Kelly at PG?

[Suebird10fan]

Has anyone on the BY suggested this?

Probably crazy but consider this:

1. The offense has not been flowing
2. Can't do PG by committee, someone's got to do most of the minutes
3. MJ is not ready
4. Love CD but she's too hobbled to take the bulk of the minutes
5. I have to agree with Doris Burke that Bria is not a true PG. Geno or CD said in the offseason that they were eager to move Bria to the 2, right?
6. Moving Kelly to the 1 actually helps in terms of other players being at their most natural position with Bria moving to 2 and KML being almost exclusively at the 3.
7. Kelly is probably our best passer, has superb instincts for the flow of the game and is always in the right position.

Probably crazy but there's some logic to it.

 

[VAMike23]

Bria/CD/Mo is still our best PG rotation.

I think much of the sluggishness is due to Bria being out for an extended period. Kelly can handle the ball and can play a lot of positions but that's different than giving her primary responsibility at the point, which would not play to her strengths. We really do need Bria to bring her "A" game to have the best chance of a NC because Geno has shown that he wants to bring Breanna along sooner rather than later, which means Caroline comes off the bench. The rest of the starting rotation is set (KML, KF, Stef).

I don't know that we can't have success sharing the point with two combo guards--Tiff and Caroline did very well together and neither was a classic PG in their minutes together on the floor, IMO, even though Caroline was ostensibly the point. I think Kelly is more of a wing but she and Bria can still be a good tandem at the 1-2 spots. Also, Mo is sort of wild card because there's an outside chance she could be given the keys at PG come March. I wouldn't bet on it and she's by no means ready right now, but the way she is playing she's improving fast so it is within the realm of possibility. In that scenario, Bria could play off the ball in a primary role. But this is still very unlikely until next year when Kelly is gone.

 

[Tonyc]

We have to go with experience right now at the point. MJ has a learning curve and we need to maintain chemistry and continuity. MJ is not ready to step in and take over the reins yet. The underclassmen are still a little spotty at times. Geno has been bringing the underclassmen in the game a little earlier then I expected. I think that is two fold. One they need to get into the flow of the game and two they are so talented and UConns roster is so short that he needs them to gain the experience they need so they are ready to go later on this season and next season.

For now we have to go with Caroline and Bria at the point. We saw this past week that neither had a good game shooting the ball. Both did a good job of running the team. We need to give Bria a couple of weeks to get back to where she should be and imo the timing of this past weeks two big games is perfect. It exposed our weaknesses, it showed us where we are and what we need to work on, and we now have 2 weeks to work on it and we will face Oakland which is a game that we should be able to use to work on what weve been working on over the break. Oakland followed by a little better competiiton with Hartford and then the big game with Stanford which will tell us alot.

Most top teams we face have 2 good scorers. We have 9. So when we only (lol) win by 15 were disapponted. Well when teams with 2 scorers have those two not perform they really dont have anybody to pick them up. UConn does. Thats a major difference.

In the first few games this season we were pretty much firing on all cylinders. Yes the competition wasnt as tuff as Penn St and MD but TAM and Purdue werent chopped liver. Dont forget Caroline was just coming back and Bria was out. Now both are back and Geno is working them in and theyre still not 100%. That part of the problem, theyre playing alot of minutes and theyre not 100%. However he's got to play them.

I think to many fans are afraid about losing a game and dropping in the polls. Hey we all hate to lose and we will hate losing to Stanford if that were to happen but I dont think it will . It might be close if were not where we should be as far as ready but I do think we will be there.
We will know more during the Hartford game. Til then I will watch taped games from the beginning of the season. LOL

 

[Icebear]

Probably impacts Kelly's effectiveness on the boards too much.

 

[boontonbomber]

why is there are need for a so-called point guard, except to have a good ballhandler get the ball up court. once they're into their motion offense, what does it matter? the 5 starters right now are the 5 best scorers ( except for banks), as it should be. banks should be first off the bench, and then tuck, who will score( and is a relentless rebounder) if given the minutes.

 

[John Glass]

I think the biggest problem is the lack of team speed, not point guard. I have only seen 2 games, in these games I have seen very few easy transition baskets.

 

[Scotter]

Kelly leads the team in assists again from her current position. She is where she belongs, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her play more of a point guard role in UConn's fluid guard structure. Especially with the starting lineup, it happened more in the second half against Penn State, whether that was by coaches design or Kelly deciding to go get the ball is unclear.

Bria, Brianna, and Moriah's natural instinct is to over dribble, which is a killer to the UConn offense because it creates uncertainty in the cutters. Add young post players who are uncertain to begin with and the offense really stalls out. It will get better, but it does highlight why a player like Doty still have such great value.

