Geno speaking about Paige Now

[Majic Hands]

I'm often impressed with the knowledge and ability of so many posters here in the BY. As well as their ability to provide data to support their opinion.

As much as I would like to not attach a health/wellness to a post. With the way things have been for the last two years "If" everyone is well enough to play this year we will be amazingly entertained by beautiful basketball.

I'll probably get some eye-rolls with what I'm getting ready to type but I believe this will be a big reason why.

All the players not Paige have realized they can play. The "team" has grown . The "team" has been put through the fire. The days of the teammates waiting for Paige to do something's over. Waiting on Paige to save the day is over.

Will Paige be the best player on the floor? Probably? I'm hoping that from game to game we are debating who the BadAss of the game was and it not being Paige.

 

[Bone Dog]

Will Paige be the best player on the floor? Probably? I'm hoping that from game to game we are debating who the BadAss of the game was and it not being Paige

I love this thought!!! In fact, there may already have been hints of it last season. During the Texas game, Azzi was so dominant in the second half that the bench looked stunned... including Paige. Maybe they were just tired from all the high-fiving in celebration of what Azzi was doing on the court. Or maybe they were disoriented at the sight of someone else actually doing Paige-things in a game.

 

[jdote33]

I recently watched the first half of the game at Seton Hall in Paige sophomore year. That game always sticks out to me cuz that was one of the first games post the Bahamas loss to SC and I remember the team starting slow and Paige picking it up in the first quarter. I also remember Geno going crazy about her passing up an open jumpshot. Lol. It's a nostalgic, great watch in any event. I've probably posted about it before and can't remember.
Paige was everywhere, truly competing on both ends. She's mostly playing point, doing her best to guard Park-Lane, diving on loose balls, throwing full court passes. I actually thought of two threads when watching, the starting point guard thread because Paige's ability to push the ball up and transition is like a whole nother dimension to an offense. She constantly did that with CW. I could see her doing that with Aubrey if she was a starter. But if Paige and Nika start, I guess Paige is more the wing soooo....
But more poignant to this thread, Paige mentality was huge. She played with a fearlessness and energy. I know the mental hurdle she'll face getting over her injuries have been talked about ad nauseam but just being reminded of the type of player she was and effort she put forth was alarming. I think one of her off season quotes was about this and trying to be a bit smarter about whether to exert energy. I really wonder if that takes away from her game.
Another thing watching her, and it's obvious but I just forgot, is how much of a facilitator she is. She's getting people into the right spots and directing the offense. So in some ways I've thought Lou's 16 a game and great shooting will just be replaced by Paige's. But Paige's game is so different, it's not that simplistic.