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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4703
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 14097
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Posted: 06/03/21 1:56 pm ::: |
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Bob Lamm wrote: |
So I'm really curious as to what we'll see from the Liberty on Thursday night. Not so much because of Las Vegas, who obviously will be a tough challenge for the Liberty. But rather because the team last played on Saturday afternoon, which means there will have been FOUR off days between games. That will give Walt Hopkins and his staff time they haven't had to work with our nine active players plus hopefully Odom as well. I'm wondering if we'll see any changes in how Hopkins uses his players and/or in the approaches the team emphasizes offensively and/or defensively. |
I’m hoping that the practice time and rest will mean more active defensive schemes for the next several games. I’d expect they’d double team with greater abandon than they have for much of this year but I guess time will tell.
_________________ The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 06/03/21 2:26 pm ::: |
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NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
I’m hoping that the practice time and rest will mean more active defensive schemes for the next several games. I’d expect they’d double team with greater abandon than they have for much of this year but I guess time will tell. |
Yes, that's one of the things I expect and hope we'll see. I also assume that they'll be working offensively on what to do when Sabrina or Laney is double-teamed.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 32341
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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 32341
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Posted: 06/03/21 9:05 pm ::: |
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I'm also intrigued at the possibility of getting both Allen and Onyenwere on the floor together. Not sure how to make that work, but they both do good things so it's too bad one always goes off when the other is on the floor.
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Lib Fan
Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 4594 Location: New York City
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Posted: 06/04/21 12:39 am ::: |
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Why so few touches for Bec Allen in the second half, Walt ?
She did get you back in the game when it looked like the Aces
would blow out the Liberty in the first half.
_________________ Lets Go Liberty
Brooklyn 2021
Bring Back Maddie!
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root_thing
Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 7365 Location: Underground
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Posted: 06/04/21 9:00 am ::: |
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Here are my random thoughts after last night:
1) Aside from the horrendous officiating that led to a totally unjustified 29-9 free throw difference in favor of LVA, the problem yesterday was Ionescu. She struggled with her shot, and on defense Sabrina couldn't contain Jackie Young. I think she needs to start off the game more aggressively. Sabrina seems to think she can feel her way around for the first quarter and a half, mostly playing pass-first PG, then suddenly flip a switch and be a scorer. I’m not sure she can do that at the pro level.
2) If the Liberty intend to rely on only one post player, then that person has to be active and play with high energy. Whatever management thinks of Shook’s long-term skill potential, she is personality-wise a very passive person. Her tendency is to be conservative, which is sort of passable on offense but totally unacceptable in this defensive scheme. Hopkins complained that the team got off to a slow start against both Atlanta and Las Vegas because they lacked intensity. Well, if your center is just naturally a low-energy player, and Sabrina spends the beginning of each game sort of probing and deferring to others, then your team is likely to start off playing low energy basketball.
3) Stokes is not only a tougher, more physical defender than Shook, but Kiah is also a way better rebounder. Stokes is very strong and deceptively athletic. She can adequately fill the role of sole post on defense. Unfortunately, Kiah shows no interest in offense. Passing her the ball has a 75% chance of being a turnover because Stokes never expects the pass. With her on the floor, the Liberty offense is always playing 4 on 5.
4) Now that Howard has missed two games, NY should be entitled to a Hardship player. Gray certainly brings energy and toughness. If only she were a couple of inches taller. Mack and Anigwe are also available again if management wants to try more height and athleticism.
5) Onyenwere is proving herself to be a very good WNBA small forward. Unfortunately, she’s stuck playing PF. Michaela is listed at 6-0, but I remember a lot of UCLA fans thought she was more like 5-11. Whatever the case, it does seem like Allen, Richards, and now Odom do a better job defending at PF. That extra 2 or 3 inches in length makes a big difference. Maybe they should shift Laney to SG at times and let Onyenwere play SF. With Odom back, they can use her and Allen at PF. The positions on defense are fluid anyway. Yesterday, Allen spent a lot of time guarding the PG, Gray while Laney was often defending Wilson at PF.
6) If you’re going to play small-ball, it seems to me that the team needs to score more easy points off fastbreaks. NY rarely beats their opponent down the court. Part of the reason is because Ionescu and Whitcomb aren’t that fast. Last season, they brought in Kea not only because they needed another true point guard, but also because they needed someone better at pushing pace. Technically, NY doesn’t even have a true PG on their roster right now. Ionescu often functioned as a PG at Oregon, but officially she was either an SF or SG. Sabrina had Cazorla as the PG for her first three years, and then Minyon Moore as a senior. So, the Liberty are not only using wings as PFs, they are also using wings at PG. New York definitely needs better point guard options. However, I get the feeling they’re not going to do anything this year. Next season, they can try to talk Johannes or Dojkvic into coming over or maybe we get Kea redux if she fully recovers from her injury.
