RebKell's Junkie Boards

[Happycappie25]

It's the eve of Training camp...I've been waiting for someone else to take the plunge on this but I'm amped up enough for this year I will do it (and endure the holy hell that comes with it ) and post my predictions first...all predictions welcome of course...I think things like the last few years are very tight in the middle clear cut at the top and bottom and some of these are all but predicting 3-4 way ties. I do think there are a few more have nots and I do wonder if the specter of tanking may enter the equation this year.

So without further delay...

1. MINNESOTA: They seemed geared up to get one last title...they know the window is closing and they chose option 2 by bringing in Pierson of flush it out with veterans and when it goes it goes. Made a pact not to play overseas doing everything they can to beat the clock...this team will be run down by father time in the very near future...but not this year (Tho Moore will prevent it from going completely off the rails but as far as a title contender it could be a long wait between strings once it does falter). Given changes up and down the league, they have an easier path IMHO...win best record by a couple of games.

2. NEW YORK: For all the talk about 1 and 3, this team has a LOT of breakout potential on it's roster, young players who have shown something and you only need one to take that next step (not leap but step) to become formidable. Charles and Prince both healthy, Rodgers coming off a career year...may not be as strong defensively, and this is a razor's edge but Indulge a fan by giving them the head to head Tiebreaker over LA on the virtue of the extra home match going NY's way this year...Yes folks it's that close to me.

3. LOS ANGELES: Agler has been the best manager of egos since Joe Torre the last 2 years. It's shown (I had them picked eighth last year, oops) There were still spates last year where it was the dysfunctional sparks who couldn't get out of their own way (right after Olympics big one) but the reason I grade them down a peg, Lose tolliver to Free agency and you add even MORE volatility in the backcourt with Sims and one game wonder Williams. Sims is No tolliver...if Agler can get her team organized maybe they clip Minnesota on head to head...But I think this is gonna be a bit of a whack a mole for Agler. Parker, MVP Nekka, Lavander, and now you add a headache in Sims in the backcourt to replace steady hand Tolliver. Talent alone will get them 20-22 wins, But I don't see a repeat, Just not a fan of Sims or Williams, This team turns into a zoo and they fall to 8th (like Phoenix last year which is what I predicted) I wouldn't be shocked...But I'll trust agler and put them on the back end of a tie with the libs and give them the 3 hole.

4. SEATTLE: There are flaws with this team, big ones (Do NOT get keeping Langhorne at all, square peg that throws off the flow of the team) They DID realize that the team did better with Journeywoman Krystal Thomas as a pure space filling 5 and went out and grabbed Carolyn Swords from NY in a 3 way that was an overpay but let DC do most of the heavy lifting. This opens up stewart to be more dynamic, You have Lloyd and with the clock ticking on Sue Bird (Some say this is it, some like myself think 2-3 years) they will be motivated. Team has talent behind Stewart and Lloyd KML has become a weapon off the Bench and Clark is a nice option in the 3 hole, almost too deep at 4 when Tokashki is blocked by Stewart IMHO I'd expect more of the 2nd half storm than the first half storm and round 2 home playoff game in a rejuvenated key.

5. PHOENIX: I like their moves better than others. There is addition by subtraction here. Yes they lost Bonner and Dupree but they also brought a lot of volatility that hurt them badly early in the year. Still dunno WTF they will do with Bone and as she sits to rot unsigned, its clear they don't get it either. DT will be DT and the turning point last year was getting DT off the 1, getting her points back on the board and turning her loose...They have that now with Danielle Robinson which will be one of the better backcourts in the league. Griner will be Griner and being the focal point I think will get her to push herself to her potential and be a help not a hurt. The return of FLB keeps the Point steady off the bench. They lost a ton but I think they set it up better than you'd think. This is my bold pick. 5th.

6. WASHINGTON: EDD this EDD that, EDD has only gotten Chicago with more talent mid table last year. This team gave up a TON to set up a tandem with EDD and Meesaman and I do wonder if Emma 5 EDD 4 is a bit soft defensively. Losing all other options at the 5 will not be as minor a change as you'd think and by design going SWK over Jones in the draft. Tolliver gives them even more 3 firepower and a good passer but It's still after that TRP...Injury prone and aging Latta annnndddd....not...much...else. EDD gets you in the door, Meesaman and Tolliver get you a home playoff game...But there isn't much wizard behind the blonde curtain. If ANYONE's gonna exceed expectations in the regular season it's Mike Thiebault but this is a transition year...not a lot of talent below EDD, Meesaman and Tolliver and I wouldn't call the bottom 2 a big 3 formation.

