paige as next season's point guard

[PacoSwede]

in another thread (closed) that became centered on paige and the idea that she should be point guard, DEpup wrote

'DT is also a point guard and probably the best PG to never really play the position.....

I personally would like her to mentally keep moving in that direction to develop her scorer's mentality and being off the ball helps that.


i agree, and i appreciate the DT parallel.

paige has all skills needed as a basketball player already. being pigeonholed as point guard is foolish; getting more experience and 'working on it' is crazy for her. she can't get any better as a pg!

at uconn, if she is needed as the pg -- if it's the best way for the team to win -- then she'll do that. but if another player can be a good-enough point (for UConn, that means great) and the team has a weakness elsewhere, then she should fill that gap -- to hell with the limited (though immensely important) pg role.

in the pros, the same would be true. assigning her as the point guard would be foolish -- even if she is the greatest pg ever -- if she would help her team more elsewhere. right? that's the magic of paige -- versatility with primo abilities at multiple spots.

please don't be rigid -- as some here apparently prefer. she's a basketball player, who wants to win, most of all.

one of her weaknesses in the past is mental. she can be too unselfish, as has been said many, many times. that is her major flaw. she's improved but it's something she should work on.

i'm actually afraid of assigning her the point guard role. it would be extremely easy for her to revert to her 'too-unselfish' mode. that would diminish her as magnificent basketball player -- and her value to the huskies.

that's why i'm leery of the azzi-paige theme, BTW. i'm afraid paige would diminish herself by being unselfish to boost azzi. paige has got to avoid temptation to let azzi do the scoring, just as in the past the team fell into the 'let paige do it' trap. the team chemistry is vital, and it's not guaranteed.

 

[EricLA]

Obviously a LOT of summer practices to be had, kids still percolating around the portal, and lots of workouts and strength/conditioning training for the team as well as newbies.

I'm not convinced KK would be a starter next season. She had a lot of trouble putting the ball into the basket. She would fade away on layups to avoid contact thus missing a lot of bunnies. She needs to be way more aggressive IMHO and seek out contact as well as work on her 3 point shot. There's every reason to believe she could do that over the summer.

BUT, if we don't land a PG in the portal, and KK starts, who plays PG off the bench? If we land no PG, I wouldn't be surprised to see Paige start at the 1 and KK come off the bench. Also if Chen comes to UCONN, depending on how much UCONN offense she knows from being coached at Princeton by a former UCONN player, she might find it easy to step into the starting PG spot from day 1.

Also, it's just as possible IMHO that even if Chen comes, in either scenario above, KK starts. In scenario 1, I'd lean more towards Ash starting based on how this past season went, and in scenario 2, I'd lean more towards Chen starting.

Clearly it's just guesswork on my part. No idea who will be on the roster come November, and no idea who will be best suited to start, but I think there are options other than "I guarantee KK will start"...

 

[Blond D.]

With Paige and Azzi playing wings and KK as point guard I think is the way we will start out. Morgan Cheli has had a lot of experience this year at PG so she could takeover for KK. Morgan would be a very big PG and that would be a plus.
Of course we have enough ball handlers who can also shoot that we really dont have to assign one person to the PG position.

 

[johnhelvete]

Obviously a LOT of summer practices to be had, kids still percolating around the portal, and lots of workouts and strength/conditioning training for the team as well as newbies.

I'm not convinced KK would be a starter next season. She had a lot of trouble putting the ball into the basket. She would fade away on layups to avoid contact thus missing a lot of bunnies. She needs to be way more aggressive IMHO and seek out contact as well as work on her 3 point shot. There's every reason to believe she could do that over the summer.

BUT, if we don't land a PG in the portal, and KK starts, who plays PG off the bench? If we land no PG, I wouldn't be surprised to see Paige start at the 1 and KK come off the bench. Also if Chen comes to UCONN, depending on how much UCONN offense she knows from being coached at Princeton by a former UCONN player, she might find it easy to step into the starting PG spot from day 1.

Also, it's just as possible IMHO that even if Chen comes, in either scenario above, KK starts. In scenario 1, I'd lean more towards Ash starting based on how this past season went, and in scenario 2, I'd lean more towards Chen starting.

