Sun Draft Article

[psconn]

From The Day's Ned Griffen...

Sun looking to get it right at Thursday's WNBA Draft

 

[JoePgh]

If Lexi Brown is available when the Sun pick (which would surprise me), I think she would be the best pick (over Kia). If Kia is still available at the time of the Sun's second-round pick, I would take her then.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Miller has close ties to Kia and her family.

You rarely go wrong by drafting a Badass.

 

[MilfordHusky]

If Lexi Brown is available when the Sun pick (which would surprise me), I think she would be the best pick (over Kia). If Kia is still available at the time of the Sun's second-round pick, I would take her then.

Lexi is a good player, but she seems a lot like Courtney Williams, though with more range. Kia would add size and defense.

 

[psconn]

If Lexi Brown is available when the Sun pick (which would surprise me), I think she would be the best pick (over Kia). If Kia is still available at the time of the Sun's second-round pick, I would take her then.

Hard to say if it should be Lexie or Kia. I'll be ok with either, I guess, but many fans that attend Sun games are emotionally just UConn fans to the exclusion of reason and basketball sense at times... they will be vocal and very unhappy if Kia is available and the Sun take a pass on her.

 

[psconn]

Lexi is a good player, but she seems a lot like Courtney Williams, though with more range. Kia would add size and defense.

My concerns with Kia are:
1) Can she keep the really quick guards in the W in front of her, and
2) Can she create her own shot against the bigger, quicker players in the W? It seems that 90% of Kia's game is transition drives and spot up jumpers. That'll be great much of the time in the Sun's high pace, transition oriented offense, but once it settles into the half-court game will she be able to create shots or threaten enough to open teammates? Not saying she can't, I just don't know. Coach Miller refers to unspecified "gaps" in Kia's offensive game... is it the question I have or is he just trolling other GMs to make them think twice about taking Kia before #9.

Lexie looks very good, plays well on the defensive side, outstanding FT shooter and carries a good overall field goal percentage. I just haven't seen enough of her game to make a fair comparison. Her Dad was a Celtic so that's a positive.

Ariel Atkins is bigger than Lexie and has very solid shooting numbers.

Good luck, Curt Miller! Polish up that crystal ball and steal a future All-Star.

 

[psconn]

Lexi is a good player, but she seems a lot like Courtney Williams, though with more range. Kia would add size and defense.

Geez, Courtney with better range? Not to mention Lexie is a solid defensive player? I'd take that.

 

[triaddukefan]

Who the heck is Lexi?

I'd prefer if the Sun pick up Kiah Nurse

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Here is my (relatively) short analysis (right, @CocoHusky ? LOL) of why CT was so good in 2017, the biggest problem(s) facing the CT Sun, and and analysis of Kia Nurse as the Sun's draft selection...

CT was successful last year because of these things:
-- Incredible improvement in three-point shooting from Jasmine Thomas and Shekinna Stricklen turning from a very good three-point shooter to a designated wing sniper
-- Moving Alyssa Thomas to a playmaking PF position, instead of converting her to a small forward. This allwowed Jonquel Jones to step out and show off her range, while being able to work a high/low with A.Thomas and pick-and-pops with both J.Thomas and A.Thomas
--Stunning second year improvement from Jonquel Jones (who became an All Star) and Courtney Williams (who became a double digit scorer and very efficient).
-- Moving away from former All Star Alex Bentley as a primary scoring option (as she was for the Sun in 2015 and 2016). Bentley is not particularly efficient and is a volume shooter; having her come off the bench gave the Sun the ability to maximize her scoring opportunities without dominating the offense and allowed her to play more minutes when she was having more efficient scoring outputs).

BUT...

-- A good number of these things might not have occurred had Chiney Ogqumike not missed the season with an injury. It allowed A.Thomas to slide to the four (PF), allowed Jones to be a primary post option, and balanced out the offense , as there were more shooters and playmakers on the floor and the post was not nearly as crowded.

SO...

-- The biggest problem facing the Sun is that one of its best players and someone who has been touted as a face of the franchise should be a bench player. Granted, having Chiney Ogwumike come off the bench would be great, because she could back up the 4 or 5, come in and simply provide efficient post scoring, and give rest to the starters. But given that she is one of the Sun's highest paid players, would she be okay with such a role?

AS FOR THE DRAFT...

-- The Sun's bench production last year was post-dominated. There needs to be a secondary ballhandler off the bench who is an efficient three-point shooter (as Bentley is not a good three-point shooter and is not a good playmaker).