7. INDIANA: They lost their heart and soul. They lost their team identity, but they still have talent. Dupree will prevent them from going straight to the bottom, this may be a good or bad thing depending on your long term philosophy on team building but It's the thing Indiana wanted. January is not disappearing overnight, she's not the female Mo Williams. Dupree stabilizes things, and Mitchell will continue to develop into a very solid scoring option. Not as high on larkins or wheeler and to say they will have the same makeup without one of the greatest leaders in league history is downright dumb. But the streak will continue, albeit barely.

8. CONNECTICUT: By the skin of their teeth. They have the building blocks in place. Miller is a good coach and they have a GREAT topline executive in Cox (She was on my shortlist to RUN THE LEAGUE when Richie left) They have talent but its disjointed and losing Cheney again for the season puts them at a serious crossroads. That said each year they've put together strong runs at some point in the year and this year with other factors, this may be enough. They're extra high on Jones and they have a lot of talent to choose 5 from At this point it's time for them to pivot and get that playoff entry, they've stockpiled a lot of first round talent. B. Jones adds depth in the post and The Kizer deal solidifies things up front in the short run. They will be streaky but that big run they always seem to make will be enough this time around.

9. DALLAS: Still purging their knucklehead problem. This team swivels on the ailing hip of Powers more than it does Diggins. Johnson will be Johnson, and they did add depth at the post. Will threaten but still gave up a lot of firepower in Sims and Williams. Their 3 first rounders will provide support and depth but not much else. A transistion year and at the end of the day the better path will be out not in. So they get the back end of the razor's edge this year.

10. CHICAGO: Yes they seemed to do better without EDD last year...this run has been debated sliced placed under electron microscopes and everything else. They have the building block at center in Boyette but they keep doing everything to go aside from Boyette which just baffles me. Sloot can get the ball in with the best of them, Quigley provides great bench scoring but if your not gonna throw the hammer and commit to Boyette as your future, your hanging your hat on...Cappie Pondexter...I've watched this movie in 2013 and 2014. Spoiler Alert: It doesn't end happily and with even more age in the equation. How's it going Ms Stocks?

11. ATLANTA:
The situation in Atlanta is simple
Angel is sitting out
Now they just wait
Kept what else they had
Invoke Common sense
Nurse along young players and let their old posts go away
Georgia Tech isn't gonna draw a picture one way or another anyway.

Gee I spelled a word...yeah that's bout right.

12: San Antonio: I have my own jaded theory about the Plum Drama and it goes more to Kagawa than it does Plum...That Said I do wonder if Plum and Jefferson will turn into another Sims Diggins. Nothing else around them will win a few more games this year but still not enough to get out of the cellar. Here's to Aja Wilson next year.

What y'all got...still some camp trades possible I know and I reserve right to revise should anything major go down but this is how it stands today. Lemme know how crazy I am and what you got

_________________
"Leave it to the NCAA women's basketball committee to turn a glass slipper into glass ceiling" Graham Hays

[Randy]

[SportsGuru]

I don't see the Libs ahead of the Mystics in 2017.

[RP]

Minnesota
Washington
New York
Los Angeles
Seattle
Phoenix
Dallas
Chicago
Atlanta
Indiana
San Antonio
Connecticut

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

I see Minnesota as clearly 1. I think some combo of NY, DC and LA is clearly 2-4. Each team has one significant question mark. I think DC's defensive play is the biggest question mark of the 3 teams, but their potential firepower is also the greatest of the 3 teams.

I will say if NY and DC are close in the standings and it comes down to how they play against each other head-to-head, I really like NY's matchups. Tina absolutely destroyed EDD in the post each of the last two years. Coach T is excellent at scheming defensively though, but unlike the last two years, this year NY has multiple weapons to make a team pay for converging on Tina. It may not be possible to scheme defensively around the mismatches NY will have in their favor in the paint.

