Paige Doing Paige Stuff

[dtbtbtb]

as bad as the Wings were on offense (aside than Paige who was amazing), they were even worse on defense...it is actually insulting to call what they did, defense...it seems they believe that if you look at a player shooting a 3 or streaking to the basket, it's called defense..

 

[Bald Husky]

Dallas is a team that management put together as a support group around Paige. I always thought that Dallas was a very poor run franchise, and that thought was supported when everyone left. Paige is a finesse player, the team around her, except for a couple of players, are physical players that enjoy the one on one game.

Hines-Allen, Carrington, Smith, Maddy seem to be comfortable in the leadership of Paige, but unfortunately none of these players can consistently shoot at a decent percentage. It is evident that the team needs a Big girl in the middle, which I think Betts can solve, or another veteran can solve.

They also need someone, anyone who can hit an outside shot. If you watched the Mercury game, you saw just about every 3 point attempt was a brick, not even close to going in. Arike is trying, but her shooting is the worst of her career according to records.

One player that isn't always mentioned is Ty Harris. She has been a favorite of mine since she came to the Sun, and as the only other point guard on the team she is able to give Paige a small blow.

But, best of all, she allows Paige to play off the ball as Geno liked to do, and if Paige is going to take over the scoring, Ty is one of the best to help her out. Unfortunately, Ty is out for the year with knee problems, so Paige will be playing a lot of minutes, and somehow, she must navigate the process with the players that are left.

Paige gets them the ball, but the season does not depend on the ability of Paige, but the ability for the rest to make shots. Tough situation for Paige, but we know that her faith and natural ability will get her through the season, hopefully the rest of the team will totally buy in and improve by the end of the year.

 

[oldude]

Dallas is a team that management put together as a support group around Paige. I always thought that Dallas was a very poor run franchise, and that thought was supported when everyone left. Paige is a finesse player, the team around her, except for a couple of players, are physical players that enjoy the one on one game.

Hines-Allen, Carrington, Smith, Maddy seem to be comfortable in the leadership of Paige, but unfortunately none of these players can consistently shoot at a decent percentage. It is evident that the team needs a Big girl in the middle, which I think Betts can solve, or another veteran can solve.

They also need someone, anyone who can hit an outside shot. If you watched the Mercury game, you saw just about every 3 point attempt was a brick, not even close to going in. Arike is trying, but her shooting is the worst of her career according to records.

One player that isn't always mentioned is Ty Harris. She has been a favorite of mine since she came to the Sun, and as the only other point guard on the team she is able to give Paige a small blow.

But, best of all, she allows Paige to play off the ball as Geno liked to do, and if Paige is going to take over the scoring, Ty is one of the best to help her out. Unfortunately, Ty is out for the year with knee problems, so Paige will be playing a lot of minutes, and somehow, she must navigate the process with the players that are left.

Paige gets them the ball, but the season does not depend on the ability of Paige, but the ability for the rest to make shots. Tough situation for Paige, but we know that her faith and natural ability will get her through the season, hopefully the rest of the team will totally buy in and improve by the end of the year.

The lack of shooters on the Wings along with Arike’s terrible shooting slump is painful to watch. In the game vs Phoenix, Paige might have had a double-double if her teammates had made a reasonable percentage of open shots off of nice feeds from Paige.

At the same time I watched journeymen players like Laksa & Held light it up from the arc for the Mercury, begging the question, “Why don’t the Wings have a couple of comparable shooters on their roster?”

 

[Basingstoke]

The lack of shooters on the Wings along with Arike’s terrible shooting slump is painful to watch. In the game vs Phoenix, Paige might have had a double-double if her teammates had made a reasonable percentage of open shots off of nice feeds from Paige.

At the same time I watched journeymen players like Laksa & Held light it up from the arc for the Mercury, begging the question, “Why don’t the Wings have a couple of comparable shooters on their roster?”

The only possible shooting support for Paige on the Wings (other than Arike turning it around) might be Geiselsoder and James. Lou Lopez-Senechal would have helped if she wasn't sitting out this season.
It is curious that they've constructed a roster with so few long-range threats.

 

[Dogstar]

The lack of shooters on the Wings along with Arike’s terrible shooting slump is painful to watch. In the game vs Phoenix, Paige might have had a double-double if her teammates had made a reasonable percentage of open shots off of nice feeds from Paige.

At the same time I watched journeymen players like Laksa & Held light it up from the arc for the Mercury, begging the question, “Why don’t the Wings have a couple of comparable shooters on their roster?”

