Does Natalie Play Better Against Bigger Opponents?

[JoePgh]

I recently re-watched the FSU, Baylor, and Texas games. With the benefit of hindsight, it was surprising to me how effective Natalie was in her minutes against those teams. When she is playing against players who are as big as she is (and in many cases as immobile as she is), she can get contested rebounds without fouling. She seems to be bothered by smaller players who harass her and then move away -- like a great horned owl being pestered by blue jays.

If that is an accurate diagnosis, then it bodes well for her upcoming contest with Alaina Coates. As I have said before, I think Coates is the kind of opponent against whom Natalie can match up well, since they have mostly the same strengths and weaknesses. I think Coates will be as likely to foul her as she is to foul Coates.

However, I'm not sure how many minutes she will get against South Carolina. In the first meeting two years ago, Kiah Stokes got very few minutes, because Stewart and Tuck were handling the Gamecock bigs very well, and were scoring more than Kiah would have. Geno may decide that UConn speed vs. South Carolina size may be a more promising strategy than a face-off between battleships (Coates vs. Butler).

I agree with Megan Culmo, however, that Natalie has a bad habit of shooting fadeaway shots from close in on offense. She is (or should be) a power player rather than a finesse player -- more Shaq than Kareem. She should lean into her shots and into her opponent as part of her shooting motion. The refs are not going to call displacement fouls if it is a natural part of her shooting motion, and most AAC defenders are not going to be able to resist her natural motion to (rather than away from) the basket. If she leans into Coates, she may not lean very far against that stone wall, but if she can get to the spot just a split second faster than Coates, she should get a shot or at least a pair of free throws.

 

[oldude]

No question. Smaller opponents are like a swarm of bees around Nat. Against other bigs, Nat can play classic post defense using her size & strength to hold her own. Really looking forward to Nat's play against SC's twin towers.

 

[cabbie191]

Good observations. Watching Natalie against smaller players sometimes reminds me of watching starlings and other smaller birds swarming and harassing larger ones like crows and ravens.

 

[Naples Husky]

It seems to me, Natalie needs a few minutes of play to get going .She does not come off the bench like Gabby used too, md who does?Natalie gives us about all she has. I wish she would use her 15 ft jumper more .She has good percentage of free throws as well!

 

[eebmg]

Defensively, she can hold her own. It is her offense that needs to be at a level that keeps SC honest. She has to hit a few jump shots at the free throw line to bring them out and keep them honest. If she does this, she can also be reasonably effective in high post passing which I think she has improved in quite a bit. Also, when she gets good offensive position down low, she needs to go up strong and not be afraid. She may get blocked a few times but keep going up strong and draw a few fouls.

 

[cohenzone]

Exactly right on her tendency to fall away. She could live st tge foul line.

 

[tomcat]

I am anything but an expert, but it seems to me that Natalie manages to slip a couple of those jump shots into the game before the opponents realize they should be looking for them. It just doesn't look like she's going to do anything but all of a sudden, there's the shot.

 

[CocoHusky]

I agree that Natalie has played well against FSU, Baylor, and Texas but I don't think it has anything to do with the size of the opponent because she has played well in some conference games also. Natalie is like Saniya in they have a sense of playing best when she is most needed and she was definitely badly needed in FSU, Baylor, Texas, & ND games.
Unless there is UCONN foul trouble I would not expect to see Natalie play more than 10 Minutes of SC game. One of SC most effective offensive lineups, is one recently put in by Dawn that has Coates out and Gray playing the 4. This line up turn the tide of the MSU game for SC and it makes sense that Dawn would use this line up because it matches up better with UCONN. In two games against UCONN Coates has largely been in effective 4 FGs, 7 PF, in 45 minutes of play. By contrast a more mobile SC post like Sarah Imovbioh had 6 FGs, 2PF, in only 21 minutes playing against UCONN.

 

[oldude]

I am anything but an expert, but it seems to me that Natalie manages to slip a couple of those jump shots into the game before the opponents realize they should be looking for them. It just doesn't look like she's going to do anything but all of a sudden, there's the shot.

