Jewell Loyd To Be Named Rookie of the Year

[Orangutan]

The problem with that is that the top player in the draft goes to a pretty bad team. The number 10 pick goes to a team that is already built for a championship and has the talent surrounding her to take all the pressure off of her.

The pick NYL "earned" was the 4th pick, which CON had as part of the Charles trade. The Prince trade obviously made that team better before Kiah got there, but saying that the Liberty were "built for a championship" is a classic example of 20/20 hindsight. They were not considered title favorites or even Eastern conference favorites before the season.

Kiah's 25.4 minutes per game and excellent defensive contributions (2nd in total blocks, 3rd in block%, 3rd in defensive rating, 2nd in defensive win shares) helped take the Liberty from the 4th best defense in the league last year to the best defense this year (shaving roughly 5 points per 100 possessions). She helped make them a championship contender.

Also, who else is so great on that team besides Charles and Prince? Kiah is the 3rd best player on that championship contender. Not bad for a rookie. Jewell was probably the third best player on a lottery team (behind Langhorne and Gatling by PER, behind Langhorne and Bird by common sense/eye test).

 

[geneticrex]

Maybe Lobo could have thrown in an "IMO" instead of saying that all of the other voters were wrong. She certainly didn't imply that Loyd was worthy of the award.

Perhaps because JL wasn't 'worthy' of the award.

Stokes WAS worthy of the award and therefore, was the only person disrespected in the process.

 

[Aluminny69]

One measure of a rookie's impact is the net change in won-loss before and after the rookie arrived. For Kiah Stokes, the Liberty were a net +8. For Jewel Loyd and Seattle Storm, they were a -2. I'm going to guess this is the only ROY with a negative impact on their team. If I have time, I might look it up.

Okay, looked it up. Two other ROY had a negative W-L number. Seimone Augustus and the Lynx were a -4, even though Augustus was #2 in league scoring, setting a rookie record. Temeka Johnson and the Mystics were a -1. Best turnarounds were Cheryl Ford, Angel McCoughtry, and Maya Moore with a +14.

I have troubles with posting tables, but here's my attempt:
2014 Chiney Ogwumike Sun +3
2013 Elena Delle Donne Sky +10
2012 Nneke Ogwumike Sparks +9
2011 Maya Moore Lynx +14
2010 Tina Charles Sun +1
2009 Angel McNoughtry Dream +14
2008 Candace Parker Sparks +10
2007 Armintie Price Sky +9
2006 Seimone Augustus Lynx -4
2005 Temeka Johnson Mystics -1
2004 Diana Taurasi Mercury +9
2003 Cheryl Ford Shock +14
2002 Tamika Catchings Fever +6

 

[JavaMan]

Just had an interesting thought; I wonder what KML is thinking about all of this? Not that she should be in the running, but that both are friends/teammates. Hmm.

 

[delawarehusky]

I thought the award is based on regular season play only, and not playoffs. Still doesn't change my view that Kiah was more deserving.

 

[Aluminny69]

Just had an interesting thought; I wonder what KML is thinking about all of this? Not that she should be in the running, but that both are friends/teammates. Hmm.

I was wondering what Jewel Loyd is thinking about all this? First, she loses three(?) NC to UConn. She missed out on POY each year to UConn's Stewart. I believe she entered the draft early to avoid competing with Stewart again. Now, even though she wins ROY, many people (not just UCon fans) believe that UConn's Stokes was more deserving. I have a feeling she has no love lost for UConn. Will she eventually play for the U.S. Olympic team? Time will tell, I'm going to guess the answer is no.

 

[Orangutan]

I was wondering what Jewel Loyd is thinking about all this? First, she loses three(?) NC to UConn. She missed out on POY each year to UConn's Stewart. I believe she entered the draft early to avoid competing with Stewart again. Now, even though she wins ROY, many people (not just UCon fans) believe that UConn's Stokes was more deserving. I have a feeling she has no love lost for UConn. Will she eventually play for the U.S. Olympic team? Time will tell, I'm going to guess the answer is no.

I don't think she entered the draft early to avoid competing with Stewart.

I think she entered the draft early to make money. Plus, I'm guessing school wasn't a whole lot of fun for a dyslexic.

I would bet she does play for the Olympic team in time.

 

[Alydar]

The WNBA is first and foremost a business, not a sport. Money is made by putting butts in seats and by advertisers buying commercial spots. And marketers want recognizable stars, not great teams. Awards almost always go to flashy players (scorers). That's who the league promotes because it's stars who create mass appeal. It's the same in all pro team sports. In baseball it's the home run hitters and the pitchers who make the big bucks. In football it's the quarterbacks and the scorers.

