Jeff Jacobs: Paige Bueckers checks all the boxes

[Sluconn Husky]

The entire team huddled on the court, they broke and finally, finally, finally the UConn women’s season started.


Rumor was the wait was so long that Bueckers was now 29 years old. It was only a rumor. She’s 19. She plays 29.


....


“She’s amazing,” Evina Westbrook said. “A-MAY-ZING. She loves to facilitate the ball and get a lot of people involved and she can create her own shot at any time. So make sure you’re always looking for her. She will get you the ball. She is nothing but a joy to play with.”



...


Quick hands. Anticipation. The willingness to share the ball. This easy glide to her game. She certainly can get bigger and stronger, but that innate feel for the game, you just don’t invent that.

Jeff Jacobs: Paige Bueckers checks all the boxes in debut with UConn

Even more than the impressive stat-sheet stuffing numbers was how comfortable Paige...

www.ctinsider.com

 

[eebmg]

“Whatever my teammates need me to do,” Bueckers said. “My No. 1 priority for me is to make everyone around me better.

“I’m unselfish. If I have a good shot, I want to get my teammates even better shots. I don’t know if that’s just who I am. But I like to make teammates and everyone else around me do great things.”

 

[Siestakeyfan]

A wonderful young LADY !!! VERY Talented, articulate and a TEAM builder !!!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Because I am a greedy %# Paige could have made it a more complete coming-out party if she dropped a couple of 3s which she can readily do. However, she did not drop a lot of 3s in HS either, because she'd rather distribute it around her team. Nnaji said Paige could score every time down the floor, but would rather share the ball. A good quality for a PG huh?

 

[eebmg]

Because I am a greedy %# Paige could have made it a more complete coming-out party if she dropped a couple of 3s which she can readily do. However, she did not drop a lot of 3s in HS either, because she'd rather distribute it around her team. Nnaji said Paige could score every time down the floor, but would rather share the ball. A good quality for a PG huh?

Besides wanting to share the ball, I think with her pull up game and drive capability, the percentages in general favor her to attack the rim (draw fouls, make buckets that energize the team as well as assist other 3pt shooters. Of course, when elite defenses take that away, she will happily stick a few 3pt shots in their face.

 

[SVCBeercats]

“Whatever my teammates need me to do,” Bueckers said. “My No. 1 priority for me is to make everyone around me better.

“I’m unselfish. If I have a good shot, I want to get my teammates even better shots. I don’t know if that’s just who I am. But I like to make teammates and everyone else around me do great things.”

A wonderful young LADY !!! VERY Talented, articulate and a TEAM builder !!!

Sounds more like a senior than a freshman. In short order she will be, at worst, the defacto team leader.

 

[ucbart]

My assessment of Paige is as follows:

Paige is good, like 'all time' program good. She knows it, Geno knows it, and her teammates know it. She could've had 30 last night, but chose not to. Much like Diana, she will spend much of her career being a leader, passer, facilitator, and the best teammate. But, when the lights are brightest and the moment is most important, we will see the Paige that will get 30, because that's what her team needs.

My only wish is that she would've taken a few outside jumpers so we can see how that part of her game is.

 

[CL82]

I just try and live up to what I know I can do, what my coaches want me to do and what my teammates need me to do.”

 

[RockyMTblue2]

This is a thoughtful young star:

“I talked to coach about it the other day,” Bueckers said. “I can’t live up to anybody else’s expectations. My expectations for myself are pretty high, I’d say higher than a lot of other people have for me. I just try and live up to what I know I can do, what my coaches want me to do and what my teammates need me to do.”

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Besides wanting to share the ball, I think with her pull up game and drive capability, the percentages in general favor her to attack the rim (draw fouls, make buckets that energize the team as well as assist other 3pt shooters. Of course, when elite defenses take that away, she will happily stick a few 3pt shots in their face.

Certainly true and she has a very high ability to find a way to have that lay up drop in traffic underneath. Some of them look like trick shots that no one saw coming.

 

[eebmg]

My assessment of Paige is as follows:



My only wish is that she would've taken a few outside jumpers so we can see how that part of her game is.

