Parker off Olympic team? | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Parker off Olympic team?

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Him surprised at Fowles over Parker. And they need youth to anchor future teams internationally. I agree with UC Cat above!
 
I visited this board late because a I saw the headlines running below on espn sportscenter that Parker was cut. I can't believe it but I believe she was obviously ESPN is running the blurb below on the taper. If she wanted on this team she should have gotten on it unless something really really unusual. I would easily take her over Angel. Positions with this team doesn't matter. They'll win no matter. IMO Angel's athleticism has slowed enough that he isn't that elite of defender and as result of her athleticism decline a bit she isn't the weapon offensively or finisher etc that she once was.

In addition a poster said in past Olympics Parker refused to paly center. SI that true? Anyone have a link?

Another poster suggested a young pg is more important than Stewie. Ridiculous. You want to deny a player such as "Larry Bird" for an inferior player?

And I'm not sure but someone compared that Fowles can play pf in the same way Tina Charles can?

And I'm not sure but I thought someone spoke of the world's best and left off Parker. Hopefully it was just an implied understanding that Parker is among the world's best and didn't bother to mention it because it was so obvious. I think being fair here- we all know Parker is a super great player and among the best on the world.

And another post I read - surprised by someone said Parker is going to take it out on Stewie. I would find that extremely odd. Parker is considered amongst the best in the world. The fact she would take it out on the last player on the bench when she probably feels she is among the best in the world would be a bit shallow imo. IMO it would be way beneath her. Stewie is no way as good as Parker yet. Parker has nothing to prove there. But that leads to

Another od post. Someone suggested "alternates." No way in hell Parker imo should ever consider being an alternate unless there is a bonafide reason why she didn't initially want to be on the team or had major reservations etc. But no way that seems like the case. She may be more likely to play for another team.
 
FWIW , Stewie has been a loyal, consistent, and star player for USAA basketball since she was 14. USAA Basketball tends to reward loyalty, in part to encourage future younger players to participate. No one should be surprised that she made the team, and deservedly so! Even if it is seemingly at the expense of other players.

Notice that one of the reasons she was left off the team is "chemistry". There has not been a lot of time for the team to practice, so they will be more likely to look for player combinations that work well with one another. If Geno holds to USAA basketball form, he will have two 5 person line-ups that have a lot of familiarity with each other and shuttle them in and out like a hockey line change. The remaining two players fill in on one of these lines on an as needed basis, generally as a defensive or offensive spark plug. My guess for the two 5 person lines are:

DT, Bird, Charles, Maya, and Griner with the second line-up as:
Whalen, Simone, Elena, Catch, and Fowles

with Angel and Stewie filling in as needed.

As great a player Candace Parker is, she doesn't quite fit in either of the two line-ups (except possibly as a replacement for Catch) and might be dissatisfied with being one of the last two off the bench.
 
Jackalope said:
FWIW , Stewie has been a loyal, consistent, and star player for USAA basketball since she was 14. USAA Basketball tends to reward loyalty, in part to encourage future younger players to participate. No one should be surprised that she made the team, and deservedly so! Even if it is seemingly at the expense of other players.

Notice that one of the reasons she was left off the team is "chemistry". There has not been a lot of time for the team to practice, so they will be more likely to look for player combinations that work well with one another. If Geno holds to USAA basketball form, he will have two 5 person line-ups that have a lot of familiarity with each other and shuttle them in and out like a hockey line change. The remaining two players fill in on one of these lines on an as needed basis, generally as a defensive or offensive spark plug. My guess for the two 5 person lines are:

DT, Bird, Charles, Maya, and Griner with the second line-up as:
Whalen, Simone, Elena, Catch, and Fowles

with Angel and Stewie filling in as needed.

As great a player Candace Parker is, she doesn't quite fit in either of the two line-ups (except possibly as a replacement for Catch) and might be dissatisfied with being one of the last two off the bench.
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Where did you see that chemistry was the issue?

