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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Posted: 09/05/17 5:32 pm ::: Atlanta Dream 2018 |
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Lots of question marks.
Coach?
Angel?
Dantas coming back?
plus the usual questions - trades? draft? retirements (Sancho, Matee)? roster adds?
Might as well get the ball rolling.
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 63787
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Rock Hard
Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 5381 Location: Chocolate Paradise
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Posted: 09/05/17 6:17 pm ::: |
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Atlanta best chance at improvement is for Angel to return and Boyette to have a season like J. Jones did this season.
_________________ You can win, as long as you keep your head to the SKY! Be OPTIMISTIC!
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Silky Johnson
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Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3319
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Posted: 09/05/17 6:40 pm ::: |
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Rock Hard wrote: |
Atlanta best chance at improvement is for Angel to return and Boyette to have a season like J. Jones did this season. |
As long as the first of those things happen, the Dream will make the playoffs. There haven't been eight teams in the WNBA better than Atlanta in any season that McCoughtry has played for them.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Silky Johnson
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Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3319
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Posted: 09/05/17 7:57 pm ::: |
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Randy wrote: |
Dream were a lottery team in 2015 with Angel. But it is nice to see someone with a positive mental attitude. :P |
Please re-read what I actually wrote, and advise.
There weren't eight teams in the WNBA better than Atlanta then, either. Under the current playoff format, the Dream would have been the eighth seed that year.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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toad455
Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 22475 Location: NJ
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Posted: 09/05/17 8:11 pm ::: |
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Really falls on whether Angel comes back or not. Otherwise it's mostly the same team.
_________________ LET'S GO LIBERTY!!!!!!
Twitter: @TBRBWAY
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Silky Johnson
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Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3319
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Posted: 09/05/17 8:57 pm ::: |
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Randy wrote: |
Silky Johnson wrote: |
Randy wrote: |
Dream were a lottery team in 2015 with Angel. But it is nice to see someone with a positive mental attitude. :P |
Please re-read what I actually wrote, and advise.
There weren't eight teams in the WNBA better than Atlanta then, either. Under the current playoff format, the Dream would have been the eighth seed that year. |
Except they would have had to play more games with the West teams so who knows. |
The trade-off to having to play one more game against the western teams that had their number, like the Lynx, Mercury and Sparks would have been one fewer game apiece against the eastern teams that had their number, being the Liberty, Sky and Fever. Not to mention an extra game against the Shock, Storm and Stars.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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Luuuc #NATC
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Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 21930
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Silky Johnson
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Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3319
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Posted: 09/05/17 9:10 pm ::: |
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Randy wrote: |
For 2018 you might be right, but I don't see much better than a quick exit from the playoff. |
Depends on what you mean by "quick." The best team almost always wins in a best-of-five series, which is a big part of why Atlanta is 0-9 in WNBA Finals games. But, with all due respect to Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, there's no player in the league that I'd fear more in a one-game playoff than Angel McCoughtry. If McCoughtry returns in 2018, she'll be returning to a team that was better than the last team she played on (+Sykes and Dantas, better Williams and Clarendon, more mature Hayes). I would put money on a team with a core of McCoughtry, Sykes, Williams, Hayes, Clarendon and Dantas getting to the semis, maybe even the Finals, depending on how the draw plays out.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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Silky Johnson
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Joined: 29 Sep 2014 Posts: 3319
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Posted: 09/05/17 9:13 pm ::: |
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Luuuc wrote: |
They lost to all 3 of those teams that season. |
They also beat all three of those teams that season.
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Posted: 09/05/17 9:41 pm ::: |
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Silky Johnson wrote: |
Randy wrote: |
For 2018 you might be right, but I don't see much better than a quick exit from the playoff. |
Depends on what you mean by "quick." The best team almost always wins in a best-of-five series, which is a big part of why Atlanta is 0-9 in WNBA Finals games. But, with all due respect to Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, there's no player in the league that I'd fear more in a one-game playoff than Angel McCoughtry. If McCoughtry returns in 2018, she'll be returning to a team that was better than the last team she played on (+Sykes and Dantas, better Williams and Clarendon, more mature Hayes). I would put money on a team with a core of McCoughtry, Sykes, Williams, Hayes, Clarendon and Dantas getting to the semis, maybe even the Finals, depending on how the draw plays out. |
Great - we get a shot at 0-12 in the finals. Sign me up.
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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 32336
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:02 pm ::: |
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It will be an interesting dynamic between Sykes and Angel. Is one basketball enough?
_________________ For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman
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Silky Johnson
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:05 pm ::: |
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Randy wrote: |
Great - we get a shot at 0-12 in the finals. Sign me up. |
You'd rather y'all were 0-0 in the Finals, like the Mystics?
_________________ Professional Hater. The Baron of #HateHard
My team no longer exists, so I'll have to settle for hating yours.
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pilight
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Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 66928 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:07 pm ::: |
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Silky Johnson wrote: |
Randy wrote: |
Great - we get a shot at 0-12 in the finals. Sign me up. |
You'd rather y'all were 0-0 in the Finals, like the Mystics? |
Nobody wants to be the Mystics
_________________ I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:08 pm ::: |
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Silky Johnson wrote: |
Randy wrote: |
Great - we get a shot at 0-12 in the finals. Sign me up. |
You'd rather y'all were 0-0 in the Finals, like the Mystics? |
Yeah. Playoffs are proof that God hates Atlanta sports fans. That's why we the opposing teams always smite us.
