Shock guard play still disappointing.

[ocoandasoc]

Another dismal night for the Shock’s starting guards. Diggins was 1-6, 2 total points in 27 minutes with 4 turnovers and a -12 +/-. (They say the fans in Indiana were anxious for Skylar’s visit – now we know why! Wiggins was even worse – 1 for 7 with 2 total points. This was against a team with the fewest wins in the WNBA.

 

[tonehill68]

Another dismal night for the Shock’s starting guards. Diggins was 1-6, 2 total points in 27 minutes with 4 turnovers and a -12 +/-. (They say the fans in Indiana were anxious for Skylar’s visit – now we know why! Wiggins was even worse – 1 for 7 with 2 total points. This was against a team with the fewest wins in the WNBA.

Although she's a good point guard, Diggins is not a good shooter. These stats doesn't surprise me.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Skylar is shooting .302 currently. She needs to get that over .400, at least.

 

[Icebear]

Skylar is shooting .302 currently. She needs to get that over .400, at least.

Is that on 3s or overall?

 

[Coler]

Is that on 3s or overall?

Overall, she's shooting 17% from three.

I find it's very laughable that people seriously thought she was the better choice over EDD to go #2.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Overall, she's shooting 17% from three.

I find it's very laughable that people seriously thought she was the better choice over EDD to go #2.

Those look like the stats for a volume shooter.

 

[Icebear]

Overall, she's shooting 17% from three.

I find it's very laughable that people seriously thought she was the better choice over EDD to go #2.

Not I, Coler, I have always been a Diggins skeptic. Just like Prahalis before her.

 

[ocoandasoc]

It's getting even worse. Shock may be looking to try some new combinations.... Diggins played fewer minutes than any of the other guards today. She was 1 for 5, for 2 points in 18 minutes. Shock lost by 23, but if Hodges hadn't hit five 3's it would've been even uglier.

 

[Sakibomb25]

Well I also think you have to look at Diggins situation compared to EDD or even Griner. EDD has a couple of superstars on her team (Prince and Fowles), while Griner has Taurasi, no slouch herself. Diggins really doesn't have a superstar on her roster. That's something you have to take into account when looking at her numbers.

Just something to think about.

 

[blackbird]

Diggins definitely has the hardest job of the three. Had she been put on the Sky or the Mercury she'd be having a much better time adjusting. It also take a while to adjust to the WNBA playing point guard.

She'll figure it out. She's a great player. Uconn fans should know this.

 

[rocky rococo]

Even the best PGs in the league, Sue and Whalen, didn't step out onto the WNBA court and take over the league as rookies. It will take Diggins a couple years, and I don't know that she'll ever reach Bird-Whalen level. But consider someone like Vandersloot, finally starting to get it in her third year, and we know how talented she is. I expect in the long run Diggins > Sloot.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Even the best PGs in the league, Sue and Whalen, didn't step out onto the WNBA court and take over the league as rookies. It will take Diggins a couple years, and I don't know that she'll ever reach Bird-Whalen level. But consider someone like Vandersloot, finally starting to get it in her third year, and we know how talented she is. I expect in the long run Diggins > Sloot.

Sue was an All-Star game starter and 1st team All-WNBA as a rookie. She would have been rookie of the year as well if Catch had not sat out her true rookie year. I agree it's rare for rookie PGs to have this type of success, but Sue Bird--the only 3-time Lieberman Award winner--is a cut above.

 

[alexrgct]

Sue was an All-Star game starter and 1st team All-WNBA as a rookie. She would have been rookie of the year as well if Catch had not sat out her true rookie year. I agree it's rare for rookie PGs to have this type of success, but Sue Bird--the only 3-time Lieberman Award winner--is a cut above.

Indeed. And Diggins isn't Sue Bird..a fact in which there is no shame whatsoever, though Diggins preening as a collegiate player like she was Sue Bird was certainly tiresome.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Indeed. And Diggins isn't Sue Bird..a fact in which there is no shame whatsoever, though Diggins preening as a collegiate player like she was Sue Bird was certainly tiresome.

We're still waiting for the next PG at Sue's level. It's been 11 years.

 

[sarals24]

Sue Bird....genius.

 

[HGN]

Part of Diggins problem is that The Face isn't getting all the calls she use to get at ND ; and she is playing against better and stronger guards than she ever did last year.....She will indeed get better after a year of experience and training. But for now she must undergo some humbling play.

 

[UCONNfan1]

Well I also think you have to look at Diggins situation compared to EDD or even Griner. EDD has a couple of superstars on her team (Prince and Fowles), while Griner has Taurasi, no slouch herself. Diggins really doesn't have a superstar on her roster. That's something you have to take into account when looking at her numbers.

Just something to think about.

Well, according to some, Johnson is a superstar...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Well, according to some, Johnson is a superstar...

What about Wiggins?

