Diamond DeShields reaching her potential in WBNA

[schmendrick]

Nobody's Fool: In a Family of Athletes, Diamond DeShields May Shine Brightest

Good for the game, methinks.

 

[oldude]

It’s nice to see DD settling in as a pro. She probably caught more grief on the Boneyard than any other player. Some of it was probably justified. But maybe, if DD had either stayed at UNC, where she had a tremendous freshman season, or she had transferred to any program other than HW’s terminally underachieving Lady Vols, her journey to the pros might have been a little easier.

 

[xHunt3r]

eh, still looks like an inconsistent high usage low efficiency player to me. She's had twice as many games scoring 5 or less as she has had scoring over 20. She has the highest usage rate on the team and is making only 38% of her shots...

 

[Orangutan]

eh, still looks like an inconsistent high usage low efficiency player to me. She's had twice as many games scoring 5 or less as she has had scoring over 20. She has the highest usage rate on the team and is making only 38% of her shots...

As much fun as it is to psychoanalyze Diamond, the truth about her game is much more mundane. She simply needs a more reliable jumpshot. If she raises her FG% 5 points, she is a superstar.

As lackluster as her shooting percentages are, she's still at a solid 15.0 PER, per BasketballReference. One place where she is efficient is the free throw line. She is 10th in the league in free throw attempts and she is shooting 85.5% from the line. Diamond actually has a higher free throw rate than any of the other other guards/wings in the top ten in FTAs (McCoughtry, Hayes, Diggins, Taurasi).

When she drives, Diamond is *very* difficult to guard one-on-one without fouling due to her size/athleticism combo.

 

[bballnut90]

As much fun as it is to psychoanalyze Diamond, the truth about her game is much more mundane. She simply needs a more reliable jumpshot. If she raises her FG% 5 points, she is a superstar.

As lackluster as her shooting percentages are, she's still at a solid 15.0 PER, per BasketballReference. One place where she is efficient is the free throw line. She is 10th in the league in free throw attempts and she is shooting 85.5% from the line. Diamond actually has a higher free throw rate than any of the other other guards/wings in the top ten in FTAs (McCoughtry, Hayes, Diggins, Taurasi).

When she drives, Diamond is *very* difficult to guard one-on-one without fouling due to her size/athleticism combo.

At the same time, it’s an issue a lot of rookies are struggling with and commonly struggle with. Wilson as a post is only shooting 45% from the floor, Nurse and Williams are at 41, Stevens at 39, Mitchell/Vivians/Deshields at 38%. As you said though, Diamond should be driving to the basket every time. She’s never had a consistent jumpshot and still doesn’t. Her ability to consistently hit from 15-20 feet is the next step in her progression. If she can make strides this year and overseas, she could break out next year as the Sky’s go to player. She has the potential, but will she reach it?

Also worth noting...I thought it was a little odd how Diamond wishes she could’ve gone pro earlier, yet she opted to come back for a 5th year before the Cooper incident. She had the chance to leave with her class and likely be the #1 pick but chose to stay before changing her mind.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I've not watched a game DeShields has played in the WNBA but her stats are solid. Her time with the LVs wasn't stellar but I think everyone saw how good she could be. I'm not anointing her all WNBA or an all star yet but she's gotten off to a good start, as have the two ladies chosen before her.

This rookie group is impressive overall.

 

[eebmg]

Maybe more than most rookies, DeShields isd having a very up and down season. Her good games are very good while her bad games are invisible. I think now that Dolson is back and Vandersloot is looking better, there will be alot less pressure on Deshields and Williams allowing them to relax and do what they are best at and the Sky may become a team that is fun to watch. I hope so.

 

[Carnac]

Nobody's Fool: In a Family of Athletes, Diamond DeShields May Shine Brightest

Good for the game, methinks.

"There's a little bit of, 'Exactly what are we getting with Diamond DeShields?'" ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo told reporters a few days before the draft in April. So far this season, DeShields is averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds—but what Sky coach Amber Stocks sees, again, is potential. "You know I believe in you," Stocks told her a few days after her team selected DeShields with its first pick. "... There's a lot of noise out there. There's a lot of naysayers, haters, doubters. I have your back. I have your back, and I know you have mine."

