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After Ionescu, Which Rookie Will Impact New York The Most?
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After Ionescu, Which Rookie Will Impact New York The Most?
Jazmine Jones
11%
 11%  [ 5 ]
Leaonna Odom
17%
 17%  [ 8 ]
Kylee Shook
6%
 6%  [ 3 ]
Megan Walker
44%
 44%  [ 20 ]
Jocelyn Willoughby
20%
 20%  [ 9 ]
Total Votes : 45

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Stormeo



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PostPosted: 05/27/20 11:17 pm    ::: After Ionescu, Which Rookie Will Impact New York The Most? Reply Reply with quote

This one goes out to all the New Yawkers out there. Cool

Out of all the Liberty rookies this year: if you had to pick one, after Ionescu, which one do you predict will have the next-biggest impact on the team in the upcoming season (assuming we have one & all that jazz)? Cuz even if Ionescu doesn't perform as well as expected, she out of all the rookies will get her minutes every game.

No end date set for this poll (we got time)


root_thing



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PostPosted: 05/28/20 9:48 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I went with Willoughby. Walker may be more talented and in the long-run end up with a better career. However, at the moment, I think Jocelyn is readier for pro ball. She has a balanced all-around game, and I really like her intangibles. Willoughby seems poised and super smart. You get the feeling that if something isn’t working she’ll figure it out. On the court, Jocelyn plays with high energy – more like a scrappy bench player than someone who just led the ACC in scoring. I like the whole package. Also, I’m guessing that head coach Tina Thompson and assistant Monica Wright prepared Willoughby for what to expect at the pro level.



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Stormeo



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 12:58 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I'm a little surprised so many people went with Walker, mostly because it seems pretty well-documented on this board how much she struggled in games against players/teams of equal or higher level. Well, bad news for her: every game for the Liberty, for the foreseeable future, is going to be against players/teams of equal or higher level. Hopefully for her sake she'll learn to adjust sooner rather than later.

It could really be anyone, but I think it's least likely to be Shook. To me, she wasn't really an 'imposing' player in college, and she might end up playing behind both Zahui B. and Stokes if the true post players on the roster will only end up playing the 5 in Hopkins' system. The other rookies should have an easier time competing with each other for rotation spots.

Willoughby could be the best choice, given that she put up good numbers, playing against a lot of higher-level teams, despite being the clear-cut go-to option on a bad team. She seems at least more battle-tested than Walker.

I myself am hopeful and intrigued for it to be Odom, cuz what on earth would that look like? Twisted Evil


bluedevilaztecfan5



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 2:45 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I’ll be happy if multiple Liberty rookies are impactful, I’m sure Sabrina will be one but one more would be a pleasant surprise. I see Ionescu, Durr, Nurse, Allen, and Zahui B getting a lot of minutes. I’m sure Clarendon will get backup lead guard minutes.
I see most minutes going to Walker, then Willoughby, then Jones and Shook, lastly Odom. But I can see that fluctuating throughout the season.

The reason I picked Walker, is because I think her 3pt accuracy and shooting touch will get her time on the court. I think the outside shooting part of her game will translate right away.
I know she struggled against tougher competition. But she had to become UCONNs go to option this past season, and she won’t have that pressure to get buckets like that with the Liberty. Ionescu, Durr and Nurse are going to be the players relied upon first to create both for themselves and their teammates.

Whether Walker subs in first for Allen, or she starts with Ionescu, Durr, Nurse and Zahui B, she’s possibly the 5th option. So I think she can succeed in being a sniper (I know she is more than that, but I think that skill is what gets her playing tike).


snlMINAJ



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 6:48 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

i kind of envision megan walker's career to be like tiffany hayes. she is not the kind of player, in my opinion, who can be the go-to and succeed... but as a second or third option will be great. i think that lends to why she could get 25-30 in games that weren't close, but struggled in competitive situations.


root_thing



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 11:11 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The reason why Shook could receive significant minutes is because Stokes can’t shoot and Zahui gets into foul trouble. If Hopkins wants to have five shooters on the floor at all times, then Kylee would be the logical sub for Amanda. For the same reason, Shook is the better option to pair with Zahui if Walt decides to employ a conventional two big line-up on a situational basis.



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Rock Hard



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 11:21 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

root_thing wrote:
The reason why Shook could receive significant minutes is because Stokes can’t shoot and Zahui gets into foul trouble. If Hopkins wants to have five shooters on the floor at all times, then Kylee would be the logical sub for Amanda. For the same reason, Shook is the better option to pair with Zahui if Walt decides to employ a conventional two big line-up on a situational basis.

