RebKell's Junkie Boards

[PUmatty]

We already have six first round picks that have been traded, a total of 10 times.

That has to be a record, right?

[root_thing]

With all the excitement over the Tina Charles trade, I just noticed I never submitted the post below which I wrote like 2 hours ago.

Obviously, some of the stuff from the press conference is misdirection from the coaches. Nonetheless, there were some interesting tidbits from both sessions:

- When Hopkins was asked about the top players he scouted for the #1 pick, he mentioned the big four plus Harris. He seems to think Harris is the 5th best player. Lobo speculated that Harris could go to Atlanta at #4 based on her discussions with scouts. Is there a lot more Ty Harris love out there from WNBA people than there is among basement dwellers?

- When asked about Walker and Herbert Harrigan, Sandy Brondello went off on a tangent and started praising Bella Alarie. Was that Sandy letting her guard down or a giant smoke screen?

- It’s interesting that Lobo, who watches a lot of UConn basketball, thinks that Walker could be available to Phoenix at #10.

- I agree with Bibb about the job Kim Mulkey has done the last two years, turning SG Chloe Jackson and combo guard Te’a Cooper into pretty good college PGs. I would throw in Kristy Wallace and Alexis Jones from previous years, not to mention true PG Niya Johnson. It’s time we start referring to Kim Mulkey as The Point Guard Whisperer. This does raise a question about whether Cooper can keep playing well without Mulkey constantly in her ear. Cooper’s performance this season was way better than anything she had done previously.

- As others have pointed out, what Reeve had to say about Dangerfield was surprising. It’s also interesting to note that despite predicting Crystal would be the second PG taken after Harris, Reeve also projected that Dangerfield would go late 1st Round. So, that logically pushes Cooper to even lower 1st Round or high 2nd Round.

- The fact that Hopkins didn’t even bother to scout Erica Ogwumike says a lot. She’s been granted a certain amount of respect because of the Ogwumike name, but we’re talking about a 5-9 guard who shot .172 from 3Pt range and averaged 2.4 apg. If you’re 5-9, you’d better be a good shooter or a good playmaker. The fact that Erica pulled down 10.1 rpg is unlikely to translate in the WNBA. I think she is a 3rd Round pick at best and may go undrafted.

_________________
You can always do something else.

[pilight]

[DFWub2018]

[Shades]

[RavenDog]

[TotalCardinalMove]

[SportsGuru]

[Stormeo]

All right, y'all. I'm getting myself mentally prepared for how bad this telecast has the potential to be. I know the drill at this point, as it relates to this League. Commercial breaks every one to two picks in the first round. Collective loss of broadcast(er) interest in the second hour, in a unique year where due to lack of live sports-related broadcasts there arguably should've been a scheduled third hour. The Draft Board accordingly being shown to the viewer only every other selection - after a commercial break, for maybe five seconds (ten if we're lucky) - all the while the broadcast itself is littered with trivial interviews and choppy supercuts, maybe with extra analysis about some player sprinkled in during an awkward break in the mundane conversation.

But now with this Draft being a telecast, you add in on top of all that the reception/signal possibly cutting in and out as it pertains to the players/interviewees, the broadcasters, and/or the Commissioner aka the primary League representative. So it could make for a very painful television experience, on a very frustrating night; where many across the country have nothing better to do on a Friday night these days and might actually, naively, give this event a chance.

I say all of this not to be a complete downer and acid-rain on any size of parade, but to remind at least myself to limit my expectations about what is sure to be a far-from-perfect broadcast and minimize any emotional letdown over its quality. More importantly I plan to keep my focus as much as possible on the 36 players that will have deserved to hear their names called.

So I expect, if nothing else, that if the broadcast indeed doesn't turn out to be fun - that as a Board we'll (once again) pick up the slack and, goshdarnit, make the night fun (for) ourselves. Happy Draft Day.

[Ex-Ref]

[stever]

[Randy]

[root_thing]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that they are sending actual camera crews to a few places – probably for the sure-thing 1st Rounders like Ionescu, Sabally, Cox, and Carter. However, I expect the rest to be via Zoom or Skype. Zoom can handle up to 1,000 users on a single call for the paid version, and 100 people on the free option. Skype can handle up to 50 people for one meeting. So, just have every realistic prospective draftee call in at the beginning of the show and then punch them up when needed. Yes, a test run beforehand would be wise, but with so many people involved it’s probably going to be hard to corral everyone for a rehearsal. And during the show, people may get bored and wander away from their computer or phone. That's the fun part.

_________________
You can always do something else.

[Randy]

[pilight]

50 people wouldn't be enough to cover every realistic prospective draftee. 100 probably wouldn't either. I've got 122 players on my board and I guarantee you someone will get chosen who isn't on it.

_________________
I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

[toad455]

There's always that rare chance a D2 player gets picked. Any D2 player worth a look for anyone?

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

Twitter: @TBRBWAY

[pilight]

[toad455]

[root_thing]

Like I said, the paid version of Zoom handles up to 1000 people at once. Are you guys saying the WNBA is too cheap to pay for it?

As Randy mentioned earlier, if they miss someone, they can always dig up a still picture of the player from somewhere. No big deal.

_________________
You can always do something else.

[SportsGuru]

Bella Alarie is going to have to put some meat on those bones if she's going to thrive in the WNBA. I'm rooting for you Bella though you wont be drafted by the Mystics.

[pilight]

https://www.wnba.com/wnba-draft-2020-prospect-profiles/

_________________
I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

[ClayK]

Drafts are inherently boring -- the interviews are pablum, the highlights pointless and the analysis (especially for people on this board) reveals nothing new.

The picks and trades themselves are interesting, but there are really only about 15 (generously) selections that matter, and those will be five minutes apart.

And specifically, for all of us, ESPN will be aiming this at a general audience that they have to assume knows little about any of the players, so we're going to hear the same stuff we've heard before, and talked about endlessly. With commercials.

Then again, what else do we have to do?

_________________
Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[Richyyy]

[myrtle]

[bballjunkie]

Dreading the “spin” and talk, just for the sake of talking. Can’t have people who can’t debate or have real knowledge just agree and suck up to one another. Hoping for any kind of good showing for the sake of the game.