Mir

[oldude]

So I went back to watch all of Mir’s minutes in the game to see if I could see what lead Geno to sit her on the bench and keep her there during the 2nd half. Mir was given the difficult challenge of guarding Park-Lane who quite frankly gave everyone who guarded her fits. Mir was no more successful than Paige in trying to stop Park-Lane. But that wasn’t specifically why Geno sat her down.

Initially, as we all witnessed, Mir grabbed a couple rebounds, and scored a couple baskets in the paint. But I saw 3 things that were a concern:

• Mir stood around on offense several times, not quite sure where she was supposed to be. This was similar to Aubrey last year.
• Mir got called for 3 seconds, wiping out a made 3 pt shot by Christyn.
• While Mir struggled with Park-Lane, the last sequence before Geno sat her down involved Park-Lane making a quick move across the lane, for a wide open 12 footer. Mir wasn’t screened on the play, but just appeared to stop and watch Park-Lane separate and score

That last play was a true head scratcher to be sure. I’m sure Mir got the message.

 

[eebmg]

so Mir was drifting in space. Only natural.

 

[oldude]

so Mir was drifting in space. Only natural.

 

[donalddoowop]

I don't understand why some people think a team has to have five scorers on the floor at the same time. I have seen very good teams with only four scorers on the floor at the same time. For one, UConn whenever Jefferson came in in her freshman season and when Faris was on the floor early in her career. All of UConn's opponents don't have five scorers at the same time. Somebody has to facilitate. It's great to have five but not necessary to win. There are many other examples.

 

[Fossil]

The only call that I thought was really bad was Olivia's first foul. She was moving around her defender in the post, and of course her elbow touched the defender because there was no place else it could have gone. She didn't shove it into the defender or attempt to move the defender with her arm. I've seen that play permitted many times as a valid offensive post move. She lost a field goal on that call, as well as getting a foul.

It looked to me like Liv got hammered before she made the move to the basket it should easily have been a called against Seton hall. I do think the officials did a poor job missed a lot of fouls, Mir got knocked to the ground by a big body never called Tickie tac touch fouls called and I’ve never seen more traveling calls in a basketball game

 

[GreatValue]

For what's it worth Mir and Park-Lane were AAU teammates for Team Takeover.

 

[donalddoowop]

It looked to me like Liv got hammered before she made the move to the basket it should easily have been a called against Seton hall. I do think the officials did a poor job missed a lot of fouls, Mir got knocked to the ground by a big body never called Tickie tac touch fouls called and I’ve never seen more traveling calls in a basketball game

The only reason so many traveling calls were made is that the players were traveling. Almost all of them were called because the players shuffled their feet before dribbling. Go back and review if you don't believe it. I saw it so many times when I used to officiate basketball and the players wondered what they did wrong.

 

[TB12]

While I think Mir will eventually be a really good player, she is struggling with learning the plays and her defensive assignments right now. Coach Auriemma has repeatedly alluded to this in his interviews, and again did so in his post game comments last night.

Mir played AAU with Park-Lane .. she should know how to guard her

 

[BBallF]

Olivia looks as mechanical in her inside moves as she did as a freshman and it seems the elbow is a big part of her moves. Almost like in her mind she's saying, first do this, next do this, etc.
Having said that, she's very smooth on her outside shots so maybe she's more comfortable outside.

I agree with that observation. My biggest weaknesses for her in the post are that she rarely passes the ball back out and then resets her position to get the ball back at a now superior position. The key is not just getting her the ball down below but rather getting her the ball in the right place meaning not only where she is in reference to the basket but also where her body is vis a vis the defender. She also misses open players to pass to because she is so intent on going to the hole. I think both of these issues will be problematic against teams with good big men.

 

[Carnac]

That wasn't what they called the foul on it was a few seconds later that the SH player was called for the foul. They should have called a blatant foul on her and Paige should had two free throws at the other end. This was one of the worst officiated games that I've since the muggings we took at UCF last year.

Those UCF games were rough. Their players would come out with brass knuckles on one hand, and a sack of nickels in the other.

 

[EdSaid]

Those UCF games were rough. The players would come out with brass knuckles on one hand, and a sack of nickels in the other.

Meghan Culmo called those games against UCF "Rock fights."

 

[Gus Mahler]

So I went back to watch all of Mir’s minutes in the game to see if I could see what lead Geno to sit her on the bench and keep her there during the 2nd half. Mir was given the difficult challenge of guarding Park-Lane who quite frankly gave everyone who guarded her fits. Mir was no more successful than Paige in trying to stop Park-Lane. But that wasn’t specifically why Geno sat her down.