Now, Kia Nurse has been the PG for the national team. But Kia's strength is her shooting, her passing from a standstill position, her size, and her defense. She is not great in terms of creating one-on-one off the dribble , as her strength is not her crossover (and, against WNBA PGs, she likely will always require a screen). She can certainly handle the ball and create, but she is not likely to be a player who can be a primary playmaker in a starting lineup. But given the Sun's desire to bolster the bench, she would be a very, very good pick. Is she the Sun's PG of the future? Not likely. But is she good for the Sun in terms of perimeter bench scoring and having to handle the ball for 8-10 minutes per game? Yes.

The one underrated part of Kia Nurse's game...her ability to blend in with other players and balance scoring/facilitating/being a 1st/2nd option and a 4th/5th option. Nurse started as a freshman at UConn, with the great Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck class and KML. As her teammates changed, due to graduation and the influx of younger players coming to UConn, she balanced her role. When she needed to be the 4th or 5th option next to great players, she was able to deliver (putting up over 10 ppg and 100 assists her freshman year). When the great Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck class graduated, she stepped into a leadership role and became more of a primary scorer and facilitator. When Dangerfeld became a starter, Nurse became a secondary facilitator and continued her scoring prowess.

This type of knowledge/basketball IQ is something that cannot be taught. And it is a very underrated part of Nurse's game.

 

[jdubct]

My concerns with Kia are:
1) Can she keep the really quick guards in the W in front of her, and
2) Can she create her own shot against the bigger, quicker players in the W? It seems that 90% of Kia's game is transition drives and spot up jumpers. That'll be great much of the time in the Sun's high pace, transition oriented offense, but once it settles into the half-court game will she be able to create shots or threaten enough to open teammates? Not saying she can't, I just don't know. Coach Miller refers to unspecified "gaps" in Kia's offensive game... is it the question I have or is he just trolling other GMs to make them think twice about taking Kia before #9.

Lexie looks very good, plays well on the defensive side, outstanding FT shooter and carries a good overall field goal percentage. I just haven't seen enough of her game to make a fair comparison. Her Dad was a Celtic so that's a positive.

Ariel Atkins is bigger than Lexie and has very solid shooting numbers.

Good luck, Curt Miller! Polish up that crystal ball and steal a future All-Star.

Agree. Miller is an excellent position. Find a player who can really help the team somewhat now, but more so in the future, or trade the pick to a team that's willing to overpay.

 

[psconn]

Here is my (relatively) short analysis (right, @CocoHusky ? LOL) of why CT was so good in 2017, the biggest problem(s) facing the CT Sun, and and analysis of Kia Nurse as the Sun's draft selection...

CT was successful last year because of these things:
-- Incredible improvement in three-point shooting from Jasmine Thomas and Shekinna Stricklen turning from a very good three-point shooter to a designated wing sniper
-- Moving Alyssa Thomas to a playmaking PF position, instead of converting her to a small forward. This allwowed Jonquel Jones to step out and show off her range, while being able to work a high/low with A.Thomas and pick-and-pops with both J.Thomas and A.Thomas
--Stunning second year improvement from Jonquel Jones (who became an All Star) and Courtney Williams (who became a double digit scorer and very efficient).
-- Moving away from former All Star Alex Bentley as a primary scoring option (as she was for the Sun in 2015 and 2016). Bentley is not particularly efficient and is a volume shooter; having her come off the bench gave the Sun the ability to maximize her scoring opportunities without dominating the offense and allowed her to play more minutes when she was having more efficient scoring outputs).

BUT...

-- A good number of these things might not have occurred had Chiney Ogqumike not missed the season with an injury. It allowed A.Thomas to slide to the four (PF), allowed Jones to be a primary post option, and balanced out the offense , as there were more shooters and playmakers on the floor and the post was not nearly as crowded.

SO...

-- The biggest problem facing the Sun is that one of its best players and someone who has been touted as a face of the franchise should be a bench player. Granted, having Chiney Ogwumike come off the bench would be great, because she could back up the 4 or 5, come in and simply provide efficient post scoring, and give rest to the starters. But given that she is one of the Sun's highest paid players, would she be okay with such a role?

AS FOR THE DRAFT...

-- The Sun's bench production last year was post-dominated. There needs to be a secondary ballhandler off the bench who is an efficient three-point shooter (as Bentley is not a good three-point shooter and is not a good playmaker).

Now, Kia Nurse has been the PG for the national team. But Kia's strength is her shooting, her passing from a standstill position, her size, and her defense. She is not great in terms of creating one-on-one off the dribble , as her strength is not her crossover (and, against WNBA PGs, she likely will always require a screen). She can certainly handle the ball and create, but she is not likely to be a player who can be a primary playmaker in a starting lineup. But given the Sun's desire to bolster the bench, she would be a very, very good pick. Is she the Sun's PG of the future? Not likely. But is she good for the Sun in terms of perimeter bench scoring and having to handle the ball for 8-10 minutes per game? Yes.