And I think your point that Parker doesn't fit is totally absurd. Beyond absurd.
 
Candace fits in anywhere on any team. She never refused to play center. Much of the drama at the 2012 Olympics regarding her role was the fans, not her. She was 3rd in scoring and top 2 or 3 in almost every other category on that team, as she is every time she plays in an event with USA basketball. Her and Diana have played together quite a bit the last decade and she has been a mainstay within USA basketball for years now. She missed the WC in 2014 due to injury and a training camp in Feb. (along with Fowles and Charles) due to overseas commitments. She has put in the time on and off the court for USA basketball. This is a flat out snub of one of the best players women's basketball has ever seen. She is healthy, younger than half the team and still has 2 to 3 more olympic years in her.
 
tennparker3 said:
Candace fits in anywhere on any team. She never refused to play center. Much of the drama at the 2012 Olympics regarding her role was the fans, not her. She was 3rd in scoring and top 2 or 3 in almost every other category on that team, as she is every time she plays in an event with USA basketball. Her and Diana have played together quite a bit the last decade and she has been a mainstay within USA basketball for years now. She missed the WC in 2014 due to injury and a training camp in Feb. (along with Fowles and Charles) due to overseas commitments. She has put in the time on and off the court for USA basketball. This is a flat out snub of one of the best players women's basketball has ever seen. She is healthy, younger than half the team and still has 2 to 3 more olympic years in her.
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That's what I remember too.

And I absolutely agree - Parker can play any style. She's a beast. This is very very very odd.
 
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If you're correct that it's "a flat out snub" there must be a reason!
tennparker3 said:
Candace fits in anywhere on any team. She never refused to play center. Much of the drama at the 2012 Olympics regarding her role was the fans, not her. She was 3rd in scoring and top 2 or 3 in almost every other category on that team, as she is every time she plays in an event with USA basketball. Her and Diana have played together quite a bit the last decade and she has been a mainstay within USA basketball for years now. She missed the WC in 2014 due to injury and a training camp in Feb. (along with Fowles and Charles) due to overseas commitments. She has put in the time on and off the court for USA basketball. This is a flat out snub of one of the best players women's basketball has ever seen. She is healthy, younger than half the team and still has 2 to 3 more olympic years in her.
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Jackalope said:
FWIW , Stewie has been a loyal, consistent, and star player for USAA basketball since she was 14. USAA Basketball tends to reward loyalty, in part to encourage future younger players to participate. No one should be surprised that she made the team, and deservedly so! Even if it is seemingly at the expense of other players.

Notice that one of the reasons she was left off the team is "chemistry". There has not been a lot of time for the team to practice, so they will be more likely to look for player combinations that work well with one another. If Geno holds to USAA basketball form, he will have two 5 person line-ups that have a lot of familiarity with each other and shuttle them in and out like a hockey line change. The remaining two players fill in on one of these lines on an as needed basis, generally as a defensive or offensive spark plug. My guess for the two 5 person lines are:

DT, Bird, Charles, Maya, and Griner with the second line-up as:
Whalen, Simone, Elena, Catch, and Fowles

with Angel and Stewie filling in as needed.

As great a player Candace Parker is, she doesn't quite fit in either of the two line-ups (except possibly as a replacement for Catch) and might be dissatisfied with being one of the last two off the bench.
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CHEMISTRY=code word for (1) players who attended the same school and therefore know each other or (2) have played together a lot. Good excuse to avoid people you don't like or new blood or both. So we'll have good chemistry, much of which is coagulated old blood. Shame. I hope they fix this before 2020 or the US might get to play a VERY good NIGERIAN team. 2 Ogwumikes, a few Amukamaras, Ogunbowale, etc.
 
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I have a question for everyone posting here - and I have no idea if this is the case or not, but ...

If the final choice came down to Parker or Catchings who would you choose?

And as a follow up, would the fallout of not taking Catchings be less or greater than not taking Parker?