Tanking Maybe?

 

[RoadMaster]

Why not.. it is a Paige thing...

 

[Huskee11]

One player that isn't always mentioned is Ty Harris. She has been a favorite of mine since she came to the Sun, and as the only other point guard on the team she is able to give Paige a small blow.

But, best of all, she allows Paige to play off the ball as Geno liked to do, and if Paige is going to take over the scoring, Ty is one of the best to help her out. Unfortunately, Ty is out for the year with knee problems, so Paige will be playing a lot of minutes, and somehow, she must navigate the process with the players that are left.

I agree but unfortunately, Harris is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

I am concerned that the Wings' answer to its lack of point guard depth will be to play Paige 36+ minutes per game.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I agree but unfortunately, Harris is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

I am concerned that the Wings' answer to its lack of point guard depth will be to play Paige 36+ minutes per game.

The coach in the season opening presser said they would control Paige's minutes, but that did not occur. You are right to be concerned. The game I saw had her in the mid 30s.

 

[Basingstoke]

The coach in the season opening presser said they would control Paige's minutes, but that did not occur. You are right to be concerned. The game I saw had her in the mid 30s.

As an example, in her game Wednesday night, she played 37 minutes (including the first 27 minutes before getting subbed out).

 

[oldude]

Tanking Maybe?

Not if Paige has anything to say about it.

 

[cabbie191]

For whatever reason, I find Clark vaguely unlikable. I don't know if that's fair or not, but I do. Still, she has been an absolute phenomenon and the impact she has had on women's basketball, and especially women's pro basketball has been, if you'll excuse the pun, game changing.

For the record, I like Clark, both as a person and a player. But I like Paige more so I am comfortable with what you wrote.

This is perhaps pop psychology but I think that if you reviewed thousands of photos of both women, you’d see a lot more smiles on Paige than Caitlin. I also think that in our culture, blonde hair and Paige’s features - particularly her eyes - will be read as softer and therefore more favorably than Caitlin’s dark hair and eyes.

Do I think this is fair? Absolutely not. But I think, unfortunately, that these types of prejudices are very real.

 

[cabbie191]

I know it’s only 11 games into her career but the dismal start to Dallas’s session has me revisiting the earlier speculation about whether Paige would avoid this year’s WNBA draft so she wouldn’t wind up in Dallas-purgatory.

Even if she regrets her decision she has too much class, and sense, to admit it publicly.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The Dallas Wings roster has one franchise player (Paige), a supposed WNBA star (Arike) who’s having maybe the worst season of her career and a bunch of role players, none of whom would start on just about any other team in the league.

While Paige is not used to losing like this, she’ll be fine. She is an incredibly strong-minded individual grounded in her faith that everything happens for a purpose. She persevered to win a national championship and she will persevere with this miserable team she’s on to eventually find success in the W and the Olympics as well.

You forgot the Wings have one other category of WNBA player type ... bonkers: Carrington.

 

[CL82]

For the record, I like Clark, both as a person and a player. But I like Paige more so I am comfortable with what you wrote.

This is perhaps pop psychology but I think that if you reviewed thousands of photos of both women, you’d see a lot more smiles on Paige than Caitlin. I also think that in our culture, blonde hair and Paige’s features - particularly her eyes - will be read as softer and therefore more favorably than Caitlin’s dark hair and eyes.

Do I think this is fair? Absolutely not. But I think, unfortunately, that these types of prejudices are very real.

lol, I think you've gone a bridge too far there Sigmund Freud!

I don't think her appearance has anything to do with her lack likability. It's all the little tiffs she's always getting into with different people. The whole "you can't see me" thing. The apparent lack of sincerity in interviews, etc. Basically, she's a bit of a jerk. She still is an enormously talented player who has had a transformational impact on women's basketball, particularly professional women's basketball.

Those things can go hand-in-hand. Dennis Rodman was not the most likable guy in the world, but he was a five time national champion and a two time NBA All-Star, and perhaps the best rebounding forward to play the game.

 

[CL82]

I know it’s only 11 games into her career but the dismal start to Dallas’s session has me revisiting the earlier speculation about whether Paige would avoid this year’s WNBA draft so she wouldn’t wind up in Dallas-purgatory.

Even if she regrets her decision she has too much class, and sense, to admit it publicly.

Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't. I suspect she was just done with being in college.