Clearly it's just guesswork on my part. No idea who will be on the roster come November, and no idea who will be best suited to start, but I think there are options other than "I guarantee KK will start"...

Easy answer, if KK starts and there is no PG addition via the portal than Paige shifts over to PG when KK is out of the game. Now I would agree with you that the coaches will likely have to prep one of the other guards as the third PG, and there should be ample opportunities in Big East play to do so.

 

[packwrap]

Geno can sort out this fun project. Maybe coach Paige wants to play the 5 this year, as it's only spot she hasn't played yet. (Although there was some hi lo with Aaliyah this year resulting in some great passes from the post.)

I just don't get the negative around being a point guard in the pros. Sue Bird, Ionescu, Clark, Steph Curry, Luca Doncic all carved out wonderful seasons at the point.

I'm happy however they construct it though; all healthy is best.

 

[itsasport]

She should be the point guard because she is the best facilitator- who can also take the shot if need be. Paige is going to have plenty of great scorers to pass to- and who she should pass to if they are open. She will still score plenty of points.

This coming year, i think that UConn will average in the high eighties per game, so a lot of players will get 15+ per game.

 

[oldhusky]

Paige has played 1-4 and in theory could again, although I certainly hope it is not much at the 4. Regardless of who starts KK or Paige will probably be in the game almost all the time as the PG. The limitation there is would be hard to rest both at the same time. That by itself is a small issue if healthy, but the third alternative could well be Morgan in a role similar to Evina a couple of years ago, or obviously a more natural option if we added a player like Chen.

Of the three perimeter positions we have more options at the 2 or 3 positions but Paige and KK are a top pair if we can stay healthy. Of course if we added Chen we would be three deep there like the 2 and 3, so it would be significant insurance at the PG spot. Both Morgan and Paige would appear to be usable at any of the perimeter positions adding to the roster versatility.

 

[PacoSwede]

She should be the point guard because she is the best facilitator- who can also take the shot if need be. Paige is going to have plenty of great scorers to pass to- and who she should pass to if they are open. She will still score plenty of points.

This coming year, i think that UConn will average in the high eighties per game, so a lot of players will get 15+ per game.

so you discount the possibility that being the primary facilitator would hurt her and the team?

accepting that she is the best faciliatory on the team, you must realize she is the best scorer as well and making her a pass-first director of the offense would inhibit her scoring. she's the player whose primary concern should be leading the offense -- by scoring, making the appropriate assists and rebounding -- and should not also have the task of coordinating the offense.

 

[Bone Dog]

I can’t help thinking that in a positionless offense, the standard roles are less distinct. Saying KK will start the at 1 may mean little more than that she’ll initiate the offense most trips down the floor. After that, it’s all motion and probing for openings. Of course we all know Paige and Azzi can do this too. But there’s a difference worth noting and thinking about Nika can make this clear.

When Nika was the 1, the team seemed to have more energy. She’s a “pedal to the metal” driver (which is why Geno wouldn’t lend her his car). Azzi and Paige can do this too, but it’s not their natural inclination. KK plays like Nika at the 1. When she gets a rebound or a steal, you can practically hear the motors revving.

So, yeah, we already have 3 point guards that can be used as needed. But there are differences, and we know Geno preferred the energy Nika brought, and which KK will bring too.

Technically, I’d say there’s 4 potential point guards on the depth chart. Morgan is perfectly capable of playing the 1. She strikes me as a bigger version of Evina, who could play the point and often did, but could also play the 4 and often did that as well. She knew how to drive the team, initiate the break, and finish at the rim. These are precisely the virtues of Morgan’s game. If Chen comes, I imagine she’ll be competing with Morgan for the second pg’s minutes.

Who isn’t suitable for the point? Ash, Allie, Caroline, Aubrey and maybe even Sarah, though there’s some ambiguity in the last case. We haven’t seen how her footspeed compares with other D1-ready point guards. Madison Booker brought a lot of strength and ingenuity to the point at Texas, even though she didn’t have nearly the quickness of the other guards. Sarah could do something similar in a rather larger package at 6’2” if Geno lets her. But even if he does, I doubt he’ll want to sacrifice the drive and intensity KK (or Morgan) brings to the offense.

