Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks - 8/21/18

[MilfordHusky]

Parker is very good for the league. Will she mix it up at the basket? No but she can do everything else. Love her versatility.

I love Candace's skills, but not her inconsistent effort or frequently poor attitude.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I half expect to find out that Moore has been carrying some sort of secret leg injury. Was not herself at all down the stretch, missing free throws and coming up way short on a 3.

I don't know what's up with Maya. She's only 29 and in shape, but she has been slow and had several mediocre games this year. Her scoring and rebounding dropped when Sylvia joined the team, not because Maya had lost anything, but because Syl became the primary scorer and rebounder. It was their best approach to winning. But this season, other than leading the league in steals, she seemed a little off--off her lofty standards. Second-team All-WNBA is not too shabby, but it's a drop from her history. First-team All-WNBA Maya would have scored in the 4th quarter last night to grab the win.

 

[Shades]

I don't know what's up with Maya. She's only 29 and in shape, but she has been slow and had several mediocre games this year. Her scoring and rebounding dropped when Sylvia joined the team, not because Maya had lost anything, but because Syl became the primary scorer and rebounder. It was their best approach to winning. But this season, other than leading the league in steals, she seemed a little off--off her lofty standards. Second-team All-WNBA is not too shabby, but it's a drop from her history. First-team All-WNBA Maya would have scored in the 4th quarter last night to grab the win.

I have three theories on why Maya wasn’t as Maya as we’re used to this season. Two of them are feasible and possibly related. The other might be a stretch but maybe they all apply to a degree.

1. Fatigue from overseas play. Usually Maya plays in the Chinese league, which finishes at least a month before the WNBA season. This year Maya played in the Euroleague for UMMC, where they went on to win both the Euroleague and Russian championships. With Maya joining the team, Taurasi took later half the UMMC season off, which may explain some of her freshness this season. Maya went from Euroleague to the WNBA with only a couple days break. This was the first training camp that Maya missed basically the whole thing.

2. Nagging overuse injuries. After Maya’s rookie season, it was said she suffered from tendinitis that was flaring up. That year she went from UConn to WNBA with very little rest. It wouldn’t be surprising if Maya is always contending with tendinitis but never complaining about it or using it as an excuse.

3. Knows this is her last year as a Lynx. This one is purely speculation but could explain her loss of laser focus. Wiggins’ last year as a Lynx saw a big drop in performance, so it could be a similar pattern. Maya could have been signed to an extension anytime during this season, but it hasn’t happened yet. Instead, DRob is the first player to be re-signed. Maya should be priority one.

 

[Striper69]

I half expect to find out that Moore has been carrying some sort of secret leg injury. Was not herself at all down the stretch, missing free throws and coming up way short on a 3.

She got kneed in the thigh in the second half.

 

[MilfordHusky]

She got kneed in the thigh in the second half.

Thanks for the reminder. That could have been the cause of her sub-par four quarter.

 

[UConnCat]

Local paper had a piece on Maya and her sub-par season.

Moore played in every game — she's only missed one in eight seasons — but perhaps the WNBA's condensed schedule this season wore her down? Maybe she was fighting a behind-the-scenes injury? Perhaps defenses were able to key on her more with older teammates contributing less?

Lynx star Maya Moore was less this season

I think it was all of the above. The Lynx's abysmal guard play allowed defenses to key in on Maya and Fowles without having to worry about the others. Maya also had to work so hard for every shot. Nothing came easy this season. There were time she was open or posting up and the guards either didn't see her or got her the ball too late.

I don't know what her overseas plans are but Maya needs some rest. Anybody think she'll bag the World Championships in order to rest? Nah, me neither.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Local paper had a piece on Maya and her sub-par season.

Moore played in every game — she's only missed one in eight seasons — but perhaps the WNBA's condensed schedule this season wore her down? Maybe she was fighting a behind-the-scenes injury? Perhaps defenses were able to key on her more with older teammates contributing less?

Lynx star Maya Moore was less this season

I think it was all of the above. The Lynx's abysmal guard play allowed defenses to key in on Maya and Fowles without having to worry about the others. Maya also had to work so hard for every shot. Nothing came easy this season. There were time she was open or posting up and the guards either didn't see her or got her the ball too late.

I don't know what her overseas plans are but Maya needs some rest. Anybody think she'll bag the World Championships in order to rest? Nah, me neither.

