Big Monday

[cancontent]

I guess the question I would ask, is if all the NPOY candidates were eligible for the draft, would one of these NPOY candidates be #1 on every WNBA draft board? As good as Boston and Reese are today, I don't see any team passing on Clark if they had the #1 pick.

Still comes down to need if you ask me but all of this is hypothetical as I don't believe Clark and Reese are eligible this year. And if they were, I wouldn't envy Indiana's front office when trying to decide who would be the best fit for their team.

Boston is projected to go there, per most experts. They already have good depth with Egbo and Smith drafted last season. However the potential of pairing Boston with her former team mate Henderson may be something Indiana couldn't pass up even if Clark was available.

 

[shiverz45]

I guess the question I would ask, is if all the NPOY candidates were eligible for the draft, would one of these NPOY candidates be #1 on every WNBA draft board? As good as Boston and Reese are today, I don't see any team passing on Clark if they had the #1 pick.

Boston would still be the first pick. Boston dominates on both ends of the court. Clark not so much. Indiana already has a volume shooter in Kelsey Mitchell.

 

[visitingcock]

I guess the question I would ask, is if all the NPOY candidates were eligible for the draft, would one of these NPOY candidates be #1 on every WNBA draft board? As good as Boston and Reese are today, I don't see any team passing on Clark if they had the #1 pick.

I don’t see a team with a need for a scoring guard passing on Clark either. But I don’t see a team with a need for a post passing on Boston either.

 

[The deacon]

Boston would still be the first pick. Boston dominates on both ends of the court. Clark not so much. Indiana already has a volume shooter in Kelsey Mitchell.

How is it that some people think first of Caitlin Clark as a volume shooter? Put her on a team with a few others who can score and she'd lead the WNBA in assists...

I'm not so sure I'd say Aliyah will dominate at both ends of the court, at least in the WNBA. She'll be very good, but so are other big players.

I don't which player would be picked first, but I think visitingcock's got it right.

 

[shiverz45]

How is it that some people think first of Caitlin Clark as a volume shooter? Put her on a team with a few others who can score and she'd lead the WNBA in assists...

I'm not so sure I'd say Aliyah will dominate at both ends of the court, at least in the WNBA. She'll be very good, but so are other big players.

I don't which player would be picked first, but I think visitingcock's got it right.

I was referring to college and speaking specifically about Indiana who needs size and a post. If it was a team who needed Clark's skill set and had the post position covered then maybe.

 

[LoTrader]

I don’t see a team with a need for a scoring guard passing on Clark either. But I don’t see a team with a need for a post passing on Boston either.

We will never know, but fun question.

 

[baggerbob]

Still comes down to need if you ask me but all of this is hypothetical as I don't believe Clark and Reese are eligible this year. And if they were, I wouldn't envy Indiana's front office when trying to decide who would be the best fit for their team.

Boston is projected to go there, per most experts. They already have good depth with Egbo and Smith drafted last season. However the potential of pairing Boston with her former team mate Henderson may be something Indiana couldn't pass up even if Clark was available.

No guard is going to be picked ahead of a player like Boston. When has a guard been the MVP of the WNBA regular season. The league is built on players like A'ja, JJ, Stewie, EDD and other's.

 

[nwhoopfan]

No guard is going to be picked ahead of a player like Boston. When has a guard been the MVP of the WNBA regular season. The league is built on players like A'ja, JJ, Stewie, EDD and other's.

Taurasi multiple times. There must be others.

 

[The deacon]

Taurasi multiple times. There must be others...

Taurasi had just one MVP, but your point is valid, nwhoopfan.

Lots of players who haven't been Boston-type post players have been MVPs. It's hard to say that Stewie, Wilson, Parker, Ogwumike and Moore - MVPs all - are similar to Aliyah Boston. Aliyah is most definitely not like most WNBA MVPs. I believe she'll need to make a dramatic transformation to play the game as any of those greats did or do.

