CT Sun Which Players Should Go/Stay

[trisailin]

...
Laimbeer made some bad decisions- (one was cutting Simmons) saying she didn't pick up his system. Looks like most of the players he kept didn't pick it up either.

And this folks is part of the genius of Geno. Geno does not have a fixed system. He tweaks the type of offense (and defense) to match that of the skill set of his players - not expecting all players to fit his "system".

 

[wallman]

The genius of Geno seems to be to find players that understand how to play basketball or can learn from him and understand the game, those that don't, won't play. Coachability, the understated quality of recruits, along with IQ.

 

[uconn34]

Donovan is the anti-Ollie. No communication, super-inferior people skills. Her leaving is a +5 in the win column by itself.

 

[Beemer]

The genius of Geno seems to be to find players that understand how to play basketball or can learn from him and understand the game, those that don't, won't play. Coachability, the understated quality of recruits, along with IQ.

I think these qualities [coachability & basketball IQ]might be becoming more scarce in women's basketball. I can't remember where I read/saw it but some college coaches were complaining that while the young women were much better athletes they weren't necessarily better basketball players because their fundamentals were lacking, and that it had been happening for awhile now. I truly hope I misunderstood- the one thing the women's game has always had over the men's was their mastery of the fundamentals and I would hate to see that lost.

 

[Beemer]

Donovan is the anti-Ollie. No communication, super-inferior people skills. Her leaving is a +5 in the win column by itself.

Good grief. So she doesn't run her mouth like 99% of her colleagues. As long as she can get her message across to the players about what she wants done who cares if she does it in 20 words or in 2?

 

[Beemer]

They're certainly not going to do that. Get real. For whatever reason they fired Thibault and hired her. It stands to reason that they're going to give her every chance to suceed so they don't look bad.

Exactly.

 

[Waquoit]

Do you Donovan detractors really believe that this year's roster underachieved by winning 13 games?

This team won 6 in a row. And then they followed that up by going 5-15. What's the excuse for that?

 

[Beemer]

Every time I see this thread title the Clash song "Should I Stay or Should I Go" pops into my head

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Any talented players taken in the early rounds of the draft in April will still be coached by Anne Donovan, so they will not be coached! She is on the 3rd year of a 3 year contract, as stated above, the power that is at the Mohegan Sun is not going to admit publicly that they are as incompetent as everyone in the WNBA know they are! They are financially one of the most successful programs in the WNBA but they should leave basketball decisions to basketball people! Mike T. would have made the playoffs the last 2 years! He may not have won the title but he would have gotten everything out of every player! When the Sun finally get rid of AD after next years last place finish I still think Debbie Black would be a very wise move!
The main other point is the WNBA should NOT have a lottery, with 12 teams in the league they should go strict won/lost records! Washington would have gotten B. Griner and Tulsa would have gotten Nneka O.! That is the only way to truly grow the league. The worst get the best available talent coming in each year! The results of one team in the East having a winning record shows the lottery doesn't help the league! The rich get richer and the poor get the scrunge!
Beemer- - - the problem is AD obviously DOESN'T get her message across to the players, that's why they've been lousy for the past 2 years! She HAS NO MESSAGE except mediocrity earns her a high salary! She's had the talent to make the playoffs the last 2 years, she didn't do the job!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Geno has said on more than 1 occasion that AAU BB doesn't prepare the kids for the next level as they play too many games each week and there isn't enough practice time available to work on mistakes from game to game!

 

[Beemer]

This team won 6 in a row. And then they followed that up by going 5-15. What's the excuse for that?

Any talented players taken in the early rounds of the draft in April will still be coached by Anne Donovan, so they will not be coached! She is on the 3rd year of a 3 year contract, as stated above, the power that is at the Mohegan Sun is not going to admit publicly that they are as incompetent as everyone in the WNBA know they are! They are financially one of the most successful programs in the WNBA but they should leave basketball decisions to basketball people! Mike T. would have made the playoffs the last 2 years! He may not have won the title but he would have gotten everything out of every player! When the Sun finally get rid of AD after next years last place finish I still think Debbie Black would be a very wise move!
The main other point is the WNBA should NOT have a lottery, with 12 teams in the league they should go strict won/lost records! Washington would have gotten B. Griner and Tulsa would have gotten Nneka O.! That is the only way to truly grow the league. The worst get the best available talent coming in each year! The results of one team in the East having a winning record shows the lottery doesn't help the league! The rich get richer and the poor get the scrunge!
Beemer- - - the problem is AD obviously DOESN'T get her message across to the players, that's why they've been lousy for the past 2 years! She HAS NO MESSAGE except mediocrity earns her a high salary! She's had the talent to make the playoffs the last 2 years, she didn't do the job!

