Phoenix vs Minny

[easttexastrash]

True Griner is putting up points and grabbing rebounds every game but for a player of her caliber, she should be blowing them out of the water and she's not imo.

She's not because the quality of play AND coaching has gone up exponentially. "Her caliber"is most EVERYone's caliber -- and she has to play them every other night. She will have learn - from studying tape and from her experiences on the court. Let's see how she adjusts the second time through teams (and see if the team itself can get on the same page). The same should be said for Diggins and EDD. Other teams are learning, too.

Griner cannot dominate if she gets 10 or 11 shots a game. If Phoenix doesn't work on forcing the ball to her then she will float around 15 points a game.

You have a player like Bonner out there running wild and jacking up 25 footers and shooting 33% from the field and 26% from three point range. She seems to be happy as long as she gets to take her shots.

I think that Gaines set the tone for Griner when he said that she didn't need to carry the load on offense and should concentrate on defense and rebounding. WAKE UP Gaines, you have a bunch of crappy shooters so Griner does need to carry some of the load. She seems to be tentative on offense and I think because she hasmindset that she needs to defer to her teammates. She needs to demand that they get her the ball so that she can go to work. And Gaines needs to demand that her teammates quit jacking up long range bombs and get the ball into the paint.

 

[easttexastrash]

In Diana's defense, I do think Phoenix and WNBA have put incredible pressure on DT to continue playing 12 months a year - she plays WNBA season and usually the post season, grabs a plane for Russia and plays the domestic season, Euro-season, and then both post-seasons and hops a plane back to Phoenix for the next preseason. She talked about sitting out a WNBA season a few years ago and there was a lot of pushback - and she hasn't had that 'three month injury' that a lot of other players have that has allowed them to miss a season. She was banged up before the Olympics missing quite a few games, and I think she basically shut it down afterwards - typical fatigue kinds of issues all last year. And maybe she shouldn't have played the Olympics, but are you really going to ask her to sit a 'once every 4 year' experience for the small change the WNBA pays her?

Didn't DT sit out basically the entire WNBA season last season?

 

[msf22b]

Of course, one is not expected to sit out a once in four year experience. However, if one can perform as well as she did during that once in four year experience, then that person/leader/best player/example setter/popular face of the league should make a similar effort for her team.

I have some problems with that argument.
Here is a young woman on the downward slope of her career.
For all her fame and adulation (and especially compared to the men) she has been paid peanuts except in Europe and Russia.
Ultimately, she has to perform for the people who take the best care if her.
You get what you pay for.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Didn't DT sit out basically the entire WNBA season last season?

We've gone over this over and over again on this board and other places. I'm not fond of making excuses for actions -- take'em and own 'em. No one on the Merc did, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I tell you what I ask from athletes: their best effort and honest decision making. Whatever and why-ever Diana made the decisions she did last season, her lack of transparency has set her (and the Merc) up for all this blowback.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I have some problems with that argument.
Here is a young woman on the downward slope of her career.
For all her fame and adulation (and especially compared to the men) she has been paid peanuts except in Europe and Russia.
Ultimately, she has to perform for the people who take the best care if her.
You get what you pay for.

Bull crap. I am paid peanuts compared to others (and I actually do something that contributes to the world <g>) but that doesn't change how I do my job. I like to think I do my job with integrity -- and it pisses me off to no end that I work with some folks who don't. They cherry pick, and that is insulting to me and those around me who also work with integrity.

I would have had no problem if Diana had pulled a Tweety and said, "I'd rather make money in Europe." Instead, she seems to have chosen to insult the league and fans who give her an opportunity to play a game she loves in her home country. Who CREATED her fame and adulation by following her during her college years and spending money to watch her play.

Make no mistake -- I love Diana's game. And, most times, I love her attitude, personality, outspokeness and drive for excellence. I think she misstepped badly last season.

 

[Rb335]

I think Corey Gains has no real coaching ability or really any knowledge of his players or even how basketball really works. He was lucky to have Cappie and DT and Penny to make plays to bail him out. However, now he has players that all have a different style of play and it shows that he doesn't know how to create a game plan.

I always thought they should draft EDD because she can shoot the ball, run, play point forward, and rebound. She would have given them size but allowed for the run and gun style to continue.

With their current roster, they need to get DT the most shots. DT is capable of 20 plus per night and that needs to be a consistent first scoring option. Once DT hits a couple 3's, she opens up the lane for Griner. Griner needs to be the second option and command the ball. Griner should also be scoring around 20 points per game. After those first two options, Bonner and Dupree should only be taking open jump shots or driving to the basket within the flow of the offense. There is no need for wild one on one plays. Lastly, once Taylor returns, she and Taurasi should run the point and sit Prahalis on the bench. They would do a better job. Charde should be their first bench option.

This team does have a lot of talent, but they lack the ability and coaching to make it work as of yet.

 

[baggerbob]

They also have a problem rebounding the ball, with their size that shouldn't happen, that shows lack of effort. BG should get double figure rebounds in any game she plays 30+ minutes, no-one on their team is getting rebounds.

 

[easttexastrash]

I have some problems with that argument.
Here is a young woman on the downward slope of her career.
For all her fame and adulation (and especially compared to the men) she has been paid peanuts except in Europe and Russia.
Ultimately, she has to perform for the people who take the best care if her.
You get what you pay for.

My reply was just stating that she got a pretty nice break to rest and get healthy and re-energize. Maybe she doesn't want to be the go-to player in Phoenix and would prefer to defer to her teammates. Maybe the grind of year-round play is too much.

 

[RadyLady]

we don't know really what is going on at Phoenix. These are all suppositions, including mine

 

[MilfordHusky]

Maya: 13 points in the first 10 minutes

I seem to recall her doing that in the darker blue uniform as well.

 

[reno tony]

Why so much talk about Griner being the solution for every Phoenix issue? She is a rookie and not playing TCU or Kansas State anymore... she is playing with the big girls now. Give her a chance to catch up to the WNBA speed and she will be fine. Her size is not so dominating at this stage.