 

[EricLA]

I don't like Bria at the "PG" spot. she carries the ball too much and i think it's a matter of time before the refs start calling her on it. I'd much rather see Bria at the 2G spot and start Caroline at the 1... I think there is nothing wrong with bringing Breanna off the bench.

Still, I suspect Geno will start Bria, Kelly, KML, Breanna and Stef going forward. And he sees them every day in practice so he knows much better than any of us...

As was pointed out, UCONN does not run the type of offense that 99% of the other teams run - where the PG dribbles the ball back and forth around the perimeter until she finds some kind of opening. UCONN does a lot of passing, and motion offense, which does not require just one person to be good with the ball. It requires 5 players to be good passers, setters of screens, etc etc. until they find the best shot available.

That's why i think Kelly will never be the PG...

 

[Scotter]

That's not an issue of speed. It is an issue of execution. The team's overall speed increased this season, but the overall team execution decreased. Transition baskets are down because the team is turning the ball over or making other mistakes.

I think the biggest problem is the lack of team speed, not point guard. I have only seen 2 games, in these games I have seen very few easy transition baskets.

 

[Scotter]

Bria is a junior. If they haven't called her for palming to this point they aren't going to suddenly start.

I don't like Bria at the "PG" spot. she carries the ball too much and i think it's a matter of time before the refs start calling her on it. I'd much rather see Bria at the 2G spot and start Caroline at the 1... I think there is nothing wrong with bringing Breanna off the bench.

 

[Icebear]

The tinkerers have arrived. We simply can't stand an embarrassment of riches.

 

[Husky68]

I think the biggest problem is the lack of team speed, not point guard. I have only seen 2 games, in these games I have seen very few easy transition baskets.

Team is plenty fast enough, the point guards of Doty and Hartley can't dribble. In Doty's case she turns down every opportunity to push the ball to do her little skipping thing. Hartley just plain can not dribble, has ok speed but couple bad dribbling with only average speed and you get no fast breaks and no penetration. At some point in the motion offense you need to make an individual play/move. If point guard can't dribble penetrate at all, how exactly do you get open when teams pack it in, you have to make them switch because of penetration.
Rene was no speed demon, was just ok on dribbling, but she got in lane and made things happen.

 

[Husky68]

The tinkerers have arrived. We simply can't stand an embarrassment of riches.

No, can not stand the embarrassment of having the best team again and losing to ND 'cause can't fast break and pg can not dribble and is soundly out played. Both those teams played small (should have played Heather) and two years ago got killed on boards and last year could not handle the ball with 21 turnovers and 13 assists on 31 baskets. This year have more height (suggests lose some in ball handling but better rebounding) and less speed (Stewart for Tiff and KML for Doty) so weakness at pg is going to be magnified.

 

[Icebear]

No, can not stand the embarrassment of having the best team again and losing to ND 'cause can't fast break and pg can not dribble and is soundly out played. Both those teams played small (should have played Heather) and two years ago got killed on boards and last year could not handle the ball with 21 turnovers and 13 assists on 31 baskets. This year have more height (suggests lose some in ball handling but better rebounding) and less speed (Stewart for Tiff and KML for Doty) so weakness at pg is going to be magnified.

Well, all the worrying and suggestions in the world from you or me isn't going to change a thing on this team. Our solutions have little connection to anything the team is doing in practice or that the coaches are likely to suggest. Relax and enjoy the ride.

 

[pap49cba]

Oh boy... It's gonna be a long couple of weeks.

 

[boontonbomber]

Well, all the worrying and suggestions in the world from you or me isn't going to change a thing on this team. Our solutions have little connection to anything the team is doing in practice or that the coaches are likely to suggest. Relax and enjoy the ride.

well then, the purpose of this site is what?

 

[baggerbob]

It remains to be seen whether you can play Breanna, Stef, and Bria on the floor at the same time. Watching the past 2 games with Bria back, the more she plays the less opportunities for the post players. Last year you played 4 guards and Stef , and it appears that Geno's going to have to go that way. Bria is a scorer, not a passer and you don't need 3 more scorers in the game, so Caroline needs to start, bring Breanna in for Stef, KML, or Bria.

 

[chrissaran]

They're not going to call Bria for carrying the ball because it's her usual way of dribbling; she does it every time. As a New York Knick's fan, Earl Monroe
was never called for it with either the Bullets or the Knicks; he did it every time.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

well then, the purpose of this site is what?

Many and varied reasons. Depends on the poster. EG, some appreciate the interaction, some look forward to the info provided, some have personal issues that are easy to see play out, and others just like trying to look smart. What think U?

