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- Aug 8, 2013
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Last season Paige was sitting on the bench. Do you believe if she had been healthy, Nika would have been the indispensable player? Anyway, I think there’s an argument to be made that Aaliyah and Lou were also indispensable players last season!In her first two seasons, Nika was a role player and a defensive specialist. Just another cog on the team. Last season, Nika became the indispensable player. The personality of the team, the shape of its attack on O and D, was determined by her. When she went down with an injury, the team looked lost. When she returned, the team regained its composure.
This is the quality Geno will want from her. Perhaps it’ll be enough to have this quality coming off the bench. But I suspect Geno will want Nika to set the tone at the beginning of every game.
I think it’s pretty clear that Paige, Azzi, Aaliyah, and one of
Nika, Aubrey, and Caroline (most likely) for the fifth starter. I personally believe it will be Aubrey or Caroline because I think they complete a better matched five than Nika does. Nika, whoever does not start between CD and Aubrey and Ice and Jana would be first off the bench.
Although I must admit I won’t be totally shocked if Nika starts, certainly for certain matchups. I just don’t think she makes the most sense. (no, I don’t think I’m smarter than Geno) She is the perfect weapon to come off the bench and change the flow of the game. I would also expect that CD and Aubrey may be switched around strategically as well. (I see Aubrey as being, like Nika, another perfect weapon off the bench to shake up the flow of the game).
The bottom line is, this team (healthy) has so much talent, at every position, that Geno must be walking around with a constant smile on his face! I just pray everyone can stay healthy! I’m gearing up to tell my wife we may have to spend (Whatever it takes, within reason) some extra $ starting in November so I can watch this special team. I just hope I can find a way to do it!
Imagine how lucky we are to be able to legitimately debate the starting lineup of our team! Not many fan bases can say that, or if they do, it might be one position. Most teams have a pretty clear lineup that is not open for debate. This team, for all our interminable arguments here on the Boneyard, clearly has multiple possible starting lineups, all of which would be one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the nation.