And even if I have ruled out a few players for the point, we have to remember the nature of Geno’s offense. Any of them can and will find themselves at the top of the key initiating plays in the half court, or flinging an outlet pass down the court in transition. The main difference the nominal point guard makes is the energy and ferocity they bring to initiating the offense. They mainly set the tone.

 

[hoophuskee]

Easy answer, if KK starts and there is no PG addition via the portal than Paige shifts over to PG when KK is out of the game. Now I would agree with you that the coaches will likely have to prep one of the other guards as the third PG, and there should be ample opportunities in Big East play to do so.

Morgan Cheli would be the 3rd pg.

 

[hoophuskee]

Paige is basketball player as the OP suggested. If she plays 1/2/3/4 it doesn’t matter. OFC some teams she shouldn't play the 4 but the point is to relegate/limit her to be just a pg has the potential vs some opponents to limit her shot attempts in favorable positions is not something that should be done. Also, if she is solely the pg If, for example Paige is the best shooter on the team, then it makes no sense for her to pass the ball outside as a gameplan to a lesser shooter when your game plan can more easily get her, the best shooter on the team, (if she is) as many shots as you want. It's simple math.

Now if Azzi is healthy, I read a post of skepticism that Paige would "revert" in some manner. I don't agree with that at all. They already went to the Finals together. The NC State game highlighted Paige having no problems doing what she needs to do. And her being a SF passing the ball to an open Azzi, I don't see the issue.

Bottomline is I do expect UCONN to start with two pg's Paige and KK. Thus it doesn't make a difference what we call Paige other than a basketball player though. If she is getting open shots off the ball with KK in the lineup why would anyone rather have Paige be the pg and wind up passing the ball a lot to KK on the perimeter?

With that said, why should Paige be limited to only playing off the ball? We all saw what she did/ needed to do vs NC State as a soph.

 

[Bone Dog]

With that said, why should Paige be limited to only playing off the ball? We all saw what she did/ needed to do vs NC State as a soph.

Wait. Did she play the point against NC St? I thought Nika and Evina and Azzi spent some time at the point in that game. Or did you just mean who inbounded the ball?

 

[Rowdy831]

If UConn is playing for number 12 then Paige will be at the point and Sarah will be on a wing with Azzi or another shooter. KK is a decent defender but she isn't even close to the level of Paige at the point. Now she will eventually get there and she will play a bunch but if everyone is healthy she will come off the bench primarily as a defender.

Just like last year at this point the position available and the one that will dictate their ability to win the NC will be at the 4. They didn't have one this year and they don't appear to have one for next year yet. UConn has not been able to play people in their natural positions the past three years and if they want to be great that will be step one.

 

[JoePgh]

If UConn is playing for number 12 then Paige will be at the point and Sarah will be on a wing with Azzi or another shooter. KK is a decent defender but she isn't even close to the level of Paige at the point. Now she will eventually get there and she will play a bunch but if everyone is healthy she will come off the bench primarily as a defender.

Just like last year at this point the position available and the one that will dictate their ability to win the NC will be at the 4. They didn't have one this year and they don't appear to have one for next year yet. UConn has not been able to play people in their natural positions the past three years and if they want to be great that will be step one.

You don't think that Sarah is tailor-made for the 4 position? (I could have said that she is a Strong candidate for it, but I mercifully refrained from saying that.)

If you say that she is not proven at the major college level, that would be an understandable caution, but that is quite different from saying that UConn has no one for the 4 position.

 

[hoophuskee]

Wait. Did she play the point against NC St? I thought Nika and Evina and Azzi spent some time at the point in that game. Or did you just mean who inbounded the ball?

From 5:19 left in 4th qtr and in both overtimes the lineup was Paige, Azzi, CWilliams, AE and Liv. Nika came in for 26 seconds for Defense. IMO No way Azzi was the pg druign this time unless she brought up the ball rare time. Maybe I'm worng? I seem torecall Paige bringing it up and making plays on her own.

 

[Bone Dog]

From 5:19 left in 4th qtr and in both overtimes the lineup was Paige, Azzi, CWilliams, AE and Liv. Nika came in for 26 seconds for Defense. IMO No way Azzi was the pg druign this time unless she brought up the ball rare time. Maybe I'm worng? I seem torecall Paige bringing it up and making plays on her own.