 

[HuskyMJ]

Diggins excelled at drawing fouls and you can argue that she got way too preferential treatment from the refs. Face of the game, a superstar unlike anyone else in the WBB game when you add in social media presence. She was making jumpers in college but I believe defenders sagged off a little because if you played her too close she was very good at drawing blocking fouls. Now fast forward to the WNBA and Skylar is not drawing all the fouls. Defenders can guard her close without worrying about too many ticky taack fouls. Right now Diggins is shooting under 30 percent overall and just 15 percent at the 3 point stripe. Diggins is a great free throw shooter hitting 84% and in college got to the line a lot. Those freebies are harder to come by now.
I was watching Live Access and Diggins is struggling tonight. Hit 1 shot out of 8 attempts and has more turnovers than she does assists.

Sky was a great college player but I see references to Vandersloot and Bird but those two were shot makers and great shooters. I just don't know if Diggins is an elite shooter and if a defense can just sag off a point guard and not have her make shots, the whole offense is stagnated.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The last 4 games, Skylar has 5 FGs. Her shooting: 2-8, 1-5 1-8, 1-6. That's 5-27 for 18.5%. Her shooting has gone from marginal to abysmal.

 

[ocoandasoc]

The Shock are falling apart -- and Diggins is leading the way.
They've now been blown out in consecutive games by three of the WNBA's lesser lights. (No offense, Sun.)
In those games Diggins shot 3 for 19, had 8 points and 9 turnovers. (HuskyMJ is right.... if she doesn't get to the freethrow line she' not an offensive threat!)
With three guards unable to play tonight the Sun still outplayed Tulsa in the backcourt. Big time.
Except for Williams off the bench, the Shock guards can't score and tonight they didn't seem to want to defend as the Sun guards went 8 for 12 from the 3-pt line.
Some on this board took issue with me earlier in the season when I said Diggins was overrated and closer to the bottom of the WNBA point guards than the top. Right now she may BE the bottom.
All the hype forced Tulsa to draft her and now start her every game. But it's a very rare college point guard that can start for a pro team as a rookie. The Shock might have been better off trading the pick for a proven point guard or to fill another need. Indiana would have loved to move up five places.... and the Shock could have picked up a veteran player from them plus got Clarendon or Mathies to give them some off-the-bench guard play. Right now, either of them looks to have as much up-side as Diggins.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't care for Skylar, based on her attitude, but I think she'll be a good player at this level, though maybe not an effective shooter from the floor. Over time, I think her assists and steals will make her a good player. She may never shoot above 40%. She's really struggling now, to where 35% would be a good mark.

 

[MilfordHusky]

That pure shooter Kalana Greene shot 5-5 for 14 points.

 

[HuskyNan]

Saki is correct - there is no superstar, no Sylvia Fowles or Diana Taurasi to take the heat off of Diggins. She is trying to do too much to get her team a win. That people would rejoice in her "humbling" is troubling. This is one of Bria Hartley's best friends, btw.

Diggins is the leading rookie, and 6th in the WNBA, in assists with 4.9. Despite her shooting woes, she's the third leading rookie in scoring, too, behind Griner and EDD. Overall, her stats are better than another guard than Renee Montgomery's as a first year rookie, a player that I would consider comparable.

 

[doggydaddy]

Saki is correct -of there is no superstar, no Sylvia Fowles or Diana Taurasi to take the heat off of Diggins. She is trying to do too much to get her team a win. That people would rejoice in her "humbling" is troubling. This is one of Bria Hartley's best friends, btw.

Diggins is the leading rookie, and 6th in the WNBA, in assists with 4.9. Despite her shooting woes, she's the third leaiding rookie in scoring, too, behind Griner and EDD. Overall, her stats are better than another guard than Renee Montgomery's as a first year rookie, a player that I would consider comparable.

I have to disagree with you, Nan, on many fronts.

When looking or the stats at wnba.com they have a list of players and also a list of superstars. Under superstars, they have Cambage AND Diggins. Having Diggins there is so premature (same with EDD and Griner) and I think people who don't like her will look at that and roll their eyes.

Diggins is not trying to do too much. If she was the number of shots would be much higher. Maybe she is forcing here and there, but her poor shooting is just a continuation of her poor shooting against tough defensive teams in college.

Her shooting stats are not bad, they are horrific. And so far, she is getting worse, not better. And weather you like her or not, it's fair game to point this out.

Now, her 4.9 assists per game are excellent. And passing the ball to a spot where a player can finish is her best asset. And that will be what keeps her in the league. But her assists stats are higher because she had 11, 11 and 8 in 3 games. In 9 of her 16 games, she had 3 or less assists. She has a LOT of work to do on the rest of her game.

In regards to Mongomery's rookie year, in 8 less minutes a game she averaged 9 ppg vs 8.5 ppg for Diggins while shooting 41% and 35% compared to Diggins 29% and 15%. More assists, but a better A/To for Montgomery.

And the hype for Diggins is about 100 times what Montgomery received.

As of right now, the critisism is fair.