1. I think the point guard situation is leaning more towards unsustainable. Jackie has done an amazing job so far, but it's a lot to ask her to run the offense, limit turnovers, guard the best backcourt threat, score 20 a game efficiently and play 35+ minutes a game. That's not fair to her and doesn't feel like a winning strategy long term.
2. I think Odyssey makes sense, especially if Gray is out for at least 2 or more weeks which feels likely at this rate. Sims is a defensive minded guard with experience playing the point so I get why some want her. Just 10 minutes a game from a player like her could make all the difference to me.
3. I definitely think they waived Fair to bring someone else in. So at least one more person like an Odyssey will fill that role. But I also wouldn't be surprised if Vegas picks someone else up and waive Emma Cannon as well.
Vegas is kinda in a tough spot right now. If they can survive and get healthy with the right additions they could actually still have a shot a decent depth.
This post captures my thoughts perfectly, so I won't add too much (or maybe I will
).
This next part is not directed at you,
@GCKSFN4L: I will say that PG play isn't just about assists and turnovers. A player can make a bad pass (e.g., a pass at the end of the shot clock/bailout pass) that her teammate just happens to score on. It counts as an assist on the score sheet, but you're not given any other context than that. I'm not saying that Jackie hasn't been giving it her all (she has) and excelling as a player (she has--it's clear that she's been the second-best player in on the team this season and maybe for longer than that). I commend her for making the sacrifice for the betterment of the team. But having a PG who can dictate tempo and get the ball where it needs to be far more often than not is invaluable. There are things that Chelsea does that are not quantifiable by assist/turnover stats, and we need to be mindful of that when discussing her impact on this team. The offense can still function to a degree, but it looks chaotic when Chelsea isn't running it. It's less efficient and does not unlock all of the pieces. I would expect a player like Megan Gustafson to look much better playing next to an actual PG.
So yes, kudos to Jackie (and Kelsey) for doing what they can while playing out of position. But they are not Chelsea Gray by any stretch of the imagination. They do not dictate tempo like she does. They do not have the shot/pass balance that she has (nobody does, but most PGs in the league have some semblance of balance that makes them more suitable for the position than our current healthy guards). They don't lead defensively like she does (Jackie is a better defender, for sure--but not a better leader defensively). They can't diagnose defenses on the fly like she can. They're also not clutch shooters like she's shown herself to be since the second part of that 2022 season.
It does a PG like Chelsea a major disservice when we simply measure PG play by assists (and turnovers). Alyssa Thomas is a high-assist player. So is Courtney Vandersloot. I would not be happy with either player running PG long-term for the Aces.
tl;dr: PG play is about more than just assists and turnovers. Chelsea plays the position better than anyone else on the team (and in the league) by far.
Re sustainability--I kinda worry about the mileage that the "Core Four" are putting on this season. They want to make the 5x5 Olympic Team (though I know that maybe two of them, at most, would start). That entails more games + more travel. They want to compete in and win the Commissioner's Cup. That means they'll have to make sure they go 5-0 in those CC games in June and win the Commissioner's Cup game.
With more depth, however, I'd worry less. Becky is doing a fantastic job of building depth at the wing position with Kate. But until Chelsea returns, the team is one guard short. That's where a vet like Odyssey Sims (who can do some of the things that Chelsea does with respect to distributing and dictating tempo) would help. I agree that they'll need to get rid of Emma Cannon at some point so that they can bring in a big who can provide playable depth and/or size.
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