Watching Kiah defend Griner

[msf22b]

Doing a great job so far...Gives up half a foot
tough.

 

[uconnfan68]

Doing a great job so far...Gives up half a foot
tough.

I thought Heather Buck played BG pretty well in college. Need a strong lower body to keep her away from her comfort zone.

 

[DaddyChoc]

DT and BG ejected?

 

[j66kicker]

DT and BG ejected?

They each got 2 technicals. 18 and 16 minutes.

 

[Orangutan]

DT and BG ejected?

Yup they made total fools of themselves after Griner got called for a foul that even the hometown Phoenix announcers admitted was correct.

I know the refs in the WNBA are bad at times but in-game tirades laden with expletives are not helping anyone.

 

[HuskyNan]

The Mercury had 6 technical fouls? Wow. And that's with Laimbeer on the other sideline.

 

[ThisJustIn]

DT is out of control this year... don't know if it's a product of the team being out of sorts or if she's part of the reason the team is out of sorts.

BG certainly does NOT look herself.

 

[snlMINAJ]

well ill say BG definitely does not get the star treatment other stars get. its almost routine that she gets 2 fouls every first quarter. i think its a product of age with PHX. bonner and griner are really the only two 'younger' players on the team.
taurasi penny and dupree are all good but at their age now they seem to be great only once in a while

 

[BigBird]

DT is out of control this year... don't know if it's a product of the team being out of sorts or if she's part of the reason the team is out of sorts...

I was almost afraid to say it, but yes. Having watched her several times, the rythym of her game is absent, her decision making has slipped, and she seems somehow disconnected from the team game. I know she is one of "ours," but I saw what I saw. Still, she can bounce back.

 

[easttexastrash]

well ill say BG definitely does not get the star treatment other stars get. its almost routine that she gets 2 fouls every first quarter. i think its a product of age with PHX. bonner and griner are really the only two 'younger' players on the team.
taurasi penny and dupree are all good but at their age now they seem to be great only once in a while

BG is getting the opposite of the "start treatment." I had seen this building most of the season as BG is getting called for fouls on types of plays that her opponents are not. Other teams are definitely being allowed to bump and push Griner in a fashion that she is not allowed to return. She is playing not to foul at this point and I wish she would stop that. If started giving it as good as she is getting it the refs would be forced to clean it up on both ends.

I highly doubt that we will see BG or DT play another season in the WNBA. BG is HIGHLY influenced by DT and I suspect that after this season that DT will be done with the WNBA and that BG will follow her lead. I think they both feel that the WNBA is not going to give them a fair shake when it comes to officiating and that they will protest by not playing.

 

[easttexastrash]

DT is out of control this year... don't know if it's a product of the team being out of sorts or if she's part of the reason the team is out of sorts.

BG certainly does NOT look herself.

DT is the leader of the team and, IMO, is the reason that the team is disjointed. I don't see any joy in DT's demeanor, almost more like resentment that she is playing in the WNBA. I am guessing that she felt obligated to play in the WNBA leading up to the Olympics and that she is only playing for that reason. And as much as a positive influence as DT has been for BG in the past, I see her influence as the opposite now.

BG is not playing with the same discipline and composure that she did during her first few WNBA seasons, which is a shame. She complains about EVERY foul and has some horrible rebounding habits, such as slapping down on the ball instead of going up and trying to secure the ball with two hands. She also just stands and watches the ball while her teammates and opponents pursue the ball. She has taken a step back this season and I am hoping that "summer camp" with Geno can help get her head back on straight. She can certainly learn a thing or two from players like Catchings, Charles and Fowles. Brondello and her hubby coach are NOT having the necessary influence.

 

[Carnac]

DT is the leader of the team and, IMO, is the reason that the team is disjointed. I don't see any joy in DT's demeanor, almost more like resentment that she is playing in the WNBA. I am guessing that she felt obligated to play in the WNBA leading up to the Olympics and that she is only playing for that reason. And as much as a positive influence as DT has been for BG in the past, I see her influence as the opposite now.

BG is not playing with the same discipline and composure that she did during her first few WNBA seasons, which is a shame. She complains about EVERY foul and has some horrible rebounding habits, such as slapping down on the ball instead of going up and trying to secure the ball with two hands. She also just stands and watches the ball while her teammates and opponents pursue the ball. She has taken a step back this season and I am hoping that "summer camp" with Geno can help get her head back on straight. She can certainly learn a thing or two from players like Catchings, Charles and Fowles. Brondello and her hubby coach are NOT having the necessary influence.

I've noticed this too. We maybe coming to the end of the Tarausi era for the Phoenix Mercury very soon.

