It isn't about best alone, it is, also, about needs. I think the assessment of the Liberty's interior needs is acurate.
Completely disagree, with all due respect.
First, the Liberty spent one year under Laimbeer with a somewhat makeshift roster, of former Detroit players (whom Laimbeer coached), one superstar (Cappie), one star lost for the season (Carson), and a lot of young players (especially the two rookies).
Second, the Liberty took Kelsey Bone (center) and Toni Young (power forward) in last year's draft. Bone averaged 7 points and 5.4 rebounds in only 19 minutes per game; those numbers will improve as she develops (especially under Laimbeer, who is known for bringing out the best in his post players) and plays more minutes.
And between Bone and Kara Braxton, the center position accounted for 15.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Those are *really* good numbers.
Third, while Plenette Pierson did not shoot well, she still 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Her backup, Toni Young, put up 4.1 points and just about 2.0 rebounds per game, in limited minutes (11.1 per game) and while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor.
The interior presence is NOT the issue. The point guard position, however, IS the issue.
The Liberty offense was the worst in the WNBA last year. Last year, Cappie Pondexter was forced to play the point, due a lack of viable options. Leilani Mitchell is a backup, not starter material. Experimenting with Chucky Jeffry and Samantha Prahalis failed.
And Cappie is best OFF the ball. You saw that in Phoenix, with Cappie and Diana. While both excel with the ball in their hands and are great passers and very good facilitators for others, especially in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations (Diana is the better playmaker of the two, although Cappie is still very good), they are at their best when they are not responsible for initiating the offense but can initiating "their own" offense, creating for themselves first and foremost (with passing to an open player as a second option, not as an equally viable first option).
New York needs a point guard, first and foremost. Now, when you have the top pick, you take the best available player. You do consider position, but you take the best player and the biggest (potential) superstar. Why? Because you can trade her later, especially if she does not necessarily fill a need. Look at 2007. Phoenix took Lindsey Harding, even though the team had Kelly Miller as the PG, Cappie as the SG, and Taurasi as the SG/SF. Harding was traded to get Tangela Smith, a player who best fit Westhead's system and was a key in winning the title that year.
Who is the best player? Another issue. And you have to consider the "best player in college" vs. "likely the best pro." For example, I think Alyssa Thomas is arguably one of the two best players in college. But is she going to be the best pro? Will she be an undersized power forward in the WNBA? Or can be a slashing wing, playing next to a power forward with great shooting range?
But if New York has the second pick, the two names to consider are Odyssey Sims and Chelsea Gray. Gray is the better passer and facilitator; Sims is the better scoring point guard prospect and someone with superstar potential. Gray is the better player to take if you have pieces in place and want everyone to get better through a common facilitator; Sims is the better player to take if you need a potential star who can get her own . Gray has more experience playing with very good players and making them better. Sims is better at working with another superstar (Griner), so pairing her with Cappie should not be that much of a challenge (though having another star in the backcourt will take some adjustment).