Initially, as we all witnessed, Mir grabbed a couple rebounds, and scored a couple baskets in the paint. But I saw 3 things that were a concern:

• Mir stood around on offense several times, not quite sure where she was supposed to be. This was similar to Aubrey last year.
• Mir got called for 3 seconds, wiping out a made 3 pt shot by Christyn.
• While Mir struggled with Park-Lane, the last sequence before Geno sat her down involved Park-Lane making a quick move across the lane, for a wide open 12 footer. Mir wasn’t screened on the play, but just appeared to stop and watch Park-Lane separate and score

That last play was a true head scratcher to be sure. I’m sure Mir got the message.

I support your analysis.

 

[Gus Mahler]

so Mir was drifting in space. Only natural.

Well done, sir.

 

[Cuango]

So I went back to watch all of Mir’s minutes in the game to see if I could see what lead Geno to sit her on the bench and keep her there during the 2nd half. Mir was given the difficult challenge of guarding Park-Lane who quite frankly gave everyone who guarded her fits. Mir was no more successful than Paige in trying to stop Park-Lane. But that wasn’t specifically why Geno sat her down.

Initially, as we all witnessed, Mir grabbed a couple rebounds, and scored a couple baskets in the paint. But I saw 3 things that were a concern:

• Mir stood around on offense several times, not quite sure where she was supposed to be. This was similar to Aubrey last year.
• Mir got called for 3 seconds, wiping out a made 3 pt shot by Christyn.
• While Mir struggled with Park-Lane, the last sequence before Geno sat her down involved Park-Lane making a quick move across the lane, for a wide open 12 footer. Mir wasn’t screened on the play, but just appeared to stop and watch Park-Lane separate and score

That last play was a true head scratcher to be sure. I’m sure Mir got the message.

I think the quick hook came when Mir was involved in a struggle for a tie-up (at 33.30 in the replay) and the possession went to SH and Mir threw the ball back over her head disgustedly. That was the only possible reason I saw.

 

[BostonBay]

Olivia has a very lean frame. Let's face it - she's a finesse player. Some have said she bulked up a bit & got stronger during the offseason. I dont see it. Not to say she wont be better this year, but her game so far hasnt changed much. I was hoping she would be quicker & more instinctive by now, but she looks very mechanical out there. Against, good teams, that wont work.

 

[Mike_In_Storrs]

I haven't seen Aubrey attempt a jump shot. Kelly Faris learned that lesson. You can't play 4 on 5 on offense. All five players have to be able to shoot. Ben Simmons is going through the same problem in Philly.

You also can't play "4 on 5" on defense either.... I was always taught that defense wins ballgames too.. That is why I like Aubrey Griffin.

If I remember correctly, Gabby didn't shoot like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird in the beginning either..... It was her defense/rebounding and atheletism that brought out her offense. Her offensive game took time..

 

[jazz]

I haven't seen Aubrey attempt a jump shot. Kelly Faris learned that lesson. You can't play 4 on 5 on offense. All five players have to be able to shoot. Ben Simmons is going through the same problem in Philly.

The thing is I didn't expect much more out of Aubrey anyway. But despite that, she can make a serious impact with what she has in her athleticism, speed, quickness and rebounding, not to mention her defense and help in the press and on the break.

She has good form on her jump shots which probably means it is only a matter of time before she hits a couple. Then players will have to guard her from 12-15 feet and she can use her quickness to get to the rim.

However if her short jumper doesn't materialise, she will still have an impact. Players like her tend to wear done the opponent. I like her for at least 10-12 minutes a game and more if she can hit a jumper or two.

 

[ShmiCO]

I'm another Mir fan! I see great things in her future.

But it's early days for this team, in an exceptionally tough year. Lots for everyone to work on to get into top form, including the refs. (Re refs: Head shot = guaranteed whistle IMO. Otherwise, gotta back the refs if we want the sport to thrive.)

So I support all of our freshmen on their journey, not just the one who has already arrived. I remember my own freshman year as a lot of "drinking from the fire hose". An avalanche of life lessons, on top of school stuff that was 10x more challenging than HS. And I didn't have sports on my plate. I feel it's way too early to worry so much about Mir. She'll get there.

 

[Carnac]

I support your analysis.

The highly respected and Hall of Fame coach John Wooden (the Wizard of Westwood) often remarked that “the bench is an excellent teacher”. It was true in his era, and remains so today. I’m a Mir fan also.

 

[oldude]

I think the quick hook came when Mir was involved in a struggle for a tie-up (at 33.30 in the replay) and the possession went to SH and Mir threw the ball back over her head disgustedly. That was the only possible reason I saw.

In his post game presser, when asked about Mir, Geno stated that “after a strong start she disappeared into her own little world.” IMO, Geno didn’t take her out for battling for a rebound. He took her out for losing her focus.

 

[JoePgh]

I think oldude made the correct diagnosis about why Mir was benched. Shortly after the contested rebound, she was (supposedly) defending Park-Lane when LPL made a move that Mir made no attempt to cover, thereby getting an uncontested short jump shot and a score. Given that Mir knew Park-Lane from high school and presumably knew her moves and tendences, that was an especially significant defensive failure. It appeared to be due to lack of concentration. Certainly there was a lack of effort to recover after being faked out by the initial move.

