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Richyyy



Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 24326
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PostPosted: 09/21/18 7:53 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

ClayK wrote:
Good point ... so Australia is a threat. Anyone else?

It's a short list. Spain has some talent and hopefully a vocal home crowd behind them (and a player in Torrens that USA basically don't have a matchup for if she should happen to have one electric night); and France have been the other best team in Europe for a while (but will miss Dumerc). Any of those three beating the US would be a shock - anyone beyond that group beating them would be a super-shock.



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Michelle89



Joined: 17 Nov 2010
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PostPosted: 09/22/18 3:01 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Richyyy wrote:
ClayK wrote:
Good point ... so Australia is a threat. Anyone else?

It's a short list. Spain has some talent and hopefully a vocal home crowd behind them (and a player in Torrens that USA basically don't have a matchup for if she should happen to have one electric night); and France have been the other best team in Europe for a while (but will miss Dumerc). Any of those three beating the US would be a shock - anyone beyond that group beating them would be a super-shock.


Torrens vs Stewie would be fun though Shocked



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"Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant
Shades



Joined: 10 Jul 2006
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PostPosted: 09/22/18 10:47 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Shades wrote:

Adding late arrivals and arranging into more appropriate positions, I come up with:
Bird/Plum
Taurasi/Loyd/(TMitchell or KMitchell)
Delle Donne/(Tuck or Collier)
Stewart/Ogwumike/Wilson
Griner/Charles


Sort of a boo-yah moment back from the final 16 players. Missed Clarendon, but got all the roster designations right.

Positions from FIBA site
Bird G/Plum PG
Taurasi SG/Loyd G/Clarendon SG
Delle Donne SF/Tuck SF
Stewart PF/Ogwumike F/Wilson F
Griner C/Charles C



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Coyotes



Joined: 28 Jan 2018
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PostPosted: 09/22/18 11:55 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Griner out versus Senegal due to minor injury. I wonder if they wish they had brought Williams now.


PRballer



Joined: 18 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: 09/22/18 10:19 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Coyotes wrote:
Griner out versus Senegal due to minor injury. I wonder if they wish they had brought Williams now.


Exactly. If Griner gets hurt our in foul trouble, who is gonna guard Cambage?


Michelle89



Joined: 17 Nov 2010
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PostPosted: 09/23/18 4:55 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

PRballer wrote:
Coyotes wrote:
Griner out versus Senegal due to minor injury. I wonder if they wish they had brought Williams now.


Exactly. If Griner gets hurt our in foul trouble, who is gonna guard Cambage?


Jep that would be a problem because you cant really double team against the Opals when their other 4 players are shooters. But even with Griner guarding her i think Cambage will get her 20+ points. If you can keep her to 25 pts then its about stopping everybody else from going off.



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"Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant
Richyyy



Joined: 17 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: 09/23/18 6:00 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

This is also not the most organised Aussie team we've ever seen. The lack of an actual point guard who's any good is pretty glaring. Madgen isn't any kind of PG and Ebzery doesn't really want to be there either. Lavey's just sort of there. Even the US, with their motley collection of perimeter defenders, might pressure the Aussies and create issues.



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PUmatty



Joined: 10 Nov 2004
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PostPosted: 09/23/18 10:52 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

It took Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor together for Australia to win the gold, and even then they weren't the team that beat a mess of a USA in 2006. I don't think a lesser Australian team is going to be able to do it.


Michelle89



Joined: 17 Nov 2010
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PostPosted: 09/23/18 12:45 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

PUmatty wrote:
It took Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor together for Australia to win the gold, and even then they weren't the team that beat a mess of a USA in 2006. I don't think a lesser Australian team is going to be able to do it.


Exactly my point, sometimes talent is not enough. This team is a bit of a mess on its own so when they have an off shooting night and Opals or maybe Spain have a great shooting night then.

They got beat by Russia and Russia got beat by MVP Penny who played on 1 leg really. She had been dealing with a groin injury earlier in that tournament



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"Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant
miller40



Joined: 29 Jun 2006
Posts: 1334



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PostPosted: 09/23/18 3:55 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

This Opals team doesn’t even look like a lock for second or third best team to me.