GP. While Nat doesn't necessarily do anything quick, she actually squares up and releases her shot relatively quickly at times. The catch, turn and bank shot Nat hit to earn Gabby her triple-double was a thing of beauty.

 

[CocoHusky]

I am anything but an expert, but it seems to me that Natalie manages to slip a couple of those jump shots into the game before the opponents realize they should be looking for them. It just doesn't look like she's going to do anything but all of a sudden, there's the shot.

Her biggest asset IMO. She is the anti-Stokes in the sense that when she is open she will shoot. I kid doesn't shoot when open can cripple an offense especially when you have great offensive rebounders like UCONN does.

 

[BroadwayVa]

It seems to me, Natalie needs a few minutes of play to get going .She does not come off the bench like Gabby used too, md who does?Natalie gives us about all she has. I wish she would use her 15 ft jumper more .She has good percentage of free throws as well!

In the last 2 or 3 games Natalie has hit a few of those 15 ft'ers--her teammates are feeding her at the top of the key--apparently something Geno wants too.
Natalie is not mobile, is not solid on her feet--at least not as solid as one would expect. She,in the last game, went directly to the basket more--someone saw what the By saw--also in the final quarter her mates were looking for her to that it means they trust her to score. Heather Buck--her mates would not pass the ball to her even when she was open--you can't score without the ball!! (seems like something I heard from Geno).
You are correct it appears Natalie needs a minute or two to acclimate--something Geno does not like--he likes the Gabby type--come in make a stop or hit the needed basket, --make a big play--i.e. a game changer!!

I am encouraged by all the positive things I'm reading about Butler--especially the information about how well we should expect to see her matchup with Coates--if it works out as anticipated--I'll be a happy puppy!!

 

[Huskee11]

She has definitely been an asset in some big games, most notably Baylor and Texas. I never saw the FSU game so maybe there as well.

FSU, 23 minutes, 0 fouls
Baylor, 20 minutes 1 foul (HUGE!!!)
Texas, 26 minutes, 3 fouls
OSU, 12 minutes, 0 fouls
Maryland, 14 minutes, 3 fouls

I like her 15 footer, she has shown improved confidence in it, a willingness to take it without hesitation. She is also going up somewhat quicker and stronger inside, although still an unfortunate tendency to fall away sometimes as mentioned above. In the games referenced earlier, she has generally scored 3 or 4 points (no more than 4). So I don`t think that they really need her scoring in the big games, anything we get there is a plus; some good passes would be nice though, and she is getting better there also.

The main thing is to hold down the fort defensively. She has shown that she can do that. Fortunate to have her!

I agree that the smaller players can make her look bad on occasion and I think she does pick up fouls that would not be called if she was up against someone her size. But when the dust clears in those games, her stat lines for points and rebounds often look a lot better than you would have thought from watching the game.

 

[chrissaran]

Natalie shoots a lot better when facing the basket. When her back is to the basket, her moves are slow and awkward. She needs to work on moving as soon as she gets the ball. No dribbling where the ball can be knocked away.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I agree that Natalie has played well against FSU, Baylor, and Texas but I don't think it has anything to do with the size of the opponent because she has played well in some conference games also. Natalie is like Saniya in they have a sense of playing best when she is most needed and she was definitely badly needed in FSU, Baylor, Texas, & ND games.
Unless there is UCONN foul trouble I would not expect to see Natalie play more than 10 Minutes of SC game. One of SC most effective offensive lineups, is one recently put in by Dawn that has Coates out and Gray playing the 4. This line up turn the tide of the MSU game for SC and it makes sense that Dawn would use this line up because it matches up better with UCONN. In two games against UCONN Coates has largely been in effective 4 FGs, 7 PF, in 45 minutes of play. By contrast a more mobile SC post like Sarah Imovbioh had 6 FGs, 2PF, in only 21 minutes playing against UCONN.

Finish the comment----The premise presented was that Natalie shall be effective--at least against Coates--in the USC game.
Your opinion/????? Will she or won't she//??? Can she or can't she!! I don't read implied message well. Thanks.