(My choice - Parker over Catchings, but I think the fallout would be greater especially in the middle of Catchings farewell tour through the WNBA)
 
Gate81 said:
CHEMISTRY=code word for (1) players who attended the same school and therefore know each other or (2) have played together a lot. Good excuse to avoid people you don't like or new blood or both. So we'll have good chemistry, much of which is coagulated old blood. Shame. I hope they fix this before 2020 or the US might get to play a VERY good NIGERIAN team.
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Chemistry = What the Knicks have been missing for the last five years.:eek::cool:
Chemistry = What the USA Men's team had an issue with until coach K and the new regime actually decided to go for a team concept instead of a star concept.
 
UcMiami said:
I have a question for everyone posting here - and I have no idea if this is the case or not, but ...

If the final choice came down to Parker or Catchings who would you choose?

And as a follow up, would the fallout of not taking Catchings be less or greater than not taking Parker?

(My choice - Parker over Catchings, but I think the fallout would be greater especially in the middle of Catchings farewell tour through the WNBA)
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Parker;
I also think Augustus, McCaughtry and Fowles aren't as strong as other players being considered. Not to mention the age of the guards in general. I love(d) lots of them but they really need to step aside for the new guard(s), literally.

On the farewell tour, we know that Kobe Bryant was selected to the All-Star team but that's an annual event. To make people wait another 4 years is unfair. Unfortunately it makes the whole selection process look biased and really begs the question of switching to a non-college coach.
 
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UcMiami said:
Chemistry = What the Knicks have been missing for the last five years.:eek::cool:
Chemistry = What the USA Men's team had an issue with until coach K and the new regime actually decided to go for a team concept instead of a star concept.
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You're talking about my Knicks now so beware. The truth is they've been missing chemistry and knowledgeable ownership since Ewing missed that finger roll. At least be accurate.
 
By the way as far as I know Ewing never tried another finger roll in his entire pro career. Good thing he missed that one huh?
 
Not entirely shocked that Parker was judged as the weak link. Despite her enormous talent, she didn't seem to sit comfortably in her role on the team in 2012. Despite all the talk about how Angel has a difficult attitude, she seemed to embrace her role better than Candace did.

Still, I would have wished for a youthful guard in there somewhere. At least the frontcourt on the current team covers a variety of ages, so it's well prepared for the future. The guards are very old by comparison.

I'm not sure who you take out to make room for a younger guard. Heck, maybe even Stewart; she'd have likely been a shoo-in for 2020, barring injuries, anyway.
 
iri10 said:
Not entirely shocked that Parker was judged as the weak link. Despite her enormous talent, she didn't seem to sit comfortably in her role on the team in 2012. Despite all the talk about how Angel has a difficult attitude, she seemed to embrace her role better than Candace did.

.
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She wasn't happy about no starting but she she played well enough in 2012 and played well enough thereafter as the poster tennparker said -- "Geno said Candace and Maya were at another level at the previous camp."

I agree Angel's attidue is overblown. She just isn't as good as Parker. To leave one of the greatest players off the team who can play any style and play in any manner "she isn't a fit" is ridiculous.

Two players imo no business to have over Parker are Angel and Fowles. To suggest that Tina can't slide down to backup center for teams that rebound well and have size and all of our other great forwards can't compete on the glass imo is far-fetched.
 
iri10 said:
Not entirely shocked that Parker was judged as the weak link. Despite her enormous talent, she didn't seem to sit comfortably in her role on the team in 2012. Despite all the talk about how Angel has a difficult attitude, she seemed to embrace her role better than Candace did.

Still, I would have wished for a youthful guard in there somewhere. At least the frontcourt on the current team covers a variety of ages, so it's well prepared for the future. The guards are very old by comparison.