I am surprised so many want Paige to (prove??) she can make 3pt shots. As I posited earlier, I think the general 3pt shot is not the shot she is invested in or is the best shot for her to take probability wise since her arsenal is so packed, but in HS, she certainly proved she could shoot it and the only reason a good shooter has trouble is lack of confidence and that is not an issue with Paige

If the team needs her to make a few 3pt shots to loosen the defense, she will but dont expect 10 3pt shots attempted. She rather figure out how to get Anna, CW and Evina hot from outside

 

[jdubct]

I am surprised so many want Paige to (prove??) she can make 3pt shots. As I posited earlier, I think the general 3pt shot is not the shot she is invested in or is the best shot for her to take probability wise since her arsenal is so packed, but in HS, she certainly proved she could shoot it and the only reason a good shooter has trouble is lack of confidence and that is not an issue with Paige

If the team needs her to make a few 3pt shots to loosen the defense, she will but dont expect 10 3pt shots attempted. She rather figure out how to get Anna, CW and Evina hot from outside

Agree. It's really early to project what may be needed, particularly at the end of the season in the tournaments. If needed, PG will shoot lots of threes for the team's sake.

 

[ucbart]

I am surprised so many want Paige to (prove??) she can make 3pt shots. As I posited earlier, I think the general 3pt shot is not the shot she is invested in or is the best shot for her to take probability wise since her arsenal is so packed, but in HS, she certainly proved she could shoot it and the only reason a good shooter has trouble is lack of confidence and that is not an issue with Paige

If the team needs her to make a few 3pt shots to loosen the defense, she will but dont expect 10 3pt shots attempted. She rather figure out how to get Anna, CW and Evina hot from outside

I don't want her to prove anything, I want to see where her outside jumper is. Surely, you can't be naïve enough to think she won't have to shoot at some point? She doesn't need to prove anything to me or any of us, but this is a basketball play that she will have to make at some point and surely one that this team will need. It is completely fine that we ask and inquire about this. I mean, this is a message board, ya know, to talk about the team, players, and the game.

Frankly, I'm surprised at how personally you've taken this. If I need you to staunchly defend Paige anywhere else on the internet, I'll send you a message.

 

[Waquoit]

I am surprised so many want Paige to (prove??) she can make 3pt shots. As I posited earlier, I think the general 3pt shot is not the shot she is invested in or is the best shot for her to take probability wise since her arsenal is so packed,

An open 3-pointer is the best, most efficient play in the game no matter how "packed" your arsenal is.

 

[DefenseBB]

Let's be honest, if Paige proves she has a 3 pt shot or takes lots of 3 point shots, what will that leave available for Azzi to come in and execute? Paige wants to leave something for Azzi to be awesome at..

Good thinking PB, good thinking...

 

[eebmg]

Let's be honest, if Paige proves she has a 3 pt shot or takes lots of 3 point shots, what will that leave available for Azzi to come in and execute? Paige wants to leave something for Azzi to be awesome at..

Good thinking PB, good thinking...

In that direction, give CW her props. Her first 3pt miss of the game gave Paige her first "aaahhh" moment.

 

[CL82]

In that direction, give CW her props. Her first 3pt miss of the game gave Paige her first "aaahhh" moment.

The drive and dish to CW should be a big part of our game this year, especially as Paige gets more attention.

 

[jabstep]

Because I am a greedy %# Paige could have made it a more complete coming-out party if she dropped a couple of 3s which she can readily do. However, she did not drop a lot of 3s in HS either, because she'd rather distribute it around her team. Nnaji said Paige could score every time down the floor, but would rather share the ball. A good quality for a PG huh?

If you watch Paige's 8th,9th and 10th grade and you may have. She is a deadly 3 point shooter. Its might one of the reasons Geno is subbing Nika early for her to facilitate the offense and have Anna and Paige as three point threats. We will need to see if Ervina and Christyn can become a 3 ball threat. Otherwise, teams will double and triple LIV and force us to shoot 3's. Good man to man teams will not be able to overplay us like last year. Paige can break anyone down off the bounce and is tall enough to pass over most guards. We will see when we play Baylor and they put Didi Richards on Paige what she will do. Can't wait!!!!

 

[huskyd]

Ooh, we keep raising the bar for the young lady: do this, do that, let me see it, etc. But we may be at cross purposes. Paige was reciting the 1st commandment in the Book of Geno: take the BEST shot. From that concept everything flows.
For the record: if you watched Buckets in HS games in which Hopkins was threatened or behind, she instantly stepped up and started popping outside jumpers. The gaps got filled, Hopkins pulled ahead, and Paige went back from being the best shooter to the best facilitator.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If you watch Paige's 8th,9th and 10th grade and you may have. She is a deadly 3 point shooter. Its might one of the reasons Geno is subbing Nika early for her to facilitate the offense and have Anna and Paige as three point threats. We will need to see if Ervina and Christyn can become a 3 ball threat. Otherwise, teams will double and triple LIV and force us to shoot 3's. Good man to man teams will not be able to overplay us like last year. Paige can break anyone down off the bounce and is tall enough to pass over most guards. We will see when we play Baylor and they put Didi Richards on Paige what she will do. Can't wait!!!!