 

[WiseWillie]

Back on Paige, it has to be frustrating for Paige to be on team like the Wings that has a management and coaching staff that can't solve their problems. Paige deserves much better than what she's getting right now. Watching the Wings on defense with all of the missed and/or lazy switches frankly hurts. Certainly hope that they can straighten it out before the season ends.

 

[CL82]

Back on Paige, it has to be frustrating for Paige to be on team like the Wings that has a management and coaching staff that can't solve their problems. Paige deserves much better than what she's getting right now. Watching the Wings on defense with all of the missed and/or lazy switches frankly hurts. Certainly hope that they can straighten it out before the season ends.

Coach seems like he's in over his head. I don't really feel like he's got control of the team.

 

[oldude]

Coach seems like he's in over his head. I don't really feel like he's got control of the team.

There’s a lot of potential problems with the Wings: the HC, the GM, the players, all of the above. With just about every veteran in the W on a one year contract, I have to wonder whether some of the veterans have already checked out mentally this season.

Koclanes seems rather mild mannered to say the least. That may work for a self-motivated, veteran team. But when you consider who coached each of the starting 5, there were no shrinking violets among them. Specifically their coaches were MM, Kim, Tara, Jeff & Geno. Maybe the Wings need someone to come in and ruffle a few feathers.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

There’s a lot of potential problems with the Wings: the HC, the GM, the players, all of the above. With just about every veteran in the W on a one year contract, I have to wonder whether some of the veterans have already checked out mentally this season.

Koclanes seems rather mild mannered to say the least. That may work for a self-motivated, veteran team. But when you consider who coached each of the starting 5, there were no shrinking violets among them. Specifically their coaches were MM, Kim, Tara, Jeff & Geno. Maybe the Wings need someone to come in and ruffle a few feathers.

The coach showed up for the kick off presser in a stretched out T shirt and almost lay down in his chair. I'm sure Paige is by now pretty much telling him what to do.

 

[BobbyJ]

There’s a lot of potential problems with the Wings: the HC, the GM, the players, all of the above. With just about every veteran in the W on a one year contract, I have to wonder whether some of the veterans have already checked out mentally this season.

Koclanes seems rather mild mannered to say the least. That may work for a self-motivated, veteran team. But when you consider who coached each of the starting 5, there were no shrinking violets among them. Specifically their coaches were MM, Kim, Tara, Jeff & Geno. Maybe the Wings need someone to come in and ruffle a few feathers.

If I'm a GM/Coach of another team, I wouldn't have much interest in players who have already quit on their team after only 12 games. Plus none of those Dallas veterans are worth the salaries they're getting now so I'm certainly not going to pay them more.

 

[fireford]

Wings picked up 6'7" Li Yueru from Seattle for a couple of draft picks. Not sure if it resolves their front court issues but they are in desperate need to try something.

 

[oldude]

If I'm a GM/Coach of another team, I wouldn't have much interest in players who have already quit on their team after only 12 games. Plus none of those Dallas veterans are worth the salaries they're getting now so I'm certainly not going to pay them more.

That’s the point. The writing is on the wall for many of these Wings veterans. They are going to collect their paycheck this year and maybe take a shot at hanging around on the bench somewhere else next year. If they don’t they’ll look overseas or end up doing whatever it is that veteran players from the W do once they no longer have a place in the league.

 

[oldude]

I would think they would pick Betts over Fudd... much as I'd like to see the BFF's reunited...

I’m not sure Betts is the pick, and letting Arike walk is a no brainer. If I’m the Wings, I might try signing a veteran free agent post with some mobility and then it just might make sense to pair Paige & Azzi in the same backcourt.

 

[Bone Dog]

That’s the point. The writing is on the wall for many of these Wings veterans. They are going to collect their paycheck this year and maybe take a shot at hanging around on the bench somewhere else next year. If they don’t they’ll look overseas or end up doing whatever it is that veteran players from the W do once they no longer have a place in the league.

I suspect the path forward for some of them is to cozy up to Paige. Dijonnai and Maddy (and maybe Arike) could become her partners and become the core the team builds around. For the rest, it’s probably as you say — ride out a dreary season and hope for a better opportunity to show up elsewhere next season.

 

[oldude]

I suspect the path forward for some of them is to cozy up to Paige. Dijonnai and Maddy (and maybe Arike) could become her partners and become the core the team builds around. For the rest, it’s probably as you say — ride out a dreary season and hope for a better opportunity to show up elsewhere next season.

I’m not sure that Carrington or Siegrist are keepers. The only “core player” I see on the Wings right now is Paige.