 

[Icebear]

well then, the purpose of this site is what?

That has been questioned infrequently but The Boneyard is probably at its best when folks like Scotter, Phil, and others note measurable realities, or doggy does pregame assessments, pap provides links to almost anything connected to the Huskies any where in the world, Blake keeps us abreast of high school sports, Rady and Chap get game threads going and help keep folks with only text access aware of what is happening in games, Biff tosses in one of his graphics, when Wire provides another test, Kib reminders to us of important American history and the sacrifices of those who have served our country, OC's insights for the experiences of coaching young elite athletes, JS's legal acuity and clarification for us of our many misassumptions about the function of the law, TonyC's exuberance for all things related to our kids, the seasoning of Milford's linguistic wit and Wonkster's sardonic quips, when knowldge is shared from the numerous backgrounds of all boards members including their fanaticism for our opponents or their research online of a current issue, or people make observations of options available to address instead of saying or that should or worse must be done. Very little of the real value of the Boneyard exists in us telling the coaching staff what they must do. When we pause to think about it we really have a very unique and great place here in this digital clubhouse.

Among the biggest losses I feel is the absence of OSouthbranch.

BTW, I started writing this before seeing Ozzie's answer which was on the next digital page but in our notes you have the long and the short of it.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

That has been questioned infrequently but The Boneyard is probably at its best when folks like Scotter, Phil, and others note measurable realities, or doggy does pregame assessments, pap provides links to almost anything connected to the Huskies any where in the world, Blake keeps us abreast of high school sports, Rady and Chap get game threads going and help keep folks with only text access aware of what is happening in games, Biff tosses in one of his graphics, when Wire provides another test, Kib reminders to us of important American history and the sacrifices of those who have served our country, OC's insights for the experiences of coaching young elite athletes, JS's legal acuity and clarification for us of our many misassumptions about the function of the law, TonyC's exuberance for all things related to our kids, the seasoning of Milford's linguistic wit and Wonkster's sardonic quips, when knowldge is shared from the numerous backgrounds of all boards members including their fanaticism for our opponents or their research online of a current issue, or people make observations of options available to address instead of saying or that should or worse must be done. Very little of the real value of the Boneyard exists in us telling the coaching staff what they must do. When we pause to think about it we really have a very unique and great place here in this digital clubhouse.

Among the biggest losses I feel is the absence of OSouthbranch.

BTW, I started writing this before seeing Ozzie's answer which was on the next digital page but in our notes you have the long and the short of it.

You neglected to mention the insight and light, rather than heat, that Icebear contributes.

 

[phil sampieri]

The Bria that I love is alive and well. The what have you done for me lately yarders never stop amazing me. The best big game player on this
team has done a very, very good job at point ( even though we know she would be best at 2 guard) she is right now our best choice.
C'mon Kelly at point ? Really.Go Bria. Man our coaches just got dumb, playing Bria at point.

 

[Bestiarius]

I do think we can all relax. There aren't any real problems with the team. The concerns noted in this thread will be conquered. It will just take a bit more time than normal because we have so many options to work through. Normally, a team has 5 main players with perhaps 2 more coming off the bench. When you have 9 prime time players who all need to get into the game for significant minutes, you end up with many combinations on the court in each game. We can't expect all of these combinations to click right away, but when they do, I pity the opposition. Although this is a disadvantage right now, there are also advantages.

The last two games were difficult for us. I, for one was nervous during the Maryland game, but we went on to win with little difficulty. The Penn State game was similar, but I wasn't concerned. Every time one of the subs come in, I saw one more nail in Penn State's coffin. Even though our offense wasn't fluid, our constant pressure from fresh faces exhausted PS during the last dozen minutes of the game. They could hardly lift their arms and were on the verge of crying for their mommies.

So, in summary, our various offensive combinations will become more effective with practice. Until that happens, our depth will carry the day. Now let's relax and enjoy the holiday season. No need to increase the blood pressure meds.

 

[msf22b]

Back to the topic:

I recall suggesting Kelly for point several seasons ago, when the absence of a true specialist in that dept. was noted.
Seems to make no sense now with her myriad other roles and her comfort and success in them.

Not yet noted (to my surprise) was that the team was firing on all cylinders in the games that Caroline started.
And that the problems(?)... Developed the moment she went to the bench.

It makes perfect sense (if unflattering BB at the moment) to get Ms Bria up to snuff.

But at some point the staff may go back to the earlier scheme.

An unknown is if the ankle is still bothering her, might be.

 

[ctchamps]

The tinkerers have arrived. We simply can't stand an embarrassment of riches.

There would be no forums if we didn't have something negative to say or show ways to make heaven on earth.