The one underrated part of Kia Nurse's game...her ability to blend in with other players and balance scoring/facilitating/being a 1st/2nd option and a 4th/5th option. Nurse started as a freshman at UConn, with the great Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck class and KML. As her teammates changed, due to graduation and the influx of younger players coming to UConn, she balanced her role. When she needed to be the 4th or 5th option next to great players, she was able to deliver (putting up over 10 ppg and 100 assists her freshman year). When the great Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck class graduated, she stepped into a leadership role and became more of a primary scorer and facilitator. When Dangerfeld became a starter, Nurse became a secondary facilitator and continued her scoring prowess.

This type of knowledge/basketball IQ is something that cannot be taught. And it is a very underrated part of Nurse's game.

Well done, Cam. Your a pretty smart guy for a Dookie.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Nice write-up, Cam. I’ve been curious about Chiney. Clearly, she adds depth and talent, but given what Jones and Thomas did last year, where does she fit in? She’s a bigger name, but I’m not sure she’s a bigger talent.

 

[psconn]

Here is my (relatively) short analysis (right, @CocoHusky ? LOL) of why CT was so good in 2017, the biggest problem(s) facing the CT Sun, and and analysis of Kia Nurse as the Sun's draft selection...

CT was successful last year because of these things:
-- Incredible improvement in three-point shooting from Jasmine Thomas and Shekinna Stricklen turning from a very good three-point shooter to a designated wing sniper
-- Moving Alyssa Thomas to a playmaking PF position, instead of converting her to a small forward. This allwowed Jonquel Jones to step out and show off her range, while being able to work a high/low with A.Thomas and pick-and-pops with both J.Thomas and A.Thomas
--Stunning second year improvement from Jonquel Jones (who became an All Star) and Courtney Williams (who became a double digit scorer and very efficient).
-- Moving away from former All Star Alex Bentley as a primary scoring option (as she was for the Sun in 2015 and 2016). Bentley is not particularly efficient and is a volume shooter; having her come off the bench gave the Sun the ability to maximize her scoring opportunities without dominating the offense and allowed her to play more minutes when she was having more efficient scoring outputs).

BUT...

-- A good number of these things might not have occurred had Chiney Ogqumike not missed the season with an injury. It allowed A.Thomas to slide to the four (PF), allowed Jones to be a primary post option, and balanced out the offense , as there were more shooters and playmakers on the floor and the post was not nearly as crowded.

SO...

-- The biggest problem facing the Sun is that one of its best players and someone who has been touted as a face of the franchise should be a bench player. Granted, having Chiney Ogwumike come off the bench would be great, because she could back up the 4 or 5, come in and simply provide efficient post scoring, and give rest to the starters. But given that she is one of the Sun's highest paid players, would she be okay with such a role?

AS FOR THE DRAFT...

-- The Sun's bench production last year was post-dominated. There needs to be a secondary ballhandler off the bench who is an efficient three-point shooter (as Bentley is not a good three-point shooter and is not a good playmaker).

Now, Kia Nurse has been the PG for the national team. But Kia's strength is her shooting, her passing from a standstill position, her size, and her defense. She is not great in terms of creating one-on-one off the dribble , as her strength is not her crossover (and, against WNBA PGs, she likely will always require a screen). She can certainly handle the ball and create, but she is not likely to be a player who can be a primary playmaker in a starting lineup. But given the Sun's desire to bolster the bench, she would be a very, very good pick. Is she the Sun's PG of the future? Not likely. But is she good for the Sun in terms of perimeter bench scoring and having to handle the ball for 8-10 minutes per game? Yes.

The one underrated part of Kia Nurse's game...her ability to blend in with other players and balance scoring/facilitating/being a 1st/2nd option and a 4th/5th option. Nurse started as a freshman at UConn, with the great Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck class and KML. As her teammates changed, due to graduation and the influx of younger players coming to UConn, she balanced her role. When she needed to be the 4th or 5th option next to great players, she was able to deliver (putting up over 10 ppg and 100 assists her freshman year). When the great Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck class graduated, she stepped into a leadership role and became more of a primary scorer and facilitator. When Dangerfeld became a starter, Nurse became a secondary facilitator and continued her scoring prowess.

This type of knowledge/basketball IQ is something that cannot be taught. And it is a very underrated part of Nurse's game.

Very much in line with my post in the Mock Draft thread where I said I thought Chiney would initially come off the bench...

"The challenge will be maintaining floor balance and spacing without forcing JJ to the perimeter to much on offense, I think. With Chiney and AT in the game at the same time that is more difficult.

Overall, the Sun team should be capable of running with any team in the league and should continue their high pace style. I'm hoping the quality 3 point threat will be there again. I would also expect them to be really good off the boards. JJ, Chiney, AT and Court are all terrific rebounders"