"She's a smart player who is a sponge," Stocks says. "She wants to absorb every piece of knowledge from her teammates, coaches and film." What she wants from Diamond is simple: "More consistency and shooting over 40 percent at the three-point line." Hembree thinks Diamond is just beginning to show what she can do. "She was made for the pro game," Hembree says.

As we all know, Diamond is very aggressive, and believes in her abilities. When I look at her, I see a young Angel McCoughtry in the making. Even as a rookie, one thing she has in common with Angel is that she's not afraid to shoot. McCoughtry is usually her team's leading scorer going back to her days at Louisville. Sometimes she's on (10/13), other times she's not (5/14). Currently Angel's fg% is 41.1%. She puts up a lot of shots, gets fouled and goes to the line a lot where her ft% is 87%.

Angel is a seasoned veteran. This is her 10th year in the league. She was the 2009 rookie of the year in the WNBA. I can see DeShields following in her footsteps. She has the ability. She has moxie. She has confidence in her self and her skill set. Her coach has her back, and has given her the green light, what more can you ask for? If she's not successful, it's not because her coach stifled her growth or development.

 

[bballnut90]

Maybe more than most rookies, DeShields isd having a very up and down season. Her good games are very good while her bad games are invisible. I think now that Dolson is back and Vandersloot is looking better, there will be alot less pressure on Deshields and Williams allowing them to relax and do what they are best at and the Sky may become a team that is fun to watch. I hope so.

I don't think that's necessarily a fair statement to target at Diamond. It more accurately portrays Gabby Williams and Victoria Vivians, who both seem to be really on or really off. Nurse has also been up and down, same with Kelsey Mitchell. Even A'ja has had her share of poor shooting nights. The most consistent rookie has probably been Ariel Atkins. The rest are all up and down, which is normal for most rookies.

 

[stwainfan]

 

[rt bb fan]

Diamond has shown flashes of her athletic ability in driving to the basket. But at times she needs to have more court awareness and dish off to her teammates when the lane is clogged.Also she over dribbles and has the ball stolen or a turnover results. I think now that the whole Sky team is healthy , hopefully Diamond will learn the the concept of team play.

 

[shizam]

Diamond can get her stats but what I remember so far from this season is her single handedly losing a game up in Seattle in the final seconds of regulation with her team up by two. She had a 2 on 1 break that would ice the game and Diamond chooses to take it in all by herself w one of those fancy one hand all the way layups instead of passing for an easy basket and she gets stuffed by Howard so bad the ball goes off Diamonds leg and it’s Storm ball and they tie the game and win in overtime. That one dumb decision lost them the game after fighting hard all game.

 

[Orangutan]

Diamond can get her stats but what I remember so far from this season is her single handedly losing a game up in Seattle in the final seconds of regulation with her team up by two. She had a 2 on 1 break that would ice the game and Diamond chooses to take it in all by herself w one of those fancy one hand all the way layups instead of passing for an easy basket and she gets stuffed by Howard so bad the ball goes off Diamonds leg and it’s Storm ball and they tie the game and win in overtime. That one dumb decision lost them the game after fighting hard all game.

The game was already tied. It was 87-87 when Howard blocked her. And Chicago blew a 14-point lead. Saying Diamond single-handedly lost the game is unfair.

It should have never even been a game in the final seconds. It was a lot more than "one dumb decision" that cost Chicago that game. It was a completely meltdown over the final 6 minutes of the game.

 

[Carnac]

Diamond has shown flashes of her athletic ability in driving to the basket. But at times she needs to have more court awareness and dish off to her teammates when the lane is clogged.Also she over dribbles and has the ball stolen or a turnover results. I think now that the whole Sky team is healthy , hopefully Diamond will learn the the concept of team play.

At some point, she'll realize she has teammates and learn to trust them. She'll learn she doesn't have to try and do it all. I like Diamond. I'd really like to see her succeed in this league.

 

[Orangutan]

At some point, she'll realize she has teammates and learn to trust them. She'll learn she doesn't have to try and do it all. I like Diamond. I'd really like to see her succeed in this league.

She actually got criticized by Coach Stocks for "over-passing" earlier in the season.

 

[Carnac]

She actually got criticized by Coach Stocks for "over-passing" earlier in the season.

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Well then...................................what's a body to do?

After a year in the league under her belt, She'll be fine. She's a Balla.

 

[stwainfan]

 

[eebmg]

First half was poor. Second half, she was very good. And she really held angel to a terrible game.