Aliyah might one day be WNBA MVP, but so might Clark (think Ionescu and her potential impact in coming years).

 

[hoopsnloops32]

No guard is going to be picked ahead of a player like Boston. When has a guard been the MVP of the WNBA regular season. The league is built on players like A'ja, JJ, Stewie, EDD and other's.

I’m sorry are you saying Boston’s game is in any way similar to Stevie’s, EDD, JJ? A’Ja is similar but the other three are basically guards in post players bodies. They are elite three level scorers, Boston is an elite scorer at one level, good to ok at another, and non-existent scorer at the third.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Taurasi had just one MVP

What?! Wow, that is surprising to me.

What about the early years when Houston dominated the league? I think they were perimeter oriented, they must've produced a couple of MVPs who were not post players.

 

[The deacon]

What?! Wow, that is surprising to me.

What about the early years when Houston dominated the league? I think they were perimeter oriented, they must've produced a couple of MVPs who were not post players.

Good call, nwhoopfan... Sheryl Swoopes was a three-time MVP and Cynthia Cooper won twice, all for Houston.

In truth, the historic model for a WNBA MVP is very un-Aliyah Boston-like. That's not to say, as shivers45 and visitingcock might note, that Aliyah wouldn't be a good No. 1 pick for some teams, such as Indy.

My point originally was that one shouldn't rule out that some teams might love to grab Caitlin Clark as their first pick.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Good call, nwhoopfan... Sheryl Swoopes was a three-time MVP and Cynthia Cooper won twice, all for Houston.

In truth, the historic model for a WNBA MVP is very un-Aliyah Boston-like. That's not to say, as shivers45 and visitingcock might note, that Aliyah wouldn't be a good No. 1 pick for some teams, such as Indy.

My point originally was that one shouldn't rule out that some teams might love to grab Caitlin Clark as their first pick.

Now I'm curious so I looked back thru all the winners. You have just a few what I would call traditional post players. Lisa Leslie, Yolanda Griffith, Sylvia Fowles. Not quite sure where to put Tina Charles and Jonquel Jones. But other front court players like Lauren Jackson, Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, EDD, Stewie, A'ja Wison I would say are all much more dynamic than Boston and can do a lot more things on the basketball court than she can. That's probably the same point you are making.

There is definitely a lack of guards being named MVP.

 

[DefenseBB]

Good call, nwhoopfan... Sheryl Swoopes was a three-time MVP and Cynthia Cooper won twice, all for Houston.

In truth, the historic model for a WNBA MVP is very un-Aliyah Boston-like. That's not to say, as shivers45 and visitingcock might note, that Aliyah wouldn't be a good No. 1 pick for some teams, such as Indy.

My point originally was that one shouldn't rule out that some teams might love to grab Caitlin Clark as their first pick.

Um, why are you advocating this as it is not even a remote possibility. Caitlin is NOT WNBA draft eligible this year. She just turned 21 on Jan 22. You have to turn 22 in the year of the WNBA draft.
On the other hand Cameron Brink will be 22 in December and is WNBA draft elibible. If she declares, I am curious if she goes before Aaliyah as she is the better statistical player and in my view, with a higher upside.

Name	School	Effic	GP	Min	FG%	3FG%	FT%	R	Asst	A-TO	Pts
Brink	Stanford	22.9	21	23.4	51.5%	22.7%	76.8%	9.67	1.7	0.783	14.2
Boston	SC	21.9	20	24.3	59.3%	9.1%	78.2%	9.70	1.7	1.222	12.7

 

[visitingcock]

Um, why are you advocating this as it is not even a remote possibility. Caitlin is NOT WNBA draft eligible this year. She just turned 21 on Jan 22. You have to turn 22 in the year of the WNBA draft.

Well, that just means we can continue to argue should'da could'da would'da after draft day. Thanks!

 

[The deacon]

I agree. I didn't say that Caitlin would be a possible first pick this year.