Yes, technically Paige played pg for most of the game.

I don't mean to diminish her achievements. But I want to put them in the context of a positionless motion offense. Yes, she brought the ball up the floor and initiated the offense for most of the game. The thing is, that doesn't really describe what her role was. She was much more than a pg in that game. More of a mix between pg, sg, and w. And this is really what she has been in most games, some sort of combo-player.

This year we all joked about how Paige was the pf, but that isn't really descriptive of what she actually did. She was playing 1-4 most of the time. She's that versatile. However, what gets overlooked is that she also needs teammates to play alongside of her, and none of them can do what she can do. They need somewhat more narrowly defined roles. KK can't play pf. She can shoot from the wing, but that's clearly not her best role. Azzi can play pg, but she makes more sense at sg/w. I don't think Geno wants her playing pf. Ash seems limited to sg mainly. Aubrey (when she comes back) is great as a w/pf who can also be fantastic playing D at the top of the key. But you don't want her playing pg or sg.

Paige plays everywhere on the court, but the team works best if there's room for others to contribute. KK is best at pg, and the energy she brings to that role, and to the team, is something Geno really values.

 

[Bone Dog]

Just thinking about the 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 teams, I find it stunning the imagination Geno built those lineups with. He only had one "big" in the starting lineup -- Katie Lou at 6'3" -- but played her on the wing. In the post he put Napheesa and Walker one year, and Napheesa and Gabby in the other two. He had traditional bigs on all of those teams, and they came in off the bench. But the main lineup was built around 2 or 3 speedy, versatile players. Gabby or Kia or Katie Lou or Phee were the closest thing to Paige on those teams.

Is there any chance we'll see a team like any of those this year? Build the lineup around Paige Sarah Aubrey (when she comes back) and simply run away with games. At times there will be bigs on the floor, at other times perimeter shooters, but mainly there will be high energy defense and lots of transition offense. Wouldn't that be something?

 

[PJCLaw]

Obviously a LOT of summer practices to be had, kids still percolating around the portal, and lots of workouts and strength/conditioning training for the team as well as newbies.

I'm not convinced KK would be a starter next season. She had a lot of trouble putting the ball into the basket. She would fade away on layups to avoid contact thus missing a lot of bunnies. She needs to be way more aggressive IMHO and seek out contact as well as work on her 3 point shot. There's every reason to believe she could do that over the summer.

BUT, if we don't land a PG in the portal, and KK starts, who plays PG off the bench? If we land no PG, I wouldn't be surprised to see Paige start at the 1 and KK come off the bench. Also if Chen comes to UCONN, depending on how much UCONN offense she knows from being coached at Princeton by a former UCONN player, she might find it easy to step into the starting PG spot from day 1.

Also, it's just as possible IMHO that even if Chen comes, in either scenario above, KK starts. In scenario 1, I'd lean more towards Ash starting based on how this past season went, and in scenario 2, I'd lean more towards Chen starting.

Clearly it's just guesswork on my part. No idea who will be on the roster come November, and no idea who will be best suited to start, but I think there are options other than "I guarantee KK will start"...

My how soon we forget!! In the 2003-04 season (DT's junior year), this was the roster:

Ashley Valley (G), DT (G/F), Maria Conlon (G), Stacey Marron (G), Morgan Valley (G), Nicole Wolff (G), Ashley Battle (F), Wilnett Crockett (F/C), Jessica Moore (C), Barbara Turner (F/G), and Ann Strother (G)!

Maria Conlon was the PG and there was NO backup PG that played any significant minutes that year! Paige and KK can both start, but you sub only one out at a time, so you always have one or both on the floor at all times. I also think that in a pinch, Azzi can bring up the ball, at least against teams that do not press. I really think next season is going to depend more on the rotational players, who mans the post and whether we can avoid the injury bug that has plagued us for three years.

 

[Cuango]

Paige is basketball player as the OP suggested. If she plays 1/2/3/4 it doesn’t matter. OFC some teams she shouldn't play the 4 but the point is to relegate/limit her to be just a pg has the potential vs some opponents to limit her shot attempts in favorable positions is not something that should be done. Also, if she is solely the pg If, for example Paige is the best shooter on the team, then it makes no sense for her to pass the ball outside as a gameplan to a lesser shooter when your game plan can more easily get her, the best shooter on the team, (if she is) as many shots as you want. It's simple math.

