching Griner go against Big Syl !

I think Taj McWilliams-Franklin is getting out at just the right time. At 41 years of age, 6 foot 2" tall.....having to go against a 22-year-old, 6'8" Brittney Griner??!!?!?

...........Ain't nobody got time for that!!!

 

[rocky rococo]

There's no way EDD could play at the Phoenix pace for starter's minutes. She just doesn't have that speed in her. BG most certainly does. She can make that transition up and down the court effortlessly. She's just what Phoenix has needed for years. I'd been viewing LA as becoming dominant because of their across-the-board athleticism. BG embedded in the Merc lineup means there's a team that can keep up with the Sparks. For all its talent, Minny can't run with the Sparks. This new improved Merc can.

There's no reason to feel sorry for DC, they made the bed they're sleeping in. They had the makings of being a very competitive team and ownership deliberately blew it up. For all the talk of Phoenix "tanking" this season, DC tanked its whole franchise.

 

[triaddukefan]

I was hoping that Tulsa would get the #1 pick, Washington #2, and Chicago #3

 

[Coler]

Phoenix is taking Griner.

The bigger question is if Chicago is taking EDD.

Pokey would be stupid to pass up what they've needed.

 

[EricLA]

Pokey would be stupid to pass up what they've needed.

I can understand the desire to get a "local" player. Whalen made it back to Minnesota after the Sun traded her. But Chicago has Vandersloot, Young, and Prince as guards still. I think EDD is not only a better fit, but she does things very few other players can do. I think Skyler is a terrific PG, but with Hartley, Simms, Grey and others coming out of college the following year, I think excellent PG's are much more common than a 6'5" sharpshooting wing...

 

[Coler]

I can understand the desire to get a "local" player. Whalen made it back to Minnesota after the Sun traded her. But Chicago has Vandersloot, Young, and Prince as guards still. I think EDD is not only a better fit, but she does things very few other players can do. I think Skyler is a terrific PG, but with Hartley, Simms, Grey and others coming out of college the following year, I think excellent PG's are much more common than a 6'5" sharpshooting wing...

Sloot came on strong late in the season, and I believe will only get better. Part of her problem early in the season was trying to force the ball into Fowles with little or no space. Elena will help with that because teams won't be able to double or triple team Fowles without getting burned.

Although I do think other then drafting EDD Chicago needs to make a few small changes, like getting rid of Young, etc.

But I really like this starting line-up for the Sky.

Sloot
Prince
Cash
Delle Donne
Fowles

 

[Scotter]

I don't necessarily disagree, but Young is nothing special. I still think Vandersloot can be a good WNBA player, but she has yet to establish her and doesn't fit particularly well with the roster Chicago has assembled. Chicago needs a face of the franchise and a demonstrative team leader. Fowles and Prince, despite all their talent aren't that. And EDD isn't really that, but Diggins can be that. The idea of pairing EDD with Fowles is great in theory, but I have my doubts about it in practice. Diggins may actually be the better pure basketball fit to pair with Prince and Fowles even ignoring the marketing and intangible factors.

I can understand the desire to get a "local" player. Whalen made it back to Minnesota after the Sun traded her. But Chicago has Vandersloot, Young, and Prince as guards still. I think EDD is not only a better fit, but she does things very few other players can do. I think Skyler is a terrific PG, but with Hartley, Simms, Grey and others coming out of college the following year, I think excellent PG's are much more common than a 6'5" sharpshooting wing...

 

[alexrgct]

The moral, as always: tanking pays. Phoenix just secured their future in exchange for one bad season.

 

[Vowelguy]

The phrase "can play all five positions" is bandied about like gospel among women's basketball commentators. It is fiction. It is beyond fiction.

amen.

 

[meyers7]

There are no questions at all about EDD wanting to play in the WNBA.

There weren't really any questions about her wanting to play at UCONN either, until she didn't want to. There will always be questions, and rightfully so, about EDD.

