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Message: [QUOTE="inthisopinion, post: 2656352, member: 8728"] This is going to rub all you Auriemma worshipers the wrong way but building an offense around a great player is why the coach is there and on D1 level also making the big bucks. It's his or her job to get that player and this is important, the rest of the team on the same page. Both the leading player and the rest of the team have to understand that is the way the offense will operate. With this special situation comes responsibility and not all peachy keen because that player has to deliver. Some players don't want it and the coach has to find out two things. Is that player worthy of this special position and can that player prosper in it. However, the only way to find out is is game conditions. Dean Smith was a great coach but I think he had a major weakness which cost him at least 2 titles. That weakness was his belief that his system was more important than a great player like Michael Jordan or Bob McAdoo who were both under played in the offense. In the women's game this issue is even more important because a supreme program like UConn only has to win 2 or 3 games vs teams who have a real chance to beat them. If this leading player offense is not used all the time it will not be well tuned for those few key games. In the case of KLS because of her rare offensive versatility there should be no chance for an opponent to take her out of the game. She can play inside or outside and with or without the ball. That's 4 ways plus multiple and varying combinations. Actually you want the opponent to defend your leading player but on your terms not theirs. If it's on your terms it's beneficial in at least 2 ways. You know where the defense is always going to be and the rest of your players will have plenty of space and chances to succeed (in this case benefit from KLS superior passing). Remember we are talking about a game that has just 5 players on a side and has been dominated by 1 or 2 of those on one side the majority of it's history since it's beginning and that will never change. If this type of player does not exist then, of course, the best action is the team concept which UConn is so good at. However, I believe that player does exist on this team in KLS. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach