Who’s guarding Z | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Who’s guarding Z

donalddoowop

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If Collier, Williams, and Samuelson play only as well as they did last season and Nurse as well as she did the last two weeks, Uconn will be very good. Add an improved Stevens and they will be great. However, if the returning starters and the bench have improved from last season, I believe Uconn will be scary great, if there is such a thing.
 

SVCBeercats

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After watching the video, I say: no, it is not fair to let UConn has so many talent players.

Yeah, Z will great off the bench. :rolleyes: Not one post about Z not starting. Interesting! The reality of Z is hitting home! :cool: Phee at small forward, Z at power forward, Gabby at point center, Kia at PG, and Lou at shooting guard. Gabby finishes the season with 300+ assists! :D
 

DaddyChoc

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I wondered who guarded and guards her in practice...Butler did? and now Pheesa? I wonder if Z is the reason Pheesa had a great 16-17 season
 
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Az ain’t no post!
+1

Despite having the height of a post she does not play like a post. She has skill sets far closer to EDD's, who is also not a post and rarely displays those kind of underneath moves.

Geno, like Bill Belichick, knows that you mold a team out of the skills of individual players, rather than force players to play to an ideal offense. You take your best players and put them in a position to play their best games. And then you hope that's enough.
 
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Yes, I agree with all above player accolades ! At the same time, let us be on guard & not forget the adage, 'The best laid plans, often go astray ' ! Every player, we have are gifted players, let us enjoy their play in team performance.
 

SVCBeercats

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So who will jump the ball this year? Gabby or Z?

Gabby 5'11" and Azura 6'6"
Gabby jumps really high and Azura jumps really high
Gabby above average arm length and Azura really long arms
Azura jumps center
See proof below
azura-jpg.22878
 
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SVCBeercats

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Az ain’t no post!

Right! She is not just a post. Just a really good simulation of a Stewart! To be sure not a Stewart. But a really good simulation of a Stewart. Which is most delightful and will be much fun to watch.
 

Huskee11

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Az ain’t no post!

True, not a post.

UConn has had some great ones that you would characterize as such - Kara, Tamika Williams, Jessica Moore, Tina Charles, Dolson, probably Tuck, maybe others.

There have been a whole bunch of others that can score and pass out of the post, even though you would not call them a "post". Larry Bird is perhaps the prototype here. UConn`s laundry list is long, including Stewie, Maya, Lobo, Swin Cash, Barbara Turner and Shea Ralph among others.

This years` squad gives us many reasons to be excited, and one of them is versatility. Gabby may not be a post, but bigs cannot stay with her in the post. (Remember South Carolina at Gampel?) She has numerous moves, my favorite being taking the ball from the right side of the lane with a left hand dribble and finishing on the left side with a left-handed layup.

Is Napheesa a post? Seems too limiting to call her that, but she can obviously score inside in numerous ways, oftentimes seemingly at will.

Lou, obviously not a post, at 6'3" can do plenty of damage in the post as well. I suspect the matchups this year will frequently have her going up against a much smaller player - after all, opposing coaches will need to utilize size against Z, Collier and Gabby - and I am hopeful that Geno will isolate Lou near the basket on a regular basis. I actually think that at times doing that right off the bat makes sense to help get Lou into the flow right away.

Like many of us, I am not familiar with Z`s game, but I have got to believe that she will be inflicting much damage in the paint area, even though not a "post" per se.

The ability of practically everybody being able to score from almost anywhere on the court is going to be fun to watch!
 
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Az ain’t no post!

She has to learn to be more than a jump shooter. As we see with any great shooter- you go through stretches where the outside shot doesn't fall. And she isn't as amazing of a shooter as Lou. SO what are you going to do, keep her outside and "accept" a 6'6 player can't play the post? Then what makes her better than Bonner?

Geno has got to make her also be a good in the post. AZ can't "allow" smaller players to easily defend her because her outside shot is off. IMO that's why she is coming to UCONN. To improve her overall game and prove "she ain't just a shooting wing/guard and can be a post too."

If Stewie could learn to be a good in the post - so should AZ too.
 

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She has to learn to be more than a jump shooter. As we see with any great shooter- you go through stretches where the outside shot doesn't fall. And she isn't as amazing of a shooter as Lou. SO what are you going to do, keep her outside and "accept" a 6'6 player can't play the post? Then what makes her better than Bonner?
Geno has got to make her also be a good in the post. AZ can't "allow" smaller players to easily defend her because her outside shot is off. IMO that's why she is coming to UCONN. To improve her overall game and prove "she ain't just a shooting wing/guard and can be a post too."If Stewie could learn to be a good in the post - so should AZ too.

Geno only had to polish Azura's game. She IS a post and outside shooter. She IS a real good simulation of Stewart. See below.
 

SVCBeercats

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Like many of us, I am not familiar with Z`s game, but I have got to believe that she will be inflicting much damage in the paint area, even though not a "post" per se.
What makes you say she is not a post per se? One video? You said you are not familiar with her game while she was at Duke. So what leads you to believe she is not a post per se? See the video I posted on this thread. I am a UCONN fan but also a WCB fan. I watched Azura when she was a Duke. As sophomore she was terrific and was honorable mention All-American. You will be delighted with Azura game. ''I gha-rawn-tee!'' as Justin Wilson, the Cookin' Cajun, said.
 

Huskee11

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What makes you say she is not a post per se? One video? You said you are not familiar with her game while she was at Duke. So what leads you to believe she is not a post per se? See the video I posted on this thread.

Ok, now I have seen two 30 second videos so my expertise is rapidly expanding!

In an earlier post you stated "She is not just a post". I totally agree, and that is the sentiment I was trying to convey. From what (little) I have seen and all that I have heard, she seems to be able to score from all over the court, including inside. So, referring to her as a post did not seem to me to do her justice since, to your point, she is much more than that. Same notion in my comments re Napheesa, i.e., calling her a post seems limiting even though she can score "in the post" as well as anyone in the country. I also included Stewie and Larry Bird as excellent non-post players who who have excellent post type skills - pretty good company for Z.

Maybe it is just a terminology thing. In any event, I was not at all trying to diss her skills, really the exact opposite. I sense you think otherwise - if I was not clear, my bad.
 
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Geno only had to polish Azura's game. She IS a post and outside shooter. She IS a real good simulation of Stewart. See below.


I agree she -- that "she will be."

You realize that the post you sent me-- she didn't make one low post move, right?
 
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Geno only had to polish Azura's game. She IS a post and outside shooter. She IS a real good simulation of Stewart. See below.

POY Frontrunner IMO! She had 16 pts against Uconn her Freshman year with Stewie and Stokes on that team. They could block a shot once in awhile, lol.
 

meyers7

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If this were Z as an incoming freshman, I'd think: looks fantastic, but let's wait for her to play against real competition.

But Z has already proven herself in competition. And now she has a tremendous number of other players with fantastic fire power to keep the defense honest. I know that Kaizen really doesn't mean that it's unfair, but I know why he said it. Wow.....
Add in Stevens was "doing this" against the best competition in WCBB.
 

SVCBeercats

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Ok, now I have seen two 30 second videos so my expertise is rapidly expanding!

In an earlier post you stated "She is not just a post". I totally agree, and that is the sentiment I was trying to convey. From what (little) I have seen and all that I have heard, she seems to be able to score from all over the court, including inside. So, referring to her as a post did not seem to me to do her justice since, to your point, she is much more than that. Same notion in my comments re Napheesa, i.e., calling her a post seems limiting even though she can score "in the post" as well as anyone in the country. I also included Stewie and Larry Bird as excellent non-post players who who have excellent post type skills - pretty good company for Z.

Maybe it is just a terminology thing. In any event, I was not at all trying to diss her skills, really the exact opposite. I sense you think otherwise - if I was not clear, my bad.

Not your bad! My bad! Sorry!
 
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What am I missing? I don't see any true "post" moves in either video. I see her driving to the hoop, I see her using her size to block shots. But MoJeff could do that, too. Post moves are: back-to-the-basket shots (turn around jumpers, quick pivot moves from the foul line, hook shots, etc) and feeding others underneath or inside-outside passes. In recent years, Stef was the classic post, while Stewie did some of that, but played in 5-0 motion offense, while they played more 4-1 motion with Stef, because she wasn't as mobile and didn't have Stewie's agility or range, and thus Stef showed up more as classic post.

I don't doubt that Z might evolve into a Stewie type player (especially if she stays 2 yrs at UConn). But I don't think she's as quick and agile as Stewie. I think she sort of makes up her mind what shot she's going to take and then does so. She has spots on the court and plays in her mind--pretty much like EDD--and when she senses certain moments and defensive positions, she naturally goes to a small selection of moves and shots. Stewie, on the other hand, was all instinct and reflex, and made things up as she went along (which is not to say that she didn't practice everything all the time: just that she was quite spontaneous in games). That meant that Stewie could take the post and create as easily as when she took the 3 or 4 position. Z will be an incredibly effective player at college and pro-levels. But she is what she is.
 

oldude

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Sometime back I predicted that the biggest beneficiary of all the firepower that UConn has this season will be Kia Nurse. I went out on the limb suggesting that Kia will lead the nation in 3-pt shooting.

Kia set the NCAA Tournament 3-pt shooting record last season, and this year opposing teams will be overwhelmed attempting to provide help defense on UConn's 3 AA's along with Z, leaving Kia space to spot up at the arc, catch and shoot.

Opponents will have to pick their poison when they face the Huskies. I'm betting they choose Canadian arsenic.
 
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If anyone is willing to watch Duke try and run an offensive, here are some full game videos of Z vs NC state.


this game she started at the Small forward position, and finished with 13 and 10.


this game she started at the four and finished with 21 and 11.

I would say she is very versatile and can score all over the floor, She does like to play facing the basket but will post up a smaller defender. She is the player I thought Wilson would be coming out of high school, a big versatile player that can play 3 or 4 positions and be effective. I also notice she doesn't play much without a true post player, which is why I think Gabby will still be asked to defend other teams big.
 

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