I'm not sure who you take out to make room for a younger guard. Heck, maybe even Stewart; she'd have likely been a shoo-in for 2020, barring injuries, anyway.
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Why not keep Bird off for Sims, Diggins, Robinson or Sloot
 
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Very strange. Hard to imagine what their thinking is. I had Parker as a lock. Unless they decided it came down to Catchings or Parker and they went with the experience/loyalty. I like the "rumored" team, but I'd have liked it better with Parker on it.
 
meyers7 said:
Very strange. Hard to imagine what their thinking is. I had Parker as a lock. Unless they decided it came down to Catchings or Parker and they went with the experience/loyalty. I like the "rumored" team, but I'd have liked it better with Parker on it.
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Everyone had her as a lock.

iri10 said:
Not entirely shocked that Parker was judged as the weak link. Despite her enormous talent, she didn't seem to sit comfortably in her role on the team in 2012. Despite all the talk about how Angel has a difficult attitude, she seemed to embrace her role better than Candace did.

Still, I would have wished for a youthful guard in there somewhere. At least the frontcourt on the current team covers a variety of ages, so it's well prepared for the future. The guards are very old by comparison.

I'm not sure who you take out to make room for a younger guard. Heck, maybe even Stewart; she'd have likely been a shoo-in for 2020, barring injuries, anyway.
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What are you talking about, "Parker was judged as the weak link."? Candace Parker has been one of the top 3 Women's basketball players in the world for almost a decade now!
 
Hey this committee isn't stupid. They know how good Parker is and what she can do. It is obvious to me that there is something we don't know and may never know as to why she was left off the roster. Something happened or there is some wrong that we don't know about. Lets see what happens over the next few months. It can only be kept a secret for so long.
 
pinotbear said:
don't know about Robinson or Sloot, but, my understanding is that Diggins and Sims have had health issues that make their availability limited.
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As an ND fan, I get -- and understand --that Diggins was a huge question mark this year, given that she was coming off an injury. Hopefully, she'll come back from the ACL and pick up where she was starting to go.
 
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Well, if Ms. Parker is not on this team, that will certainly be the topic of conversation for quite some time. I remember the prognostications on threads from the camp in February and the vast majority had her as a mainstay. And I'm one of those. She has the innate ability to take over a game when need be, whether in a "team setting" and/or an individual basis. It's good...really good... to have a weapon like that at your disposal.
So, it will be interesting to hear what's up...it will come out at some point.

I'm not going to get into the roster that was posted earlier in the thread because the official deal is coming out tomorrow. Too much conjecture. If it holds up, however, I recall Geno's comments in February that it was good to get a look at the younger guards at camp "for the future." Those words would seem awfully prescient at this point....stay tuned.
 
pinotbear said:
don't know about Robinson or Sloot, but, my understanding is that Diggins and Sims have had health issues that make their availability limited.
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D-Rob tore her Achilles overseas and just had surgery in March to fix it. She's out for quite a while. No health concerns with Sloot, though - she has been playing overseas in Turkey.
 
Tonyc said:
Hey this committee isn't stupid. They know how good Parker is and what she can do. It is obvious to me that there is something we don't know and may never know as to why she was left off the roster. Something happened or there is some wrong that we don't know about. Lets see what happens over the next few months. It can only be kept a secret for so long.
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Thanks Tony. That's what I tried to say last nite, only you said it much better!
 
I understand that this will bring hoots of derision...but here goes:

Stevie is the #1 player in the country, the #1 pick and a likely Olympian.

The #2 pick, also a competitor of some merit, didn't get a smidgen of interest... despite the fact that the absence of a quick, healthy point, with youth is a big liability on this team.

I understand the liability side: no experience at this level, probably better to let her game mature in the W and abroad.

But its very possible, even likely, that Moriah will tear up the league, just as she had done as a collegiate and be the direct replacement for Sue for the next 2 or 3 Olympics...

just saying...:)
 
CocoHusky said:
I hate that this is turning into Stewie vs. Parker. IMO both were deserving. What I can't see is a cut line that includes Angel and not Parker.
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I would take Parker over Angel. Who's more selfish with the ball?
 
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