 

[Sonny44]

I recently re-watched the FSU, Baylor, and Texas games. With the benefit of hindsight, it was surprising to me how effective Natalie was in her minutes against those teams. When she is playing against players who are as big as she is (and in many cases as immobile as she is), she can get contested rebounds without fouling. She seems to be bothered by smaller players who harass her and then move away -- like a great horned owl being pestered by blue jays.

If that is an accurate diagnosis, then it bodes well for her upcoming contest with Alaina Coates. As I have said before, I think Coates is the kind of opponent against whom Natalie can match up well, since they have mostly the same strengths and weaknesses. I think Coates will be as likely to foul her as she is to foul Coates.

However, I'm not sure how many minutes she will get against South Carolina. In the first meeting two years ago, Kiah Stokes got very few minutes, because Stewart and Tuck were handling the Gamecock bigs very well, and were scoring more than Kiah would have. Geno may decide that UConn speed vs. South Carolina size may be a more promising strategy than a face-off between battleships (Coates vs. Butler).

I agree with Megan Culmo, however, that Natalie has a bad habit of shooting fadeaway shots from close in on offense. She is (or should be) a power player rather than a finesse player -- more Shaq than Kareem. She should lean into her shots and into her opponent as part of her shooting motion. The refs are not going to call displacement fouls if it is a natural part of her shooting motion, and most AAC defenders are not going to be able to resist her natural motion to (rather than away from) the basket. If she leans into Coates, she may not lean very far against that stone wall, but if she can get to the spot just a split second faster than Coates, she should get a shot or at least a pair of free throws.

I hope so; the shorter players dribble around her for easy lay-ups.
I wouldn't worry about Coates though. I live in FL.

 

[BroadwayVa]

She has definitely been an asset in some big games, most notably Baylor and Texas. I never saw the FSU game so maybe there as well.

FSU, 23 minutes, 0 fouls
Baylor, 20 minutes 1 foul (HUGE!!!)
Texas, 26 minutes, 3 fouls
OSU, 12 minutes, 0 fouls
Maryland, 14 minutes, 3 fouls

I like her 15 footer, she has shown improved confidence in it, a willingness to take it without hesitation. She is also going up somewhat quicker and stronger inside, although still an unfortunate tendency to fall away sometimes as mentioned above. In the games referenced earlier, she has generally scored 3 or 4 points (no more than 4). So I don`t think that they really need her scoring in the big games, anything we get there is a plus; some good passes would be nice though, and she is getting better there also.

The main thing is to hold down the fort defensively. She has shown that she can do that. Fortunate to have her!

Thanks you great posting on Butler. More than the fall away shot--which may work against a shot blocker--If I could change one thing in Natalies game--her tendency to make that one bounce before going to the basket--the bane of all bigs.
They forget they AIN"t guards.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I hope so; the shorter players dribble around her for easy lay-ups.
I wouldn't worry about Coates though. I live in FL.

With shorter, more athletic guards --Natalie needs down low help--she is not fleet of foot lateral or forward.
I'm dense--I don't understand the "I wouldn't worry about Coates thoug. I live in Fla. ????? Is she taking shots from Melbourne or Jacksonville?? No kidding I don't get it!!

 

[oldude]

As short as the Husky's bench is, I shudder to think where the team would be right now had Nat decided to stay at Georgetown.

 

[Mainiac]

Not sure how she does vs other bigs vs smaller players but agree with several of the prior comments.

I was glad to see her attempt a couple hook shots the other night and hope she gets it going as part of her arsenal. Stats per minute she is already a contributer and appears be improving.

Per 40 through Tulsa game (in top 5 on the following):
Blocks 2.3 = 1st on team
Rebounds 10.8 = 3rd
Points 11.5 = 5th
BRATS 10.95 = 4th
FG% 49.3 = 5th
FT% 73.3 = 5th

 

[WiseOne]

Well I've seen tremendous improvement in Natalie's game. Having said that, each game gets better and better!! Keep improving Big Nat!!!!!!!!

