Kiah Stokes

[JoePgh]

I always find these Kiah Stokes threads exasperating.

So, can't we just enjoy Kiah as she is and stop gnashing our teeth and saying if only, if only. This is not a Charde Houston situation. This is a really, really good player who just happens not to be a great scorer.

From UConn's point of view, it matters because the team isn't nearly as strong as it would be if she actualized her offensive potential, and that will be even more true next year.

But from her point of view, it makes the difference between her being a first-round WNBA draft pick in April 2015 vs. being picked in the second round or not at all. At higher levels, basketball players are picked for their offense and then taught and coached to play defense. WNBA teams can't afford to have a hole in the center of their offense, which will prevent Kiah from being more than a good sub (as she has been at UConn) unless she addresses this issue.

 

[UcMiami]

Love what Stokes has brought to the team this year. Would like more points, but am extremely happy with the defense and offensive boarding.
And just another thought - the best entry passer on the team is Stef, the second best is Stewart. The guards and KML generally suck at it. Stokes gets most of her minutes with both Stef and Stewart on the bench (strike one), second most minutes with Stef on the bench (strike two) and almost all the rest of her minutes with Stewart on the bench (strike three.) The number of times I have seen her with great position in the post and no entry pass this year is disheartening. When she has gotten a good entry pass she has actually scored most of the time unlike previous years where the reason stated for not making the pass was bad things would happen.
In last nights game as an example - no one was making good entry passes ALL game. Even the two post-ups that Stewart hit, the pass was so late in getting to her that the defense had gotten back in position and the resulting shots were much much harder than they would have been had the pass reached her when she was wide open.

 

[meyers7]

That's what I was thinking.

 

[meyers7]

Here's the deal. Kiah is one of the best rebounders in the country. She probably or at least close to the best shot blocker/interior defender in the country. She is not a great scoring threat and probably never will be.

But she could be a decent scoring threat. Probably given her physical abilities, could be a great scoring threat.

So, sure we'd all love it, including Geno obviously, if Kiah could score 15 to 18 points a game. She can't/won't.

We'd all love it if she would score 8-10 points a game. And she "can" (has the potential), I believe score 15-18.

So, can't we just enjoy Kiah as she is and stop gnashing our teeth and saying if only, if only. This is a really, really good player who just happens not to be a great scorer.

Because we want her to reach her potential. We just see more in her than you do.

 

[Shenandoah]

I also think that Kiah may feel that scoring is not her role with this team, this year. Her role, is to come off the bench, rebound, block shots, and defend; 3 things that she does extremely well. Better than most posts in the country. THAT may be why she works so hard at it, presumably in practice, as well. With Stef graduating, I think that she will, indeed come back next year, with a better handle offensively, to go with her rock solid D.

 

[Icebear]

I would doubt that kiah is unclear about what is wanted from her by the coaching staff. She probably hears it 25 times a day. It is more important what they think her role is than what she thinks it is. Her task is to fulfill their vision, not hers.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I always find these Kiah Stokes threads exasperating.

Here's the deal. Kiah is one of the best rebounders in the country. She probably or at least close to the best shot blocker/interior defender in the country. She is not a great scoring threat and probably never will be. You put all of that together and you have a really good player. First team all-American, no. Probably not second team or third team. But once you get past that, there aren't a lot of players, IMHO, better than Kiah Stokes.

If you had a center who scored 20 points a game with a really high FG% and grabbed 12 to 14 boards a game, everyone would agree they were one of the top centers in the country even if they were only so-so on defense. Why is it so hard when offense is the weak point to understand how good Kiah is? So, sure we'd all love it, including Geno obviously, if Kiah could score 15 to 18 points a game. She can't/won't. If she could she'd be a first team AA given her other skills. But she's still one of the top 10 to 15 post players in the country in my opinion. The fact that she doesn't get starter minutes is just a reflection of how good UConn is.

So, can't we just enjoy Kiah as she is and stop gnashing our teeth and saying if only, if only. This is not a Charde Houston situation. This is a really, really good player who just happens not to be a great scorer.

You really can' think like you propose if you are an athlete or coach...once you give up on change the road narrows and slows. So I think.

 

[mrmojack]

Once again, Kiah got the 15 mins when Tuck was injured. I think Tuck
would have been in there for mins if she was available. Kiah did an
excellent job and if she can score the ball she will get more playing time.
She always answers the bell when this team needs her.
As for her offense, I never see her throw a head fake or just drive to the
hoop from the elbow and get a lay up or get fouled. The only one I see
really trying to get the ball to her when she posts up is Dolson. She really
needs to develop some offensive moves with the intent to score. I love her
game but her offense must improve for next year when they are really
going to need her to score 10-12 pts a game. I am very optimistic that
she will do it!

 

[snlMINAJ]

When KML and MT were out, can someone weed out her scoring for those games, im sure she was averaging 8-13. i think no, she wont ever consistently get 12-17 ppg but if she played 25-30 mpg like the average UConn double digit scorer, shed also average that.

 

[Suebird10fan]

From UConn's point of view, it matters because the team isn't nearly as strong as it would be if she actualized her offensive potential, and that will be even more true next year.

But from her point of view, it makes the difference between her being a first-round WNBA draft pick in April 2015 vs. being picked in the second round or not at all. At higher levels, basketball players are picked for their offense and then taught and coached to play defense. WNBA teams can't afford to have a hole in the center of their offense, which will prevent Kiah from being more than a good sub (as she has been at UConn) unless she addresses this issue.

I'd be surprised if Kiah doesn't go in first round.