Carnac
That venerable sage from the west
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2015
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Yes, and here's why: There are 3 openings in the starting lineup for next season. Gabby and Napheesa will no doubt fill two of those spots. They were the first two off the bench this past season, especially during the tournaments. Stewie's offensive production, and defensive presence will hard to replace, and will be the biggest problem for the staff to deal with. Jefferson & Tuck's floor leadership will also be hard to replace, but it will be, probably by Nurse or Williams. I'd bet the staff has already had meetings on this issue, and have formulated a plan with several contingencies. They're not going to wait a day or two before the season starts to figure out a plan of action. They've dealt with the revolving door - players out, players in before. They know their personnel. They know what they're doing, they'll get it right.
Geno will again this year put 5 starting players on the floor that can all score. They will also play tough, in-your-face, turn-you-over defense for 40 minutes. Collier and Williams will take the floor this season with a different mindset, that of a starter. When you come off the bench, you know two things:
1. You're a roll player. You're only out there to give someone a blow. You're not going to be out there very long. So play as hard as you can for as long as you can.
2. Because you're a bench player, your leash is not as long as a starter's. Mess up, and Geno might sub you out during the next dead ball. So, as a sub, you're constantly thinking about not messing up.
As starters, they can play more relaxed, and just play (be aggressive/do things they may not do as a sub) and let the game come to them, knowing they are going to be out there the majority of the time, and they don't have to look over their shoulder, or worry about getting "yanked" if they mess up. We all know that Geno is not going to start you unless you have proved to him that you know what you're doing between the lines, and he trusts you. Like always, Geno and staff will have the girls ready to begin when the season, and tournament play begins. Who knows, we may have some unexpected surprises along the way, like one or two of the freshmen panning out/making the high school to college adjustment mid-season. It's gonna be a fun ride.
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