The WNBA sees Loyd as a flashy scorer who will be in a lot of 5 second highlight blurbs on ESPN. They never show a great screen as a play of the day.

 

[CocoHusky]

The pick NYL "earned" was the 4th pick, which CON had as part of the Charles trade. The Prince trade obviously made that team better before Kiah got there, but saying that the Liberty were "built for a championship" is a classic example of 20/20 hindsight. They were not considered title favorites or even Eastern conference favorites before the season.

Kiah's 25.4 minutes per game and excellent defensive contributions (2nd in total blocks, 3rd in block%, 3rd in defensive rating, 2nd in defensive win shares) helped take the Liberty from the 4th best defense in the league last year to the best defense this year (shaving roughly 5 points per 100 possessions). She helped make them a championship contender.

Also, who else is so great on that team besides Charles and Prince? Kiah is the 3rd best player on that championship contender. Not bad for a rookie. Jewell was probably the third best player on a lottery team (behind Langhorne and Gatling by PER, behind Langhorne and Bird by common sense/eye test).

Remarkable objectivity from a ND fan- thank you.

 

[CocoHusky]

I have a feeling she has no love lost for UConn.

I belive she lost love for UCONN the day she committed to ND-AS IT SHOULD BE! What is the significance, to this discussion, of Loyd making an Olympic team?
If Jewell is among the US best (this whole thread is proof that she is ) why couldn't she make an Olympic team?

 

[Blueballer]

What a travesty

 

[billnaples]

Okay, looked it up. Two other ROY had a negative W-L number. Seimone Augustus and the Lynx were a -4, even though Augustus was #2 in league scoring, setting a rookie record. Temeka Johnson and the Mystics were a -1. Best turnarounds were Cheryl Ford, Angel McCoughtry, and Maya Moore with a +14.

I have troubles with posting tables, but here's my attempt:
2014 Chiney Ogwumike Sun +3
2013 Elena Delle Donne Sky +10
2012 Nneke Ogwumike Sparks +9
2011 Maya Moore Lynx +14
2010 Tina Charles Sun +1
2009 Angel McNoughtry Dream +14
2008 Candace Parker Sparks +10
2007 Armintie Price Sky +9
2006 Seimone Augustus Lynx -4
2005 Temeka Johnson Mystics -1
2004 Diana Taurasi Mercury +9
2003 Cheryl Ford Shock +14
2002 Tamika Catchings Fever +6

Just an aside I noted in this list was the win by EDD in '13. Wasn't this class dominated by the 6'8" BG and the flash from ND? Wonder what was in the minds of the voters that year. While a significant offensive contributor and a solid defensive player EDD had much less of the flash than the other two, IMO.

 

[CocoHusky]

Just had an interesting thought; I wonder what KML is thinking about all of this? Not that she should be in the running, but that both are friends/teammates. Hmm.

If KML is not on Kiah's side on this then I have personally misjudged her for 4 year as bleeding UCONN blue when cut.

 

[Gus Mahler]

And that really makes a difference in this conversation, that I am a poor speller? At least I spelled Lobo and Stokes correctly.

Also, I really think you need a comma before the "so." You've got two independent clauses going. [just funnin' w ya]

 

[Nuyoika]

Peck said Stokes is the MVP as well

That is when I should've known she wasn't going to get it. Silly me.

Based on the playoff performances, Stokes is by far the top rookie in the playoffs. Was she a best rookie for the duration of the WNBA season? I think many are judging based on late-season performance and not the entirety of the season.

It's funny you mentioned that given the article noted Jewell's last 5 games....

 

[BroadwayVa]

Nothing scientific here, it is after all The Boneyard. That said I read 15 posts, 14 comments reflect that Kiah Stokes should get the award. What is or should be the criteria for the award? I doubt there is a requirement that a candidate had to be on a really good team with all stars. I sure don't think how well (or not) the player responded to external "pressure" is a criteria. The simple question is how well did the candidates play the game. Clearly Stokes contributed more to the success of her team than Loyd did for her team. As far as Lobo making the statement you should remember that she was very much in Jewell's corner most of the year for national player of the year last year over Stewart so She is not disrespecting Loyd at all, she is in fact respecting the performance on the court of Stokes.