 

[CocoHusky]

Finish the comment----The premise presented was that Natalie shall be effective--at least against Coates--in the USC game.
Your opinion/????? Will she or won't she//??? Can she or can't she!! I don't read implied message well. Thanks.

She will not.

 

[BroadwayVa]

She will not.

Half again?? Why? But thanks for the reply!!

 

[BroadwayVa]

I agree that Natalie has played well against FSU, Baylor, and Texas but I don't think it has anything to do with the size of the opponent because she has played well in some conference games also. Natalie is like Saniya in they have a sense of playing best when she is most needed and she was definitely badly needed in FSU, Baylor, Texas, & ND games.
Unless there is UCONN foul trouble I would not expect to see Natalie play more than 10 Minutes of SC game. One of SC most effective offensive lineups, is one recently put in by Dawn that has Coates out and Gray playing the 4. This line up turn the tide of the MSU game for SC and it makes sense that Dawn would use this line up because it matches up better with UCONN. In two games against UCONN Coates has largely been in effective 4 FGs, 7 PF, in 45 minutes of play. By contrast a more mobile SC post like Sarah Imovbioh had 6 FGs, 2PF, in only 21 minutes playing against UCONN.

Your cup run=eth over!! The Why is received. Of course I suspected that was the answer, but not in such detail.
If as you say Natalie shall not play more than 10 minutes the implications, that you did not imply, is : UConn will not be in foul trouble. UConn will not lead by enough to allow the end of bench, excluding Danger, to be involved!! By jove I think I got it!! Thank you Professor Doolittle!! Pig Mail in!! My Fair Lady.

 

[Sonny44]

With shorter, more athletic guards
Just don't need coats in this FLORIDA.
Also Coates has never hurt us before; I don't see any reason for a change.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Obviously, since I don't live in Fla--and need an interpreter. Coat--Fla--. Don't tell me that you don't need coats in Fla. I spent load of time in Fla--and in one location --I damn near froze--out side at night I could not get warm. I needed 2 or 3 Coats-- But not in the Melbourne area. UConn does not want a Coates to go off on them--or take Napheesa out of the game.

 

[Bronxjeff]

I've rewatched a number of Natalie's misses when she has gone up strong on a layup and overshoots the hoop. She seems to not have perfected going up strong but controlling her release. I am guessing that is why she seems to prefer fading away for a short jumper, she's perfected it and they go in more often.

 

[Plebe]

Does anyone on this board remember watching Butler when she was at Georgetown (named Big East FOY)? I'd be curious to hear your impressions about how her game has evolved since her freshman year.

 

[Papa33]

GP. While Nat doesn't necessarily do anything quick, she actually squares up and releases her shot relatively quickly at times. The catch, turn and bank shot Nat hit to earn Gabby her triple-double was a thing of beauty.

How often have we heard Geno stress that in practices, there is never any "little thing" to be ignored. When I see Natalie, ever earnest and working hard, I think of one of those things: balanced footwork, which for a post player is actually a huge thing. When she receives passes at the short corner or near the foul line, more often than not she is in a balanced stance that allows her to pivot easily to front the basket and shoot her very accurate 10- 15 foot, high-release "jumper." But when she gets a pass as she comes into or across the lane, from left to right, close to the basket, she very often takes an automatic step onto her right/front foot. With her weight on that foot, she cannot pivot easily or gather herself to go up and toward the basket. I am sure that Marissa and CD have worked with her on that fundamental principle, but so far it's not something she does easily or naturally. It's a big little thing that, once she masters it, will make her scoring options much more potent.

 

[Huskee11]

I've rewatched a number of Natalie's misses when she has gone up strong on a layup and overshoots the hoop. She seems to not have perfected going up strong but controlling her release. I am guessing that is why she seems to prefer fading away for a short jumper, she's perfected it and they go in more often.

Perfected it?

Only if she shouts "fall back baby" as she lets it go!

Like Dick Barnett. Over the Big O, no less.