 

[baggerbob]

DT is the leader of the team and, IMO, is the reason that the team is disjointed. I don't see any joy in DT's demeanor, almost more like resentment that she is playing in the WNBA. I am guessing that she felt obligated to play in the WNBA leading up to the Olympics and that she is only playing for that reason. And as much as a positive influence as DT has been for BG in the past, I see her influence as the opposite now.

BG is not playing with the same discipline and composure that she did during her first few WNBA seasons, which is a shame. She complains about EVERY foul and has some horrible rebounding habits, such as slapping down on the ball instead of going up and trying to secure the ball with two hands. She also just stands and watches the ball while her teammates and opponents pursue the ball. She has taken a step back this season and I am hoping that "summer camp" with Geno can help get her head back on straight. She can certainly learn a thing or two from players like Catchings, Charles and Fowles. Brondello and her hubby coach are NOT having the necessary influence.

Gave you a like, a thoughtful post. Britney better get it together when training camp starts, or she won't play much in Rio. Geno has enough big people in Sylvia, Tina, Stewie, and Edd, that if Britney isn't focused, she won't play. With all that talent Geno is going to have a hard time giving out minutes.

 

[Huskies990411]

Gave you a like, a thoughtful post. Britney better get it together when training camp starts, or she won't play much in Rio. Geno has enough big people in Sylvia, Tina, Stewie, and Edd, that if Britney isn't focused, she won't play. With all that talent Geno is going to have a hard time giving out minutes.

I agree that a similarly lethargic and uninspired Griner gets few minutes from Geno, but EDD does not take her minutes. They are totally different "positions" and, if anyone, it will in fact be Charles and Fowles that eat up BG's potential minutes.

 

[j66kicker]

DT is the leader of the team and, IMO, is the reason that the team is disjointed. I don't see any joy in DT's demeanor, almost more like resentment that she is playing in the WNBA. I am guessing that she felt obligated to play in the WNBA leading up to the Olympics and that she is only playing for that reason. And as much as a positive influence as DT has been for BG in the past, I see her influence as the opposite now.

BG is not playing with the same discipline and composure that she did during her first few WNBA seasons, which is a shame. She complains about EVERY foul and has some horrible rebounding habits, such as slapping down on the ball instead of going up and trying to secure the ball with two hands. She also just stands and watches the ball while her teammates and opponents pursue the ball. She has taken a step back this season and I am hoping that "summer camp" with Geno can help get her head back on straight. She can certainly learn a thing or two from players like Catchings, Charles and Fowles. Brondello and her hubby coach are NOT having the necessary influence.

Not so fast - BG and DT tore it up against the Dream today. Thought I noticed some intentional self-discipline from both. Griner 27/10, Taurasi 17/5 + 8 assists in the win.

BTW Tiff also had a great game with 26 points.

 

[easttexastrash]

Not so fast - BG and DT tore it up against the Dream today. Thought I noticed some intentional self-discipline from both. Griner 27/10, Taurasi 17/5 + 8 assists in the win.

BTW Tiff also had a great game with 26 points.

Yep, just as a ripped on BG she came through with a monster game, just the 6th triple-double in WNBA history. I think that someone may have given BG and DT an earful after they blew their lids and got tossed from the NY game. They needed that win and those two needed to be on the floor.

BG has a tendency to become detached from the game when she is not involved in the offense. When she gets touches on offense she is more active on the boards and on defense. When she runs down possession after possession and has to just watch everyone else take all the shots she loses focus. Hopefully that will improve with age. And it was nice to see her go to the basket instead of looking to pass out so much. I am not sure why Michael Cooper thought that he could play her one-one-one with Williams. That was a massive mis-match.

 

[easttexastrash]

BTW Tiff also had a great game with 26 points.

Tiffany Hayes has turned into a great pro player. She is the biggest surprise to me of all the UCONN grads as she has turned into a go-to player for Atlanta, often outplaying Angel.

 

[baggerbob]

Yep, just as a ripped on BG she came through with a monster game, just the 6th triple-double in WNBA history. I think that someone may have given BG and DT an earful after they blew their lids and got tossed from the NY game. They needed that win and those two needed to be on the floor.

BG has a tendency to become detached from the game when she is not involved in the offense. When she gets touches on offense she is more active on the boards and on defense. When she runs down possession after possession and has to just watch everyone else take all the shots she loses focus. Hopefully that will improve with age. And it was nice to see her go to the basket instead of looking to pass out so much. I am not sure why Michael Cooper thought that he could play her one-one-one with Williams. That was a massive mis-match.

The most impressive part of the game for Britney was 10 rebounds, she needs to be a force on the boards every game.

 

[Carnac]

DT is the leader of the team and, IMO, is the reason that the team is disjointed. I don't see any joy in DT's demeanor, almost more like resentment that she is playing in the WNBA. I am guessing that she felt obligated to play in the WNBA leading up to the Olympics and that she is only playing for that reason. And as much as a positive influence as DT has been for BG in the past, I see her influence as the opposite now.