I do concur with this post. Very Happy



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 12:43 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Whenever I watched Louisville, Shook was pretty much not visible. I think her best game of the year was against Oregon, which is about the only good sign I can see. Not sure why anybody would think someone who is the third or fourth option on her college team (unless that team was UConn and even then it's a pretty iffy proposition) would suddenly be able to produce in the W. I would have thought that if they had an actual training camp, she wouldn't even be on the roster.



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myrtle



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 12:49 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I would think if Walt really wants to play only one post, the emphasis for that post would be on rebounding. If the only post on the team is floating around on the perimeter, then the team needs to make about 70% of its shots since there will be almost no rebounds. At the other end, any team will just pound it inside against the midgets.



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root_thing



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 3:16 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Shook is essentially a 3 and D player. No one expects her to be a big scorer. Kylee’s job is to help spread the floor and keep the opposition honest so they can’t double on other players. All she has to do is hit wide-open shots. Shook was a 38.2% career 3-pt shooter in college. No doubt it was only moderate volume (89-233), but nonetheless statistically significant. Furthermore, it was not a one year fluke. Shook shot over 38% from 3pt range in her first three seasons before falling to a still-respectable 36.8% in her senior year (after a slow 3-14 start).

As far as defense goes, Hopkins has his own theories. He says that statistics show post-ups are low percentage shots. He believes height disadvantages can be offset with aggressive ball denial. On the offensive end, if you pull the opposing post players out to guard three-point shooters, then it will be guards and wings fighting for rebounds underneath the basket. You are spreading the floor not only to shoot 3’s but also to create driving lanes. If you make enough lay-ups (or resulting foul shots), then you don’t need to shoot ultra-high percentages from outside. Obviously, it is unconventional thinking. Most fans, including me, are skeptical. But at least it sounds like the coaches have thought this through. Time will tell whether or not they’re right.



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 3:59 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

root_thing wrote:
As far as defense goes, Hopkins has his own theories. He says that statistics show post-ups are low percentage shots. He believes height disadvantages can be offset with aggressive ball denial. On the offensive end, if you pull the opposing post players out to guard three-point shooters, then it will be guards and wings fighting for rebounds underneath the basket. You are spreading the floor not only to shoot 3’s but also to create driving lanes. If you make enough lay-ups (or resulting foul shots), then you don’t need to shoot ultra-high percentages from outside. Obviously, it is unconventional thinking. Most fans, including me, are skeptical. But at least it sounds like the coaches have thought this through. Time will tell whether or not they’re right.


In my view, it's going to be quite intriguing to watch. It's not common for a rookie head coach to articulate and presumably attempt to implement an approach that's so different from accepted practices. It's actually daring. Hopkins is leaving himself open to lots of criticism if this approach flops. Having watched two deadly seasons under Katie Smith, I'm eager not only to look at a roster with seven new players but to see how WaltBall actually works out on the court.



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bluedevilaztecfan5



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PostPosted: 05/29/20 4:55 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I might be totally doing the per 40 math wrong, but I think x/8.2=40/27 which leads to 12.1rpg per 40 for Kylee and her senior year.

What excites me about Shook is, as root pointed out, the 3 and D aspect of her game. I really don’t care that she scores a ton of points, I like her ability to stretch the other teams shot blocker to the 3pt line, opening up lanes for Ionescu, Durr, Nurse etc, as well as her shot blocking and defensive instincts. I didn’t watch the game but she seems to have played a big hand in shutting down Sabrina when Louisville beat Oregon. The defensive versatility and potential there is what I look forward to, and she’s not a terrible rebounder either.

She might not be on the square come 2022, or even next year, but I like her fit with this system over Gray’s.


Curt_NY



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PostPosted: 05/30/20 6:15 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Did Walker really struggle that much going against good teams? Honestly asking. She did light it up vs. a star studded team USA though, no?

I could see the reasoning that she is not great as a #1 option because she seems a shooter first and foremost without the same ability to get to the rim and FT line at the same level as someone like Willoughby.

That’s why I’m going with Willoughby in this poll, because she can shoot the 3 and get to the FT line, as well as playing with a lot of intensity. I think both Walker and Willoughby will get lots of mins though.


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PostPosted: 05/30/20 3:43 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Curt_NY wrote:
Did Walker really struggle that much going against good teams? Honestly asking.