You are right about Paige and the 3. In fact Paige and Azzi have 100 3s contests and it's always a close contest. There will be times when she should let it fly and it will happen.

 

[JoePgh]

If she continues to avoid taking 3's (which I doubt she will), then defenses will treat her in the same way they treated Kelly Faris or Lorin Dixon, by backing off of them to prevent them from passing or driving and basically forcing them to shoot.

More accurately, one team might try that (maybe two) -- and maybe for only a quarter or two. After that, it will be revealed as a losing, futile strategy.

 

[Lawrence]

She's the most "fearless" player I've ever seen...

 

[CL82]

She's the most "fearless" player I've ever seen...

I mostly agree. There are a lot of "fearless players." Some are fearless and good, some are fearless and bad. What strikes me a Paige is not fearlessness but comfort level. She just looks like she can do whatever she wants whenever she wants.

(That's not quite right, but it is the best I can do right now. One thing for sure she is unique.)

 

[eebmg]

She's the most "fearless" player I've ever seen...

On the court yes but ...

 

[Alydar]

Sounds more like a senior than a freshman. In short order she will be, at worst, the defacto team leader.

I've felt the same thing for a while. Geno has tried to get his older players take over, even giving them books on leadership, but I've always thought that Bueckers would take that role on the court, simply because it suits her position, her skill and her personality.

 

[CocoHusky]

I mostly agree. There are a lot of "fearless players." Some are fearless and good, some are fearless and bad. What strikes me a Paige is not fearlessness but comfort level. She just looks like she can do whatever she wants whenever she wants.

(That's not quite right, but it is the best I can do right now. One thing for sure she is unique.)

That's not quite right, it is exactly right.

 

[DEpup]

I picked up on something that Geno said in his post game interview that explains the lack of 3s for me. He said to effect, the guard rotation will take care of itself... what he is really trying to figure out is the front court players and rotation... you can't figure that out if you fire it from the 3 pt line all game. I actually think the game plan was to get it inside and play good defense to see what the front court players could do... The best thing about Paige is she doesn't think she needs to prove her 3pt shot to anyone on this board... She'll take a 3 when it fits in with what they are doing on the court. And with her flair, I have to think when she does there'll be like 5 or 6 of them in the game.

 

[Charliebball]

Sounds more like a senior than a freshman. In short order she will be, at worst, the defacto team leader.

as I said a couple of years ago, PB was basically wasting time playing high school basketball because she was already good enough to be starting for most college teams...........

 

[Alydar]

I don't want her to prove anything, I want to see where her outside jumper is. Surely, you can't be naïve enough to think she won't have to shoot at some point? She doesn't need to prove anything to me or any of us, but this is a basketball play that she will have to make at some point and surely one that this team will need. It is completely fine that we ask and inquire about this. I mean, this is a message board, ya know, to talk about the team, players, and the game.

Frankly, I'm surprised at how personally you've taken this. If I need you to staunchly defend Paige anywhere else on the internet, I'll send you a message.

If you want to see her outside shot then go to YOUtube and watch a few games. There is one from her 8th grade year where she hits her first four 3's and ends up 6-7. Yeah, it's HS but she's 6' tall so it isn't like she has a problem shooting over college guards.
It's understandable for you to question parts of a freshman's game but you are late to the Bueckers analysis party. I've been watching her drain 3's for 3 years. I'd say she's the best 3 pt shooter on the team until next year.

 

[Charliebball]

If you want to see her outside shot then go to YOUtube and watch a few games. There is one from her 8th grade year where she hits her first four 3's and ends up 6-7. Yeah, it's HS but she's 6' tall so it isn't like she has a problem shooting over college guards.
It's understandable for you to question parts of a freshman's game but you are late to the Bueckers analysis party. I've been watching her drain 3's for 3 years. I'd say she's the best 3 pt shooter on the team until next year.

I simply can't even imagine what that back court is going to look like next season.........good luck trying to stop that tandem from scoring......