Now if Azzi is healthy, I read a post of skepticism that Paige would "revert" in some manner. I don't agree with that at all. They already went to the Finals together. The NC State game highlighted Paige having no problems doing what she needs to do. And her being a SF passing the ball to an open Azzi, I don't see the issue.

Bottomline is I do expect UCONN to start with two pg's Paige and KK. Thus it doesn't make a difference what we call Paige other than a basketball player though. If she is getting open shots off the ball with KK in the lineup why would anyone rather have Paige be the pg and wind up passing the ball a lot to KK on the perimeter?

With that said, why should Paige be limited to only playing off the ball? We all saw what she did/ needed to do vs NC State as a soph.

The thing is; she is also the team’s best passer!

 

[hoophuskee]

The thing is; she is also the team’s best passer!

And she can pass at any position.

 

[oldhusky]

You don't think that Sarah is tailor-made for the 4 position? (I could have said that she is a Strong candidate for it, but I mercifully refrained from saying that.)

If you say that she is not proven at the major college level, that would be an understandable caution, but that is quite different from saying that UConn has no one for the 4 position.

Sarah might be tailor made for the 4 or the 3, but as the team is currently constructed would be needed more at the 4. Aubrey can play either but is needed more at the 4 also. The potential addition of Beers could change the area of greatest need and allow some players to play more at another position.

With Beers, Jana could be considered for the starting 4 and Sarah for the starting 3 for example, and Aubrey might be free to swing between both positions, as could Sarah some too.

 

[hoophuskee]

Sarah might be tailor made for the 4 or the 3, but as the team is currently constructed would be needed more at the 4. Aubrey can play either but is needed more at the 4 also. The potential addition of Beers could change the area of greatest need and allow some players to play more at another position.

With Beers, Jana could be considered for the starting 4 and Sarah for the starting 3 for example, and Aubrey might be free to swing between both positions, as could Sarah some too.

Until we know Beers iscoming - just looking at best style most utlizing Paige is that she is a combo PG/SG/SF. And on Defense Sarah will play PF because she is an excellent rebounder. That is huge for our Defense. And on Offense you can put Sarah anywhere similar toPaige in an opposite way. But UCONN wants to run. Paige in the open floor whether she is a 1/2/3 makes UCONN much stronger. Plus the smaller UCONN plays, possibly the more ball pressure you can put on other teams which also fits Paige to a tee.

 

[Bone Dog]

I’ve been thinking about positionless lineups, and in part this is because of Paige’s versatility. One thing gives me pause. Morgan played pg at Mitty HS, the same school where Haley Jones also learned to play pg. It's not a perfect comparison because Morgan is a bit bigger and quicker than Haley.

Looking at Stanford, where Tara played a similar offense, I can’t help thinking her most formidable teams were not the ones with Haley covering the point. Call it the point-forward experiment. They won the NC and made it to the final four with lineups that included a traditional pg. Without one they exited the tournament early. This data set may be too small, but it is a cautionary tale.

This makes me wonder if I’ve been mistaken and Chen may be an important addition to the team. Currently, it looks like the best options at pg are KK and Paige. Geno may need one more obvious pg if he wants to let Paige play more off the ball.

 

[DEpup]

I agree and I would rather Morgan develop her game in Paige's image as a facilitating G/F rather than a PG.

I think it would be beneficial for Chen and KK to share that traditional PG position while Azzi, Shade, and Allie handle the 2 guard with Paige, Q, Caroline, and Morgan working the 3 G/F position.

I'm in the camp where Sarah is a 4 along with Aubrey until she demonstrates a 3ball shot, and Ayanna...

That leaves Jana, Ice, and ???? For the center.

That would give good depth at all positions with the middle the biggest since they have versatility to slide if injuries require it.

 

[jeff30189]

Is there any reason that Paige just can't be the Point Paige? Sure maybe someone else brings the ball up, but the offense can - and should - run thru Paige. Whether she pays guard or wing, let her dictate the pace of play and who gets the ball. In Nika's absence, there's no one currently on the team that Geno would trust more to do the right thing.