Still it remains to be seen how NY integrates its perimeter players together with a new PG. The raw ability that DC has to create 1-on-1 scoring and shoot the 3 ball is possibly the best the league has ever seen on one roster. But where DC doesn't have that much depth and the "up-and-comers" who may provide an unexpected boost, NY has several third year players who may be ready to step up their games. Being that both teams have vastly different looks from a year ago, it's going to make them intriguing watches. Especially when they play each other. Defending all those players on DC who can stretch the floor is going to be a major challenge, even for the league's best defensive teams.

_________________
The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[zune69]

1.Minnesota
2.Los Angeles
3.New York
4.Phoenix
5.Washington
6.Dallas
7.Seattle
8.Atlanta
9.Chicago
10. Indiana
11.Connecticut
12.San Antonio

[Happycappie25]

[toad455]

1. Los Angeles
2. Minnesota
3. New York
4. Seattle
5. Washington
6. Connecticut
7. Phoenix
8. Chicago
9. Indiana
10. Dallas
11. San Antonio
12. Atlanta

PLAY-OFFS
(5) Washington def. ( Chicago
(7) Phoenix def. (6) Connecticut

SECOND ROUND
(5) Washington def. (4) Seattle
(3) New York def. (7) Phoenix

SEMIFINALS
(1) Los Angeles def. (5) Washington 3-1
(3) New York def. (2) Minnesota 3-2

FINALS
(1) Los Angeles def. (3) New York 3-2

_________________
LET'S GO LIBERTY!!!!!!

Twitter: @TBRBWAY

[SpaceJunkie]

1. Los Angeles
2. Washington
3. New York
4. Seattle
5. Chicago
6. Connecticut
7. Minnesota
8. Phoenix
9. Indiana
10. San Antonio
11. Dallas
12. Atlanta

Minnesota does nothing but underacheive every year, and all the other teams have gotten ever better now, so I can't have them any higher than #6 or #7 until they prove otherwise.

[zune69]

[Michelle89]

[lynxmania]

1. Los Angeles
2. Minnesota
3. New York
4. Washington
5. Seattle
6. Phoenix
7. Dallas
8. Indiana
9. Atlanta
10. Chicago
11. Connecticut
12. San Antonio

[zune69]

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

Pretty sure nobody has averaged 20/10 before. It's hard to do in a 40 minute game. That said I think Griner will likely upgrade her numbers. Robinson, if healthy, along with DT and BG is a legit big 3. And you have the addition of Little, which gives the team some sandpaper and versatility. To me, I'll probably have Phoenix fifth. I don't see another team in the league with more talent after the top 4. And they should be improved defensively, with a coach who is capable of bringing a better defensive performance out of them than what they exhibited last year.

_________________
The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[PUmatty]

[adamj95]

[lynxmania]

[readyAIMfire53]

1. Los Angeles
2. Minnesota
3. Washington
4. New York
5. Seattle
6. Phoenix
7. Dallas
8. Chicago
9. Connecticut
10. Indiana
11. San Antonio
12. Atlanta

LA - This is Chelsea Gray's year to show she can get the ball into Nneka & Parker plus sink that rainbow when needed. With Alana & Essence providing top notch defense in the backcourt, Chelsea can do her thing on defense, jumping passing lanes and bothering shorter guards.

Minny - injuries to oldsters will keep them from winning it all. The window is shut, but the aging stars don't know it yet and will fight to the end.

DC - Redux of the run and gun Mercury. One key player away from winning it all. A big off the bench who provides defense AND scoring. A true facilitating PG to back up KTO. A SF who can play defense AND score. Any one of these three player acquisitions and injury in LA can put DC over the top.

NY - Almost there. Katie Smith in her prime as lead guard is all they need to execute LFO's gameplan.

Middle/bottom: I expect USun will compete for a playoff spot, with Phoenix, Dallas and Chicago all vulnerable. Indiana, San Antonio and Atlanta all hoping to obtain a savior in next year's draft. Phoenix will miss Penny Taylor. A LOT. Seattle desperately needs a BIG defender and a young Birdie.

_________________
Follow your passion and your life will be true down to your core.

~rAf

[Shades]

[adamj95]

[SpaceJunkie]

[SpaceJunkie]

[zune69]

If Griner gets her fair share of touches I can see her averaging close to 20p/10r.Brittney is a career 56%fg/79%ft shooter.Without Bonner/Dupree,Griner should average in the area of 14 shots per game.

[Richyyy]

But why exactly would she suddenly become a half-decent rebounder?

_________________
Independent WNBA coverage: http://www.wnbalien.com/

[zune69]