I just don't buy it. I googled her WNBA career. She took a Charlotte Sting club from 1-10 to the Finals in her first season and to the playoffs two years in a row before the team folded. In Seattle her teams made the playoffs 3 years in a row out of 5 over all and won it all in 2004. In 2009 [just five short years ago] she coached the Liberty to the playoffs. I doubt she forgot how to coach WNBA players during her time at Seton Hall. I'm not saying she can't improve- no coach is so good that there isn't room for improvement somewhere- but she's not nearly as awful a coach as you depict her.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Beemer- - but she's not nearly as awful a coach as you depict her.

Then you haven't been listening and watching her coaching years! Look at the rosters of the teams she's coached! They give her so much credit for Seattle and the Olympic win, you could have coached both teams to titles! But what really pi-- me off about AD is she is a nasty lady!
As I've stated before she forced Barb Turner to leave her European team before their season ended to report to Seattle training camp then cut her 2 days in! Barb was sued by the Euro team.
When she traded Kara Lawson to Washington, most coaches would have thanked Kara for her time in CT and let it go at that but not AD, She stated "we only want players that are serious about wanting to win and are dedicated to our program!" Kara had a back injury and her Father had a serious heart attack she wanted to be with him not sitting on the Sun bench cheering on her team mates! There aren't too many players more dedicated than Kara Lawson!
If you're going to fire one of the top 3 WNBA coaches in Mike T, you have his replacement sitting right there. You don't wait 2 1/2 months to hire a new coach and then pick from the bottom of the rotten apple barrel by hiring Anne Donovan!

 

[Beemer]

Oh so when a team she coaches wins it is all the players' doing but when a team coached by her loses it is all on her. Got it.

I don't know about the Barbara Turner situation, I'll have to look into that. As for Kara Lawson- IIRC Anne Donovan supported Lawson's request to leave the team in order to be with her father. IMO if AD was as awful a person as you say she is she would not have done that, she would have insisted that Lawson remain with the team. As for Donovan's comments about Lawson after the trade- It was pretty obvious by then Lawson didn't want to be here anymore and maybe Donovan's frustrations just got the better of her. Given the season she had just endured she'd be less than human if she didn't react badly. She probably should not have said it but what is done is done.

As for Mike T- The Sun fired him because he couldn't win the big one even with some great Sun teams. He's not doing all that much better with the Mystics. I enjoyed his tenure as Sun coach but the team and he have moved on. I think it is time for Sun fans to move on as well. We've been spoiled by all the success the team has had except for not winning a championship. The true measure of a fan IMO is how well they support the team when times are as difficult as they are now. It is easy to be a fan when your team wins a lot.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Beemer just for the record, the Washington Mystics were the Tulsa Shock before Detroit moved to Tulsa! The Mystics had like 7 coaches in 9 years. they were horrible, attendance fell to about a thousand per game from like 10,000 per game! Mike T came in last year and took them to the playoffs and then repeated this season. They adore him in Washington!
The two years the Sun under Mike T got to the WNBA finals, the 1st time N. Sales got hurt right before the finals and the 2nd time L. Whalen got hurt in the 1st round (ankle) and could barely walk let alone play her usual game.
Maybe it was time for Mike T to go, but my point is if you have a great coach you want to fire, you make sure to have a great coach to replace him/her when you announce the firing! They fired Mike T on Nov. 2nd, they hired AD on Jan. 2nd! If she was really management's 1st choice name her head coach right away! Don't wait that long and the best you come up with is AD! It was like they pursued every coach in the world then said Hell let's ask Anne Donovan if she'll leave Seton Hall.
The vast majority of Sun fans want AD out ASAP! They would even accept Bill Lambeer as Head Coach (if he were available), and THEY HATE Bill Lambeer with a fiery passion! But they know he's a good coach even if he acts like an idiot!
A lot of Sun fans feel exactly like I do but they're not nuts enough to go viral about Anne Donovan as I am. One of my major faults (I'm excessive compulsive) is when I believe something I speak out and Katy bar the door! You know exactly how I feel, no questions, I don't hold anything back, and that can be really good or really bad! In all I've heard/seen I have never liked AD, as a person or coach!
IMHO The Sun could have done better after Mike T than AD!
That's why I think Debbie Black would be an excellent choice!
By-the-way, the definition of Fan is taken from, FANATIC! I'm as FANATICAL as anyone you'll ever meet!

 

[ctkaiser]

"Danielle McCray: You want to like her more. Athletic, strong. But the only pro athlete who throws the ball to the other team more is Eli Manning. Thibault did a lot of great things here, but drafting McCray was a swing and a miss. She needs to be on the first bus out."

Cold...True, but cold! LOL!!!

At least Eli has two Super Bowl rings!

 

[j66kicker]

What's all the big whoop about coaches taking WNBA teams to the playoffs? Almost all the teams make the playoffs - it's a joke. To not make the playoffs you have to be really bad, and then almost TRY to not make the playoffs