KLS as a pro | Page 3 | The Boneyard

KLS as a pro

I think Lou will have a long and successful career in the WNBA. I agree with the posters who have stated that her skills would be maximized on a team with a pass first ballhandler, and unfortunately that is not the current reality. Hopefully that will get at least a little better. She also needs to assert herself and she definitely showed that today.

It looks like her future is as a 4, which is not what I would have thought a year ago. I think she can do it, though.

She just turned 23 and is still learning how to adapt to a faster and more physical game.

Keep in mind that she has fought through injuries for a couple of years - ankle, back, wrist - but seems to be healthy at long last. She is with a new team and they are very young and figuring it out.

Sabally being out is getting her more minutes. I hope Lou continues to get significant minutes once Satou is back.

I am sure Lou is excited that she will be playing with sister Karlie for Perfumias Avenida in Spain this winter. That will be fun for both of them.
 
Just finished watching Phoenix-Dallas. Just about the best WNBA game of the season , and I withdraw everything I said and thought about Arike, who was magnificent. Nice to see Lou get big minutes and play so well. It's always tough to watch DT lose, though.
 
vballcoach said:
Just finished watching Phoenix-Dallas. Just about the best WNBA game of the season , and I withdraw everything I said and thought about Arike, who was magnificent. Nice to see Lou get big minutes and play so well. It's always tough to watch DT lose, though.
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Dont think DT is 100%, from her back injury.
 
vballcoach said:
Just finished watching Phoenix-Dallas. Just about the best WNBA game of the season , and I withdraw everything I said and thought about Arike, who was magnificent. Nice to see Lou get big minutes and play so well. It's always tough to watch DT lose, though.
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Arike was great and played better than normal. She's great when she shoots 13-19, good when she is 9-19, and a liability at 4-19. She's a good shooter when in rhythm. If I were the coach, I'd limit her to 1-2 circus shots per game.
 
ochoopsfan said:
Dont think DT is 100%, from her back injury.
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Here is a link that has replays of 2 of 3 of Lou's blocks in the game. The one I am concerned with is the 2nd video.
2 things, the second block, appears to be a steal rather than a block. It is on DT driving to the hoop, but I am not sure DT was in a shooting motion. Second thing, on this play, DT never made it back on defense. If you notice when Dallas made the basket there was 16 seconds left on the shot clock, thus a full 8 seconds elapsed and DT didnt get back. I think she might have tweaked the back again.

go.nba.com

MISS Smith 9' Jump Shot#@#Samuelson BLOCK (1 BLK)

MISS Smith 9' Jump Shot#@#Samuelson BLOCK (1 BLK) 2020-08-16/DALPHO
go.nba.com go.nba.com
 
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MilfordHusky said:
Arike was great and played better than normal. She's great when she shoots 13-19, good when she is 9-19, and a liability at 4-19. She's a good shooter when in rhythm. If I were the coach, I'd limit her to 1-2 circus shots per game.
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Isn't that true of ANY player though? Yeah, if your shot isn't falling you can play some good D, make some hustle plays, grab rebounds, dish some assists. But any player at some point is hurting their team if they miss a bunch of shots, and Arike doesn't have a corner on that market. I've seen plenty of really good players have really bad games.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Isn't that true of ANY player though? Yeah, if your shot isn't falling you can play some good D, make some hustle plays, grab rebounds, dish some assists. But any player at some point is hurting their team if they miss a bunch of shots, and Arike doesn't have a corner on that market. I've seen plenty of really good players have really bad games.
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Yes, it’s true, but Arike has been a low percentage shooter. She hasn’t cornered the market, but historically she has more than her share. The 4-19 games come too often, and the 13-19 games are too infrequent. Let’s see how she does going forward. She’s certainly exciting, but she’s not a great player if she averages only 40% for the season. She’s not my favorite player, but still, I’d like to see her maximize her talent.
 
MilfordHusky said:
She’s certainly exciting, but she’s not a great player if she averages only 40% for the season.
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:rolleyes: Better be careful on where you draw the line for a great player. Taurasi is at .433 for her career and Bird at .429. That's not that much above 40%.
 