Maya's season was sub-par only by her lofty standards. She led the league in steals and was #9 in scoring. She made 2nd team All-WNBA. But she looked off a bit. Her stats were generally below her career averages, but not career lows.

As Mike points out, with Syl down low, Maya has been forced to the perimeter. The cuts to the basket that worked well with McCarville at the high post are no longer available. Syl's arrival meant fewer points and rebounds for Maya. That was part of winning.

I think the defenses keyed on Maya and Syl this year. Brunson, Augustus, and Whalen are not the players they were 2-3 years ago.

In terms of wear and tear, I noticed something unusual at the Whalen ceremony on Sunday. Seimone had ice bags on her knees, but Maya did not. I have never seem Maya in a post-game without ice.

The 4th quarter performance on Tuesday could have been caused by the knee to the thigh.

Maya's season had been more erratic than normal. She had games with 31, 32, 34, and 38 points, along with games of 5, 7, 8, (2x), 9, 11, and 12 (5x). She looked VERY good at All-Star weekend.

One thing about Maya is that she is very proud. She does NOT like being asked about playing at a subpar level.

 

[shizam]

I love Candace's skills, but not her inconsistent effort or frequently poor attitude.

I used to be a big critic of Parker for the same reasons. Not anymore after that championship season and since. She’s matured. I really disliked her and loved her not making the Olympic team. That was the right move. It took that to wake her up and be motivated for an entire season and win a championship.

 

[shizam]

The Lynx lost not because of a lack of intensity or "want to;" they lost because of a lack of talent, particularly at the guard spot. Whalen and Augustus had nothing left in the tank especially against guards as talented and big as Gray and Williams. The Lynx emptied the tank last year when they won their 4th championship in 7 years. The Sparks's struggles this year show just how difficult it is to accomplish what the Lynx accomplished with its core group. Hats off to them for a remarkable run. Changes are now gonna come. . .

It’s clear we’re headed for changes,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We’re a team that’s been together a long, long time, now eight years. That means we had them at 25, 26, 27. Now, they’re getting to a place where they just can’t keep going.

“We’re going to do our very, very best to look at everything open to us. We have a lot of flexibility in our contractual situations. We’ll start right away looking at free agency and, obviously, the collegiate draft. We have a lot of work to do with our roster.”

Whalen was painful to watch play this year. I remember 2014 the first year I was a fan and how good she was.

 

[Striper69]

I love Maya but I could see the writing on the wall.

Maybe she needs to take a break...


from the Lynx next season?

 

[Blueballer]

The Lynx lost not because of a lack of intensity or "want to;" they lost because of a lack of talent, particularly at the guard spot. Whalen and Augustus had nothing left in the tank especially against guards as talented and big as Gray and Williams. The Lynx emptied the tank last year when they won their 4th championship in 7 years. The Sparks's struggles this year show just how difficult it is to accomplish what the Lynx accomplished with its core group. Hats off to them for a remarkable run. Changes are now gonna come. . .

It’s clear we’re headed for changes,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We’re a team that’s been together a long, long time, now eight years. That means we had them at 25, 26, 27. Now, they’re getting to a place where they just can’t keep going.

“We’re going to do our very, very best to look at everything open to us. We have a lot of flexibility in our contractual situations. We’ll start right away looking at free agency and, obviously, the collegiate draft. We have a lot of work to do with our roster.”

I agree. I'm surprised they let Renee Montgomery sign with Atlanta. Look what she has done to help them this season. Renee was missed a lot more than MINN thought she would be.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree. I'm surprised they let Renee Montgomery sign with Atlanta. Look what she has done to help them this season. Renee was missed a lot more than MINN thought she would be.

Minnesota had no choice. Renee was an unrestricted free agent, I believe, and Renee has a home and family in the Atlanta area. She was reluctant to leave Minnesota, but Atlanta wanted her, and the pull of "home" was too strong to resist.

 

[Shades]

Minnesota had no choice. Renee was an unrestricted free agent, I believe, and Renee has a home and family in the Atlanta area. She was reluctant to leave Minnesota, but Atlanta wanted her, and the pull of "home" was too strong to resist.

Minnesota should have used their core on Montgomery in order to get something in trade for her. But when you core a player, their salary becomes max + $2500. So maybe the Lynx were too nervous about being able to deal her at that price and felt they might get stuck with her, when they had their heart set on acquiring DRob.