KLS as a pro

[Dokey]

The five Dallas had on the floor for much of the second half played well but then I watched Seattle in following game move the ball quickly up the court and use quick passes to score. Note that Lou's steal was off DT--just keeping it in the family.

 

[Dokey]

Arike's taken 13 shots today and hit 9, has 3 assists. She's been anything but a ball hog today.

And they won because she was less of a ball hog, though her misses were still on really bad decisions. I could tell she was about to miss before ball cleared her finger tips. In two years if she learns to pass those up, she will be a winning force. Mabbrey and Lou helped put her in position for good shots. It was an enjoyable game.

 

[Jlong231]

There's only 11 players that average at least 4-5 and one them, Alyssa Thomas isn't a guard.

I’m talking about the rookie guard from South Carolina, not sure what her name is

 

[bballnut90]

They were not wrong at the time I read them. She has better stats the last few games but before that they were not good. She was really good today but the offense ran more fluidly when she was not in the game because the ball was usually moving. Her coach had to tell her today to stop playing so much one on one. When she does that her teammates stand around watching her. If she can play consistently as well as she did today she will be all WNBA and worthy of it. However, her team needs Mabrey (sp) and KLS to play as well as they did today. I think Mabrey made the difference. So much for KLS not being able to create her own shot. She shot that to pieces today.

Stats were from a few games ago, at the earliest, and you posted those numbers today. On the season Arike is now shooting 44% from the floor which is quite good for a guard.

The ball flat out didnt move much on Dallas from what I saw regardless if she was in there or not. Their offense is almost all dribble drive or catch and create. They have no quality post presence so very little interior passing, especially since Phoenix had Griner inside. Even KLS was scoring off the dribble.

 

[sivad40]

And they won because she was less of a ball hog, though her misses were still on really bad decisions. I could tell she was about to miss before ball cleared her finger tips. In two years if she learns to pass those up, she will be a winning force. Mabbrey and Lou helped put her in position for good shots. It was an enjoyable game.

They also won because she made most of her shots. All of the cherry and nit picking about Arike on here is overshadowing the fact that Phoenix lost to a team that should've beaten.

 

[bballnut90]

And they won because she was less of a ball hog, though her misses were still on really bad decisions. I could tell she was about to miss before ball cleared her finger tips. In two years if she learns to pass those up, she will be a winning force. Mabbrey and Lou helped put her in position for good shots. It was an enjoyable game.

Always impressed by some posters' abilities to find negatives in players they don't like

 

[ochoopsfan]

 

[ochoopsfan]

 

[ochoopsfan]

 

[Huskee11]

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.

 

[donalddoowop]

Always impressed by some posters' abilities to find negatives in players they don't like

Always impressed by some posters abilities to find negatives in posters who complain about players they don't like. We sometime complain about players we do like.

 

[vballcoach]

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.

 

[ochoopsfan]

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.

Dont think DT is 100%, from her back injury.

 

[MilfordHusky]

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.

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]

Dont think DT is 100%, from her back injury.

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.

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

 

[nwhoopfan]

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.

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.

 

[MilfordHusky]

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.

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.

 

[nwhoopfan]

She’s certainly exciting, but she’s not a great player if she averages only 40% for the season.

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%.

 

[JellyBean]

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.

 

[Dokey]

Always impressed by some posters' abilities to find negatives in players they don't like

It is a style of play that is questioned. Think how good Arike might be if she had gone to UConn.

 

[donalddoowop]

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.

 

[eebmg]

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.

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.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

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.

 

[Bama fan]

Always impressed by some posters' abilities to find negatives in players they don't like

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.