Luuuc
#NATC


Joined: 10 Feb 2005
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PostPosted: 09/23/18 4:04 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

miller40 wrote:
This Opals team doesn’t even look like a lock for second or third best team to me.

We're far from a lock for anything, I agree. Capable of beating the other silver medal contenders but also very capable of losing to them.
Lack of time together plus last-minute injuries to our point guards makes it quite the crapshoot for the Opals. Very thankful to have been scheduled 2 easy games to start the tournament. Turkey - the other team in our group - not looking too brilliant themselves, thankfully.



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SDHoops



Joined: 09 Nov 2007
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PostPosted: 09/24/18 4:25 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

If Griner wasn't going to play for whatever reason, why not take Collier or Williams for some experience? If Griner's there for insurance, what good is she going to be if she isn't getting any floor time throughout?


Richyyy



Joined: 17 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: 09/24/18 6:44 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

SDHoops wrote:
If Griner wasn't going to play for whatever reason, why not take Collier or Williams for some experience? If Griner's there for insurance, what good is she going to be if she isn't getting any floor time throughout?

She reportedly tweaked her ankle and they're understandably being ultra-cautious. I fully expect that she'll play in the games that matter. Might even throw her in for a few minutes tomorrow against Latvia just to test it and knock off some rust.



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awhom111



Joined: 19 Nov 2014
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PostPosted: 09/24/18 8:11 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The Hayes being pressured not to play theory seems to be gaining some credence. Polkowice announced the signing of Kelsey Bone and it would not have been possible to field their full roster in EuroLeague if Hayes had switched back from European to non-European.
Randy



Joined: 08 Oct 2011
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PostPosted: 09/24/18 9:59 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Might be the only "pressure" was reminder from her agent that joining Team USA would be great except that it would cost her the bundle she could get paid as Euro Hayes.


bballgrl



Joined: 15 Sep 2007
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PostPosted: 09/25/18 5:52 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Richyyy wrote:
It's unfair after a season where she easily could've been All-WNBA second team, but I can't help but be unenthused about adding Loyd (and relying on her enough to be a de facto starter). She's just essentially disappeared for three-quarters of her team's playoff games. And now she's a key cog in a World Cup for Team USA? Won't be the least bit surprised if she's sat on the bench in high-leverage moments.


I thought the same thing and after reading the stats for the 1st 3 games I still question her being there. A'ja has better stats than Stewie in total.


Michelle89



Joined: 17 Nov 2010
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PostPosted: 09/26/18 3:07 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

bballgrl wrote:
Richyyy wrote:
It's unfair after a season where she easily could've been All-WNBA second team, but I can't help but be unenthused about adding Loyd (and relying on her enough to be a de facto starter). She's just essentially disappeared for three-quarters of her team's playoff games. And now she's a key cog in a World Cup for Team USA? Won't be the least bit surprised if she's sat on the bench in high-leverage moments.


I thought the same thing and after reading the stats for the 1st 3 games I still question her being there. A'ja has better stats than Stewie in total.


You probably should watch the games before jumping to conclusions. When Wilson is in the game she has the green light to take whatever shot she wants. They make her the go to player inside. Stewart is playing on the perimeter most of the time so that others can play inside.
Loyds role on this team is to come in and bring defense and hustle. Just watch her defense against Latvia and you will get what i mean.
Not everyone can be a go to scorer on this loaded team. Everyone needs to find their role



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"Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant
Randy



Joined: 08 Oct 2011
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PostPosted: 09/26/18 6:30 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

It probably also helped Wilson to be available when training camp started. Stewart was busy doing something else.....


CamrnCrz1974



Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Posts: 18371
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PostPosted: 10/01/18 1:11 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

bballgrl wrote:
Richyyy wrote:
It's unfair after a season where she easily could've been All-WNBA second team, but I can't help but be unenthused about adding Loyd (and relying on her enough to be a de facto starter). She's just essentially disappeared for three-quarters of her team's playoff games. And now she's a key cog in a World Cup for Team USA? Won't be the least bit surprised if she's sat on the bench in high-leverage moments.


