So you think Muhl and Bueckers are interchangeable at pg? Really? Nika is the same offensive player as Bueckers? I think I missed something.
Some might say that Bueckers' scoring would still be there at sg but if Bueckers plays pg she does everything better than Muhl plus she is a major scorer. With Bueckers handling the pg there can be another player inserted at the 3, 4 or 5 that will add things to the team that neither Bueckers or Muhl will.
As long as Geno has other scoring options Bueckers will stay at pg.
I think you are greatly misrepresenting what Skeets said. No where did he say,
Nika is the same offensive player as Bueckers. There is no real debate that Paige is a better player than Nika, but your assertion that,
she does everything better than Muhl, is arguable, specifically on defense.
On the defensive end Nika is the better player. The Big East coaches have made the assessment two years in a row that she was the conference DPOY. Nika was not as aggressive this past season for obvious reasons, she couldn't afford to get herself in foul trouble because the team needed her on the floor for nearly every minute of every game. So why did they select a less aggressive Nika Mühl over other possible contenders (such as teammate Aubrey Griffin) again this season - perhaps because they like others have noted hearing her constant voice directing her teammates while continuing to slow down their ability to get into their offensive sets.
Nika will be returning as the player on the roster with the most career starts, 70, followed by Aaliyah, 69 and Paige 42. She, playing along with both, Paige and Azzi has shown great chemistry and played extremely well together when starting. The combination of all three provides two great passers, three players with great court vision, two exceptional scorers and an aggressive/disruptive head of the snake on defense flanked by two players who are great at getting in the passing lanes to pick off passes. To me, they are a scary backcourt for other teams to play against.
Arguments about Nika's lack of being an offensive threat allowing opponents to play off of her have been made numerous times in the past. I would argue that if that was true in her earlier career it is no longer the case. When Nika is actively leading or involved in the offensive flow, the defense does not lay off of her because of her ability to make the right pass with very little window of opportunity and her new found willingness, as demonstrated this past season, to take the open shot or drive to the basket for a layup attempt or get fouled. I think its fair to expect her to continue to improve on the offensive side, as she has each year.
Basically, I don't agree with you, Alydar, that a combination of Nika and Paige on the floor together is not of much greater benefit to the team than the a scenario of Paige at point with Nika off the bench as her back up.You could be correct, but I believe Geno expects a lot more from senior Nika Mühl than being the back up point guard. As do, I suspect, most Uconn fans.