 

[DEK1234]

There weren't really any questions about her wanting to play at UCONN either, until she didn't want to. There will always be questions, and rightfully so, about EDD.

She was also a teenager at that time. By the time the draft rolls around, it'll have been almost 5 years since that whole incident. She's probably changed a lot since then.

 

[psconn]

The moral, as always: tanking pays. Phoenix just secured their future in exchange for one bad season.

I am so bummed. Crime pays.

 

[Kibitzer]

The phrase "can play all five positions" is bandied about like gospel among women's basketball commentators. It is fiction. It is beyond fiction.

Hear! Hear! Cam is right!

In my many years following basketball, I have often read about players who "can play all five positions." Pure hyperbole by fans or publicists whose enthusiasm trumps their judgment.

Before EDD, Parker was the most recent victim of this falsehood. On the men's side, LeBron James.

There is ONLY ONE player who DID play all five positions: Magic Johnson.

The dozens of others so hyped are products of imaginations on steroids.

 

[Icebear]

There weren't really any questions about her wanting to play at UCONN either, until she didn't want to. There will always be questions, and rightfully so, about EDD.

No, that is not true. She struggled to make the initial decision and then took time off and then made a sudden decision. That is very different than what she has voiced this time.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Hear! Hear! Cam is right!

In my many years following basketball, I have often read about players who "can play all five positions." Pure hyperbole by fans or publicists whose enthusiasm trumps their judgment.

Before EDD, Parker was the most recent victim of this falsehood. On the men's side, LeBron James.

There is ONLY ONE player who DID play all five positions: Magic Johnson.

You beat me to it, Kibitzer.
Magic was also the first of his kind in that he was a 6'-9" point guard who handled the ball flawlessly.

 

[meyers7]

She was also a teenager at that time. By the time the draft rolls around, it'll have been almost 5 years since that whole incident. She's probably changed a lot since then.

I'm sure she has. But there will always be questions, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, about EDD and basketball.

 

[meyers7]

No, that is not true. She struggled to make the initial decision and then took time off and then made a sudden decision. That is very different than what she has voiced this time.

I don't think anyone thought she was gonna leave UCONN. There will always be questions, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, about EDD and basketball.

 

[meyers7]

There is ONLY ONE player who DID play all five positions: Magic Johnson.

I don't remember him playing the 3 or 4???? Granted I didn't follow his career that close.

 

[bruinbball]

It'll be great watching Griner go against Big Syl !

I think Taj McWilliams-Franklin is getting out at just the right time. At 41 years of age, 6 foot 2" tall.....having to go against a 22-year-old, 6'8" Brittney Griner??!!?!?

...........Ain't nobody got time for that!!!

"I got Bronchitis!" "Oh, Lord Jesus it's a fire...." sorry, I just had to.

 

[JRRRJ]

No offense to EDD, but she can't play all 5 positions any more than Parker can. Neither are bangers like Charles or Fowles and neither have anything close to the power center type of game those 2 have. Is EDD tall enough to "play" in the post and rebound? Sure. Is she ever going to be a center? Not in the WNBA. As for her being a PG, I'll admit I don't see many of her games, but she's nowhere near the PG that Simms or Diggins or Grey or even Hartley are. Sure she's a great ball handler for her size, and probably a really good passer, but she'd never be asked to perform PG duties like DT has.

I'm not saying she isn't fabulous. She's the 2nd most interesting player in her class. She's got loads of talent and I still wish she had come to UCONN. But to put her in the same category as a player like Griner is silly. At 6'4", Bonner is a similar player. NOT identical, but similar. There is NO ONE like Brit Griner. This is all just my opinion of course.

I want to comment on this as an argument, not in terms of the original discussion.

1 . I never said, or even vaguely intimated, that "Elena is one of the 10 best players in the world at all 5 positions", which is what your rebuttal comprised. My point was that in need, either because of injuries, tactics or the heat of the moment as a play unfolds, you would not be worried to have Elena filling any of the 5 positions at any time. She's shown the skills.