External PRESSURES are part of life and part of the game--that has no bearing on any vote, or it should not have. I agree CLEARLY Stokes game play had more to do with her team being this far down the playoffs and then their is her standing in MVP and DPOY . so CLEARLY Stokes was thought to be important to the WNBA, The Game and her Team!! Isn't that enough to be ROY--oh yes she did entertain at half time too---(kidding, she was required to shovel the snow at Liberty home games).

 

[BroadwayVa]

Also, I really think you need a comma before the "so." You've got two independent clauses going. [just funnin' w ya]

Was it a COMA or Comma??

 

[Striper69]

Bigger picture.
The 2nd best (agruably 1st) rookie in the best Women's professional basketball league in the world could not stay in the UCONN starting line up last year.
UCONN must have a pretty good WCBB program.

Coach's decision.

The Best Rookie IMO.

 

[Aluminny69]

Coach's decision.

The Best Rookie IMO.

This has been discussed ad nauseum. But I will add that, my observation from last night, Kia's hands are getting much better around the basket. And her teammates, especially Tina, are getting her the ball. I have to believe that Bill Laimbeer has a lot to do with this. Who would have thought that we would be praising Bill, especially after he was fired last season. Ad Bill seems to have patched up whatever his differences with Swin were. Let's give credit where credit is due.

 

[easttexastrash]

You're harping on it instead of just saying thanks... and continuing your debate, makes you appear very defensive about everything instead of just stating your case (with the correct spelling) no need to mention BG just say thanks, my bad and move on. You're not being attacked (at least not by me)

OK...you're bad...and I'm moving on.

 

[UcMiami]

The problem with that is that the top player in the draft goes to a pretty bad team. The number 10 pick goes to a team that is already built for a championship and has the talent surrounding her to take all the pressure off of her.

Actually the Liberty were a pretty bad team last year and the only reason they were not in the lottery is because they traded their pick.

 

[easttexastrash]

Actually the Liberty were a pretty bad team last year and the only reason they were not in the lottery is because they traded their pick.

What did they get for that pick?

 

[UcMiami]

What did they get for that pick?

Tina Charles, while giving up Alyssia Thomas, Kelsey Bone and the pick. And of course that trade was last year after which the NY Liberty still didn't have a winning record and didn't make the playoffs.
We can debate all we want about which team was worse, but neither Seattle nor New York were playoff teams in 2014, and both were pretty bad. And Seattle had two lottery picks in 2015 while NY had no first round picks.
Trader Bill traded Anna Cruz, a second rounder and a third rounder to MN to get Kiah at #11 and they traded Alex Montgomery to San Antonio for the #9 pick (Boyd) - Anna and Alex had 54 of a possible 68 2014 starts for NY.
Meanwhile Seattle had acquired the 3rd pick, the 15th pick and Rene Montgomery, for Stricklen and Little.

Both teams gave up WNBA starters for picks in the 2015 draft - Seattle just had better picks and got another WNBA player in Montgomery.

By the way - I am fine with Loyd getting the award, though I would have voted for Kiah personally because I think she had a better year for admittedly a much better team.

 

[Gus Mahler]

[QUOTE. I would think that person would be named ROY

There are others named ROY..How about ROY Rogers, Rob ROY, or Patrick ROY..[/QUOTE]
Doesn't USC have a player named ROY?

 

[easttexastrash]

Tina Charles, while giving up Alyssia Thomas, Kelsey Bone and the pick. And of course that trade was last year after which the NY Liberty still didn't have a winning record and didn't make the playoffs.
We can debate all we want about which team was worse, but neither Seattle nor New York were playoff teams in 2014, and both were pretty bad. And Seattle had two lottery picks in 2015 while NY had no first round picks.
Trader Bill traded Anna Cruz, a second rounder and a third rounder to MN to get Kiah at #11 and they traded Alex Montgomery to San Antonio for the #9 pick (Boyd) - Anna and Alex had 54 of a possible 68 2014 starts for NY.
Meanwhile Seattle had acquired the 3rd pick, the 15th pick and Rene Montgomery, for Stricklen and Little.

Both teams gave up WNBA starters for picks in the 2015 draft - Seattle just had better picks and got another WNBA player in Montgomery.

By the way - I am fine with Loyd getting the award, though I would have voted for Kiah personally because I think she had a better year for admittedly a much better team.

I would have voted for Kiah, also. I like a big girl who can rebound, block shots and play overall good defense. I am more partial to post players than guards, anyway. My problem was with Lobo's tweet, which, although not intended to be, seemed disrespectful to Loyd in my opinion.

When did Prince come over from Chicago? She had a pretty big impact on the success of the Liberty this season.