At that point, there was only one minute left in the first half. Geno could easily have left her in for that last minute. Taking her out early was definitely sending a message.

 

[mudcat]

I didn’t notice that. I thought it was fairly decent, honestly.

On the fouls, not too bad. Missed a LOT of traveling calls.

 

[HopJim]

I don't understand why some people think a team has to have five scorers on the floor at the same time. I have seen very good teams with only four scorers on the floor at the same time. For one, UConn whenever Jefferson came in in her freshman season and when Faris was on the floor early in her career. All of UConn's opponents don't have five scorers at the same time. Somebody has to facilitate. It's great to have five but not necessary to win. There are many other examples.

Agree that winning teams don't need five scorers. They do need 5th player to work within the context of the offense-depending on skills, setting picks, moving without ball, etc. The issue with Aubrey last year and Mir a bit so far is standing around, bogging up the flow for the other four. Gabby early on was a perfect example-not a shooter, but great on pick and rolls and opened the floor for others.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In his post game presser, when asked about Mir, Geno stated that “after a strong start she disappeared into her own little world.” IMO, Geno didn’t take her out for battling for a rebound. He took her out for losing her focus.

If we are to believe Geno Mir does not know the UConn offense, none of it. Couple this with her wandering off in her head to her own world and you get Aubrey 2019. Getting an offensive rebound because a team mate threw up a shot because you busted the play is a bit of a poor consolation. Some here think she should start. I don't think so. Can she learn the offense? Then we can talk about where she fits.

 

[jazz]

If we are to believe Geno Mir does not know the UConn offense, none of it. Couple this with her wandering off in her head to her own world and you get Aubrey 2019. Getting an offensive rebound because a team mate threw up a shot because you busted the play is a bit of a poor consolation. Some here think she should start. I don't think so. Can she learn the offense? Then we can talk about where she fits.

If she doesn't know where to go on offense, then yes, she needs to sit until she learns where to go. I looked at it again and noticed that she looked a bit confused on offense. Despite this, she made an impact to the game. In saying that, how do you put her in if she doesn't know where to go. It does seem like a coach would have taken her aside at the half, explained things to her and let her know she would have another go at it in the second half. It's good to have an additional rep right after you make a mistake to learn and enforce it in the brain.

Obviously Geno has his way and I can't argue that his way has worked over the years.

 

[Cuango]

In his post game presser, when asked about Mir, Geno stated that “after a strong start she disappeared into her own little world.” IMO, Geno didn’t take her out for battling for a rebound. He took her out for losing her focus.

Sometimes the coach may not want to point out certain things to the public, instead handling it in-house. I’m not sure battling (and winning) the struggle for a rebound is “losing focus”. I think the “losing focus” was code for “ I didn’t like the player’s attitude or actions”.

 

[sdhoops]

Sometimes the coach may not want to point out certain things to the public, instead handling it in-house. I’m not sure battling (and winning) the struggle for a rebound is “losing focus”. I think the “losing focus” was code for “ I didn’t like the player’s attitude or actions”.

Weren't there similar sentiments with AEH? I hope for Mir's sake that she gets on board. He's hinted around that she turns her motor on and off when she wants to. I'm sure that's a pet peeve for Geno..he has praised her athletic ability and she appears to be more than capable of playing at this level. She will have to buy in. As we saw with Charde Houston, you could be one of the best scorers in the country, but if you don't buy in then you are going to sit.

 

[JoePgh]

Sometimes the coach may not want to point out certain things to the public, instead handling it in-house. I’m not sure battling (and winning) the struggle for a rebound is “losing focus”. I think the “losing focus” was code for “ I didn’t like the player’s attitude or actions”.

"Losing focus" referred to what she did (and did not do) AFTER she battled for the rebound, not to the battle itself. I can well imagine that she (like Tina as a freshman) has a tendency not to be fully in the game when she isn't physically involved in the play.

 

[oldude]

Sometimes the coach may not want to point out certain things to the public, instead handling it in-house. I’m not sure battling (and winning) the struggle for a rebound is “losing focus”. I think the “losing focus” was code for “ I didn’t like the player’s attitude or actions”.

Again, the rebound you’re focused on had nothing to do with Mir being pulled from the game. As I and several others have pointed out, Mir was not dialed in. She was frequently out of position, getting an absent minded 3 second call that cost Christyn a 3 and then inexplicably stopped guarding an opponent, allowing her to get an uncontested basket.

 

[MooseJaw]

The only reason so many traveling calls were made is that the players were traveling. Almost all of them were called because the players shuffled their feet before dribbling. Go back and review if you don't believe it. I saw it so many times when I used to officiate basketball and the players wondered what they did wrong.

Heck I loved to play the game when I was younger, being a big oaf I was constantly whistled for this very offense, I learned a way to get around it. Every time I was ready to take off and dribble the ball I would look to pass instead.