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Queenie
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Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 18031 Location: Queens
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:17 pm ::: |
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pilight wrote: |
Silky Johnson wrote: |
Randy wrote: |
Great - we get a shot at 0-12 in the finals. Sign me up. |
You'd rather y'all were 0-0 in the Finals, like the Mystics? |
Nobody wants to be the Mystics |
Does that include the Mystics?
_________________ Ardent believer in the separation of church and stadium.
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pilight
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Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 66928 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:20 pm ::: |
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Queenie wrote: |
pilight wrote: |
Silky Johnson wrote: |
Randy wrote: |
Great - we get a shot at 0-12 in the finals. Sign me up. |
You'd rather y'all were 0-0 in the Finals, like the Mystics? |
Nobody wants to be the Mystics |
Does that include the Mystics? |
Yes. That's why they're retreating to a 4000 seat arena and why they've never had a mascot that's even remotely Mystical and why their attendance has always been inversely related to team success. The Mystics and their fans are the most self loathing bunch in sports.
_________________ I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home
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PamelaT
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Joined: 06 Sep 2012 Posts: 448 Location: Earth, North America, USA, Georgia
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:27 pm ::: |
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So here's a general impression, and I haven't studied the stats to confirm so feel free to tell me I'm wrong:
First half of 2017, we saw a balanced team, moving the ball well, four-five players in double figures just about every game, and some surprisingly good basketball and unexpected wins.
Second half of 2017, mostly the same players, but now it's turning into the Brittney Sykes Show. Fortunately Sykes is good, but at the same time it sort of feels like the old Angel McCoughtry show - with a key difference being that the Brittney Sykes Show isn't enough to win many games.
I put most of this on the coaches - let's call it some combination of (a) other teams got surprised at the first meeting - then they adjusted and figured out how to stop us, and our coaches had to adjust back; (b) need to know how to make use of a star (or up-and-coming star) without sucking all the oxygen away from the rest of the team. (And if the rest of the team has suddenly started sucking, period, that's another problem...).
If someone can get that core of talent that Silky listed playing all together with only one basketball (thanks myrtle ), then this is a pretty dangerous team.
Not too hard to argue that Michael Cooper isn't the coach to do that - if I buy my own line of reasoning above, then he was only able to get the team playing together when there wasn't a big star in the picture. To me, that's a much more telling reason to let him go than the results of any single trade.
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J-Spoon
Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 6801
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Posted: 09/05/17 10:58 pm ::: |
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Should Atl experiment and try and put A. McCoughtry at the PF spot. Going small worked well for the Sun moving A. Thomas to PF this season. With the teams it doesn't work well against you have Boyette on the bench, slide Williams to the 4 and have a more conventional lineup. It is either that or have Sykes as your instant offense off the bench, or someone gets traded.
I would not trade McCoughtry or Hayes, or have Hayes come off the bench as she is a great compliment to Angel.
Clarendon/(Free Agent)
Sykes/(2nd round pick #16 S. Thomas, Vivians or Atkins)
Hayes/Holmes
McCoughtry/(Dantas)/(Lyttle)
E. Williams/Boyette
If you don't go in this direction do you consider trading Sykes? Coming off a possible she will have good trade value, but I'm not convinced that she isn't healthy R. Williams as opposed to being a future all-star. I could be wrong jury is out. Atl was looking at Sims last season, Sykes for Sims would LA consider it?
Free agent PG if not Ajevon maybe bring back Cortijo, give O'neil a shot, wait to see if someone like Colson or dare say L. Allen ends up waived after next seasons draft. Other future waiver wire possibilities A. Peterson, Epps, S. Chong. I wonder if Latta is an unrestricted free agent.
Also with the Worlds next Summer I could see Dantas or Lyttle missing some of the season (if not all) so maybe try to pick up another post. I guess you still have Henry as an option. R. Gray is still available. If Dantas wants another Brazilian in town Dos Santos is floating around. If Chicago get a big in the lottery someone will drop off their roster maybe Hampton or C. Parker.
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lynxmania
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Joined: 18 Feb 2011 Posts: 10697 Location: Minnesota
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Posted: 09/05/17 11:17 pm ::: |
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J-Spoon wrote: |
If Dantas wants another Brazilian in town Dos Santos is floating around. If Chicago get a big in the lottery someone will drop off their roster maybe Hampton or C. Parker. |
Pretty sure Dos Santos is still with San Antonio - just under a suspension. Tho Dantas could call de Souza up and tell her to make a comeback for the ATL!
Hampton was already waived due to her injury and with 2 lottery picks, I doubt they pick her back up.
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J-Spoon
Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 6801
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Posted: 09/05/17 11:49 pm ::: |
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lynxmania wrote: |
J-Spoon wrote: |
If Dantas wants another Brazilian in town Dos Santos is floating around. If Chicago get a big in the lottery someone will drop off their roster maybe Hampton or C. Parker. |
Pretty sure Dos Santos is still with San Antonio - just under a suspension. Tho Dantas could call de Souza up and tell her to make a comeback for the ATL!
Hampton was already waived due to her injury and with 2 lottery picks, I doubt they pick her back up. |
If she is healthy Atl could do a lot worse than Hampton for a 4th or 5th post. I wouldn't mind NY giving Kiesha a camp invite for that matter.
I almost did think about bringing Erika back to re-unite the band for one last shot, but I didn't think it would go over well.
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zune69
Joined: 27 May 2010 Posts: 8183
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Posted: 09/06/17 12:38 am ::: |
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I still like the Boyette acquisition(as long as Atlanta doesn't win the lottery).The dream have legit championship talent.However,atlanta management will probably trade Boyette to eliminate the chances of having egg on their face for firing Cooper.
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