I thought the same thing and after reading the stats for the 1st 3 games I still question her being there. A'ja has better stats than Stewie in total.


In six games, Jewell Loyd averaged 5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

In the semis against Belgium, she had 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals (in 19 minutes). In the final against Australia, she had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in 22 minutes.

Very solid contributions in the last two games.


J-Spoon



Joined: 31 Jan 2009
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PostPosted: 10/01/18 11:49 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Yes I think this Worlds really gave Loyd and Plum a leg up to secure the 2 or 3 open spots on the perimeter come 2020.

When you're a new player in these situations you need to fit in, be ready when your number is called, and perform your role. Plum and Loyd both accomplished this.

And it doesn't hurt that Loyd will have built in chemistry with Bird and Stewart and Plum with Wilson on a team where time to develop chemistry is at a minimum.


Richyyy



Joined: 17 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: 10/02/18 7:30 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Loyd did step up a bit in the final couple of games and was clearly the 'third guard' on the team. She definitely has a strong shot at being there in 2020. Plum, on the other hand, pretty much started out as Bird's backup and lost the job as the tournament went along. And lost it to a player who'll only be on the squad in 2020 if 15 people fail to show up again. Plum might be there in two years but only if we see significant development at club level (and/or if half the squad doesn't show up again). I wouldn't count her as any kind of shoo-in.



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NoDakSt



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: 10/02/18 7:50 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Plum may be on the team because she's a good glue player ala Tuck. Don't really need her oncourt exploits especially if you have Bird and Tauasi.


Richyyy



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PostPosted: 10/02/18 8:43 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

NoDakSt wrote:
Plum may be on the team because she's a good glue player ala Tuck. Don't really need her oncourt exploits especially if you have Bird and Tauasi.

Who are going to be 38 and 39 by the time we get to Tokyo. Backups who Staley is actually willing to play against decent opponents would be nice.



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ClayK



Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: 10/02/18 9:46 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Richyyy wrote:
NoDakSt wrote:
Plum may be on the team because she's a good glue player ala Tuck. Don't really need her oncourt exploits especially if you have Bird and Tauasi.

Who are going to be 38 and 39 by the time we get to Tokyo. Backups who Staley is actually willing to play against decent opponents would be nice.


It is an interesting situation, really. It's possible, if not likely, that Bird and Taurasi will give the US its best chance to win gold in 2020 -- and despite the American dominance, winning a gold medal is no easy task. Replacing the minutes of those two with Plum and Loyd would move the U.S. from being a prohibitive favorite to just the favorite.

Staley's charge is to win gold, not develop the 2022 or 2024 team, so if she rides Bird and Taurasi to the top of the podium, she's done her job. Then all three ride off into the sunset, gold medals in hand, and ... well, that's pretty unclear, but it's not her problem.



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canadaball



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PostPosted: 10/02/18 1:11 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

ClayK wrote:
Richyyy wrote:
NoDakSt wrote:
Plum may be on the team because she's a good glue player ala Tuck. Don't really need her oncourt exploits especially if you have Bird and Tauasi.

Who are going to be 38 and 39 by the time we get to Tokyo. Backups who Staley is actually willing to play against decent opponents would be nice.


It is an interesting situation, really. It's possible, if not likely, that Bird and Taurasi will give the US its best chance to win gold in 2020 -- and despite the American dominance, winning a gold medal is no easy task. Replacing the minutes of those two with Plum and Loyd would move the U.S. from being a prohibitive favorite to just the favorite.

Staley's charge is to win gold, not develop the 2022 or 2024 team, so if she rides Bird and Taurasi to the top of the podium, she's done her job. Then all three ride off into the sunset, gold medals in hand, and ... well, that's pretty unclear, but it's not her problem.


One interesting factor looking to 2020, is the significant likelihood of some sort of player stoppage related to negotiating a new CBA. Should the WNBA season be shortened etc., that would probably help the oldsters Bird and DT b/c there might be less opportunity for everyone see them slowing down.


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