She is going to get better. KLS just has to keep being aggressive when she gets the ball. Build up that confidence and play without fear. Her teammates will start to trust her in the long run. Remember, this is a new team for her. She did not get into a rhythm with Chicago between injuries and dealing with trying to fit into their rotation. She gets shipped off to a new team and adjust to a new coaching style and system. It takes a moment. If she comes in and starts trying to do too much, she gets criticized. If she doesn't do anything, she gets criticized. I mean she is in a tough spot. I believe as the season progresses, she is going to find her groove and play to her strength and the coaching staff & her teammates will adjust accordingly. She is going to be okay.
 
bballnut90 said:
Always impressed by some posters' abilities to find negatives in players they don't like
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It is a style of play that is questioned. Think how good Arike might be if she had gone to UConn.
 
Look at how well KLS played when she got a lot of playing time. I saw what I thought was more confidence. She will do well if she continues to get the playing time. However, she will have to continue playing well because Sabally will return before long.
 
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donalddoowop said:
Look at how well KLS played when she got a lot of playing time. I saw what I thought was more confidence. She will do well if she continues to get the playing time. However, she will have to continue playing well because Sabally will return before long.
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In the WNBA, playing time is not guaranteed. Lou will need to figure out how to make an impact in less minutes and stay ready for extended opportunities. That requires a mental toughness she needs to bring.
 
I am glad to see KLS have a good game yesterday. She definitely has the talent and smarts to be a factor in the league. The injury to Sabaly likely gives her a chance to shine.

I get the no love lost for Arike some posters have but she's proven to be a very good pro. She is the female Russell Westbrook: someone who will take a lot of shots, have games where she shoots very poorly but has the potential to also win a ton of games as well. She will likely continue to grow and mature as a team leader and is likely the go to player for Dallas as long as she is in uniform there.
 
bballnut90 said:
Always impressed by some posters' abilities to find negatives in players they don't like
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I see your point and accept that it happens. But it can also be true that "some posters" don't like a player because of the negatives "they don't like". We all have some bias, but not all let that bias color their perception for ill or for good.
 
My impression is that in the WNBA players who drive to the hoop almost invariably put a shot up, Arike of course but not just her. Players spotting up at the three point line are largely ignored.

That is in sharp contrast to UConn`s style of play. Think about Gabby setting up Lou, Anna setting up Megan, Crystal setting up both of them.
 
Went over the game again and some stats on Lou.
She played 31 minutes of the final 33 minutes of the game.
She played the entire 4th quarter, but took no shots.
She had 4 rebounds(all DRebs), 1 block and 1 steal, all in the 4th quarter.
Her defense was solid.
From what I understand her defense is what she was most proud about from yesterdays game.
 
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Dokey said:
It is a style of play that is questioned. Think how good Arike might be if she had gone to UConn.
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Honestly she probably wouldn't be as good IMO. Playing for Muffet suited her quite well. Arguably her best asset is creating her own shot, which you don't commonly see in Geno's offense. Arike thrived as a playmaker at ND under Muffet, who gave her lots of freedom she wouldn't have at UCONN. She was pretty darn good at ND and is now one of the best guards in the WNBA in just her second year. Not a knock on Geno, just that Arike in South Bend was a great fit.
 
nwhoopfan said:
They are both great players. My point was merely that greatness isn't established by drawing a line in the sand in regards to FG%.
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Agreed. Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith, Tina Thompson and Tamika Catchings have career FG between 40-42%. Championships ultimately influence much of a player's legacy. Still a lot of basketball left to be played for Arike.
 
nwhoopfan said:
They are both great players. My point was merely that greatness isn't established by drawing a line in the sand in regards to FG%.
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True, but I prefer a higher percentage to a lower one. Scoring a lot of points doesn't make a player great if he/she takes large numbers of bad shots. I enjoyed watching Arike yesterday. In other games, I cringe when she forces shots and doesn't pass to open teammates. To help her team win, Arike needs more games like yesterday's and not 30% shooting games.
 
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