2. I never said, or even vaguely intimated, that Elena is a better player than Brittney. That question is not answerable, except in context, since they do not play the same primary position. I said that I think that Elena would do more to improve the up-tempo game style Phoenix wants to play than Brittney would. (I'd love to have 2 Bonners!)

3. Comparing the skills of 2 players in abstract may be a rewarding mental exercise for some, but has very little utility when considering draft picks. The more-important considerations are then along the lines of what puts more butts in the seats and/or improves the team's post-season prospects more. (More games = more $) It's arguable whether better play in & of itself improves profitability.

 

[easttexastrash]

I want to comment on this as an argument, not in terms of the original discussion.

2. I never said, or even vaguely intimated, that Elena is a better player than Brittney. That question is not answerable, except in context, since they do not play the same primary position. I said that I think that Elena would do more to improve the up-tempo game style Phoenix wants to play than Brittney would. (I'd love to have 2 Bonners!).

"I don't see any problem at all," Gaines said of the potential of Griner playing Mercury-style basketball. "The main thing about the system is you have to rebound, because you need the ball to run. Another way you get the ball is defensive stops. And I think she's a great rebounder and defender."

Are you saying you would rather have a second Bonner than one Bonner and one Griner?

 

[easttexastrash]

The Mercury will improve in defense, blocks and rebounding with BG. I suspect that she will be asked to control the middle like she has at Baylor and thus she won't have great rebounding numbers but that her teammates will have a big spike in their rebounding stats, much like Destiny Williams has as a result of picking up the missed shots caused by BG.

I also suspect that with the Mercury's style that BG will not have great scoring stats as there are a lot of shooters on the team. She will likely be the third or fourth option. Her offensive rebounding will be very important.

 

[Coler]

"I don't see any problem at all," Gaines said of the potential of Griner playing Mercury-style basketball. "The main thing about the system is you have to rebound, because you need the ball to run. Another way you get the ball is defensive stops. And I think she's a great rebounder and defender."

Are you saying you would rather have a second Bonner than one Bonner and one Griner?

EDD is a major upgrade over Bonner in my opinion. But I'm starting to like the thought of EDD in Chicago.

 

[EricLA]

EDD is a major upgrade over Bonner in my opinion. But I'm starting to like the thought of EDD in Chicago.

Major? I'd have to disagree with you on that one. A major upgrade is replacing Prahalis with Taurasi. Bonner was the 4th or so leading scorer in the entire league this year. Regardless of how much a volume shooter she is, She's a great athlete (gazelle comes to mind), has a good handle, is a good shooter and is a legit scoring threat from anywhere on the court. Would I take EDD on my team if i had a flat out choice between her and Bonner? Of course, but I think Bonner is a terrific player in her own right...

It remains to be seen what Bonner will produce next year with DT back, Dupree, Taylor, and the addition of Griner. I think it's possible she doesn't even start next year unless you want DT as your PG...

 

[Coler]

Major? I'd have to disagree with you on that one. A major upgrade is replacing Prahalis with Taurasi. Bonner was the 4th or so leading scorer in the entire league this year. Regardless of how much a volume shooter she is, She's a great athlete (gazelle comes to mind), has a good handle, is a good shooter and is a legit scoring threat from anywhere on the court. Would I take EDD on my team if i had a flat out choice between her and Bonner? Of course, but I think Bonner is a terrific player in her own right...

Great athlete, yes. But Great Shooter? Eh. Scoring Threat? Yes.

She has a problem with jacking up bad shots, over & over, and over again. It played in her favor this year, because let's face it she was Phoenix's only real option to score. Shooting 36% from the floor, and 28% from three isn't what I'd consider a good shooter Eric.

But I'd take EDD over her in a heartbeat. But what can I say, I'm bias.