If my math is correct, UConn faced 5 ranked opponents(DePaul - my alma woot woot Very Happy, Baylor, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee).

I got 13.4 PPG & 31.7 FG% for Walker.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong.



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PostPosted: 05/30/20 7:38 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

mavcarter wrote:
Curt_NY wrote:
Did Walker really struggle that much going against good teams? Honestly asking.


If my math is correct, UConn faced 5 ranked opponents(DePaul - my alma woot woot Very Happy, Baylor, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee).

I got 13.4 PPG & 31.7 FG% for Walker.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong.


I have found that if I am wrong (which happens a lot) I don't have to ask for people to correct me.....


Stormeo



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PostPosted: 05/30/20 9:44 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

mavcarter wrote:
Curt_NY wrote:
Did Walker really struggle that much going against good teams? Honestly asking.


If my math is correct, UConn faced 5 ranked opponents(DePaul - my alma woot woot Very Happy, Baylor, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee).

I got 13.4 PPG & 31.7 FG% for Walker.


One thing I'll add: UConn has traditionally had DePaul's number (17-1 all-time, with DePaul only winning the teams' very first matchup back in '83). Walker shot 10-20 in their matchup last season. So take out the DePaul game, and in those other four games, Walker averaged 11.3 PPG while shooting a staggeringly bad 25.8% from the field.

Another thing I'll add: UConn played nine ranked teams in Walker's sophomore year. Walker, as the at-best third option given Collier & Samuelson, averaged 10.4 PPG and 41.2% FG in those nine games (which do include another matchup with DePaul fwiw). She never shot more than 12 FGAs in any of those games, and she never shot better than 50% in any of those games. If nothing else, one can conclude that while she shot better in her sophomore-year big games as a role player than she did in her last-season ones as a 'star' player, her shooting still wasn't great.

So with all this said, I have no reason to believe Walker will be much of a contributor in her rookie season as a professional, despite UConn of course being regarded as a program that well preps their players to be professionals. Imo she has a higher risk of flaming out than it may seem; and by her falling to #9, I'd say that coaches/GMs thought that as well. But if she does find her way, I think it'll still take her more than the standard couple years it typically takes for college players coming into the League. (I really was planning on only adding that first paragraph but *bada boom bada bing* it turned into three. Laughing )


Bob Lamm



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 1:19 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

It's a shame that people can't switch their votes in these polls. I'd switch to Jazmine Jones; I hate to see her with ZERO votes. Smile



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 5:13 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Bob Lamm wrote:
It's a shame that people can't switch their votes in these polls. I'd switch to Jazmine Jones; I hate to see her with ZERO votes. Smile

I hadn't voted yet so she got my pity vote.



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 7:44 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Luuuc wrote:
Bob Lamm wrote:
It's a shame that people can't switch their votes in these polls. I'd switch to Jazmine Jones; I hate to see her with ZERO votes. Smile

I hadn't voted yet so she got my pity vote.


Nice gesture. Smile



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root_thing



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 9:56 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Bob Lamm wrote:
Luuuc wrote:
Bob Lamm wrote:
It's a shame that people can't switch their votes in these polls. I'd switch to Jazmine Jones; I hate to see her with ZERO votes. Smile

I hadn't voted yet so she got my pity vote.


Nice gesture. Smile


Was that necessary? I’m sure Jaz would have gotten a certificate for participation.



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 12:30 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

root_thing wrote:
Was that necessary? I’m sure Jaz would have gotten a certificate for participation.


But now she's only two votes behind Odom and Shook! Still time for a late voting surge that could bring Jones out of last place. What if she does well in the absentee ballots? Smile



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 2:44 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Somehow, giving out sympathy votes doesn't seem like the NY fans I know and love......


Bob Lamm



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 3:25 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Randy wrote:
Somehow, giving out sympathy votes doesn't seem like the NY fans I know and love......


New owners. New arena. New head coach. Sabrina Ionescu and six other new players. New loving spirit among Liberty fans. Guaranteed to last... at least till the end of today (Sunday). Smile



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PostPosted: 05/31/20 9:30 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Who do I vote for if I don't think any of those players are going to be any good?


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PostPosted: 06/01/20 12:47 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

PUmatty wrote:
Who do I vote for if I don't think any of those players are going to be any good?


Laughing That's why I wrote "if you had to pick one". Razz In case you're not being rhetorical, you can pick the one you think will be 'least bad', or the one who you think will have the longest career (unless you think they'll all flame out at the exact same time Laughing ).


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