BG is not playing with the same discipline and composure that she did during her first few WNBA seasons, which is a shame. She complains about EVERY foul and has some horrible rebounding habits, such as slapping down on the ball instead of going up and trying to secure the ball with two hands. She also just stands and watches the ball while her teammates and opponents pursue the ball. She has taken a step back this season and I am hoping that "summer camp" with Geno can help get her head back on straight. She can certainly learn a thing or two from players like Catchings, Charles and Fowles. Brondello and her hubby coach are NOT having the necessary influence.

Please explain something to me...........................Nenka Ogwumike at 6'2" is averaging 8.8 rpg. Britanny Griner at 6'8' is averaging only 6.7 rpg. BG is SIX INCHES TALLER than Ogwumike, yet Nneka is out rebounding her.
How is this possible? Imagine for a moment if Nneka was 6"8, what kind of numbers she would be putting up then. It appears that Nneka is outworking BG, and has more of a will to win.

Nneka brings her lunch pale and hard hat to work every night!. She continues to play like a #1 draft pick. Ogwumike has been an integral part of the Sparks current run of 15-1. We're almost at the half way point of the season, and the Sparks have only lost once (to the Lynx in over time). Barring injury, they are going to be hard to beat the rest of the way. Don't think they won't be thinking "championship" when play resumes after the Olympic break. Go Sparks.

 

[Carnac]

Doing a great job so far...Gives up half a foot
tough.

Kiah is doing the best she can. NOBODY can guard BG effectively consistently. BG is a handful. You can't block her shot, all you can do is make her uncomfortable, and maybe take a shot from somewhere she doesn't want to shoot from........................or foul her. Kiah isn't doing any worse than anyone else. Some players are almost impossible to guard (successfully/consistently).

 

[snlMINAJ]

i sometimes think its easier for a very athletic 6'2 player who can really jump to get rebounds than a 6'8 player. i can't picture someone as large and long as BG jumping and contorting the way nneka does and being successful at it.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Please explain something to me.......Nenka Ogwumike at 6'2" is averaging 8.8 rpg. Britanny Griner at 6'8' is averaging only 6.7 rpg. BG is SIX INCHES TALLER than Ogwumike, yet Nneka is out rebounding her.
How is this possible? Imagine for a moment if Nneka was 6"8, what kind of numbers she would be putting up then. It appears that Nneka is outworking BG, and has more of a will to win.

Nneka brings her lunch pale and hard hat to work every night!. She continues to play like a #1 draft pick. Ogwumike has been an integral part of the Sparks current run of 15-1. We're almost at the half way point of the season, and the Sparks have only lost once (to the Lynx in over time). Barring injury, they are going to be hard to beat the rest of the way. Don't think they won't be thinking "championship" when play resumes after the Olympic break. Go Sparks.

Yet Ms Griner is the reigning two time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. There is much more to defending than rebounding. In the games I have seen this seaon, Phoenix opponents are consistently running offenses that force Griner to defend away from the basket; A very good strategy because her blocks per game are down.

All that said, Ms Ogwumike is having a fantastic season all the way around. Her team is winning, and her points and rebounds per game are significantly higher than her career averages.

 

[Carnac]

Yet Ms Griner is the reigning two time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. There is much more to defending than rebounding. In the games I have seen this seaon, Phoenix opponents are consistently running offenses that force Griner to defend away from the basket; A very good strategy because her blocks per game are down.

All that said, Ms Ogwumike is having a fantastic season all the way around. Her team is winning, and her points and rebounds per game are significantly higher than her career averages.

Your point is well taken, thanks.

 

[Striper69]

Kiah is doing the best she can. NOBODY can guard BG effectively consistently. BG is a handful. You can't block her shot, all you can do is make her uncomfortable, and maybe take a shot from somewhere she doesn't want to shoot from....or foul her. Kiah isn't doing any worse than anyone else. Some players are almost impossible to guard (successfully/consistently).

I've always felt that Griner has never gotten the proper coaching on playing offensive center in college or the pros. She makes every move harder on herself and gives the defense an advantage.

She should be unstoppable on offense. Even Kiah shouldn't be able to contain her.

 

[Striper69]

Yet Ms Griner is the reigning two time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. There is much more to defending than rebounding. In the games I have seen this seaon, Phoenix opponents are consistently running offenses that force Griner to defend away from the basket; A very good strategy because her blocks per game are down.

All that said, Ms Ogwumike is having a fantastic season all the way around. Her team is winning, and her points and rebounds per game are significantly higher than her career averages.

I think Griner concentrates on blocking shots too much. She should just alter shots and get the rebounds.

She gets in early foul trouble in too many games.