_________________ You can always do something else.
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 06/04/21 9:17 am ::: |
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Excellent analysis by root_thing. I'd just add this:
1. Apart from two games with a crucial player just beginning to learn the system, we still haven't seen the 2021 Liberty team as constructed by Kolb and Hopkins. Hopefully Howard will return before too long and then we'll begin to see how this new roster works together offensively and defensively. It's clear that even filling 40 post minutes with Stokes or Shook is problematic, as root_thing has well described. I look forward to the day when Howard gets 30 of those minutes.
2. Coming off a 2-20 season, I believe Kolb and Hopkins rightly felt: we've got to make dramatic changes. And this led them to: we're just going to get the best players we can and then sort out how to use them. I feel they did brilliantly getting Howard, Laney, Whitcomb, and Onyenwere. But it's obvious that this roster remains unbalanced: terrific options in terms of wing players, a starting point guard who perhaps should be a shooting guard, no backup point guard, and serious deficiencies in the post behind Howard.
With a much better roster base, Kolb and Hopkins will be able to consider moves for 2022 that will address the weaknesses of the current roster. For 2021, it's hard to imagine any significant roster moves.
I have confidence that Sabrina Ionescu will adjust to some of the challenges facing her, but it may take time. In any genuine sense, she's a rookie point guard in the WNBA. We know that's not easy.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
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gpark33
Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 5116
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Posted: 06/04/21 10:42 am ::: |
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Is Sabrina injured? She couldn't hit the broad side of a barn last night. The two shots she made were not clean where she got good bounces off the rim. She almost had a double double with no points!
_________________ The teacher and the student.
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 14097
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Posted: 06/04/21 3:17 pm ::: |
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I think Sabrina is just in her own head. She’s known to be extremely hard on herself. I think any in-game struggles are temporarily snowballing. She’s got to work on the midrange game and the floaters. Especially going left.
But bricking 3s is not her norm. She’ll come out of that. And if a bad night features 9 rebounds and 9 assists, you could do worse.
I thought Stokes played her best defensive game since 2016. She was mostly awesome. Wilson beat her a couple of times but Kiah took Liz out of the game almost completely. If bad calls hadn’t nullified two clean blocks she’d have had three instead of one. She looked like the Kiah of old athletically. Quick jumping and timing. Now if she could catch and finish on the pick and roll....
I know they were down 19. I understand they never led. But I was pleased that once they began fronting and doubling their defense was nothing short of awesome.
Unlike Saturday where a lot of calls went their way and they clearly didn’t deserve to win, last night was different. They played extremely well over the final 25 minutes and deserved to win that game.
And this is without Howard and with Sab shooting 4 for her last 24 or thereabout. This is a good basketball team. By next year it’s likely to be great.
_________________ The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.
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Richyyy
Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 24416 Location: London
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Posted: 06/04/21 3:33 pm ::: |
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So couldn't he just ask her about it?
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 14097
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Posted: 06/04/21 3:39 pm ::: |
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It’s good to see this info to know better. I thought it was more mental but clearly that’s not the case.
Glad they have eight days off after tomorrow.
_________________ The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.
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root_thing
Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 7365 Location: Underground
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Posted: 06/05/21 10:49 am ::: |
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If anyone is up for a cheap laugh, here is an article about Betnijah Laney as well as two versions that look like they were translated into a foreign language before being retranslated back to English. For instance, here are the article titles:
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The numbers behind Betnijah Laney’s ascent to WNBA stardom
WNBA: New York Liberty guard Beni Jalini becomes a star
WNBA: New York Liberty guard Petnia Lani’s rise to stardom |
And here are three versions of a quote from Onyenwere:
Quote: |
“Benijah’s a bucket,” raved rookie teammate Michaela Onyenwere. “Her pull-up is always on, and even if it’s not, she finds other ways to get to the basket and facilitate.”
“Benijah is a trash can,” the rookie teammate exclaimed Michaela Onion“Her pull-ups have been in progress, and even if not, she will find other ways to layup and help.”
“Benigah Bucket,” his rookie fellow exclaimed Michaela O’Nein. “Her pull is always open, and even if it’s not, she finds other ways to get into the basket and make it easier.” |
https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2021/6/4/22457811/wnba-betnijah-laney-new-york-liberty-chicago-sky-connecticut-sun-indiana-fever-michaela-onyenwere
https://sportsnewssky.com/wnba-new-york-liberty-guard-beni-jalini-becomes-a-star/
https://zaroorat.in/2021/06/04/wnba-new-york-liberty-guard-petnia-lanis-rise-to-stardom/
_________________ You can always do something else.
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lynxmania
Joined: 18 Feb 2011 Posts: 10697 Location: Minnesota
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Posted: 06/05/21 11:03 am ::: |
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root_thing wrote: |
If anyone is up for a cheap laugh, here is an article about Betnijah Laney as well as two versions that look like they were translated into a foreign language before being retranslated back to English. For instance, here are the article titles:
Quote: |
The numbers behind Betnijah Laney’s ascent to WNBA stardom
WNBA: New York Liberty guard Beni Jalini becomes a star
WNBA: New York Liberty guard Petnia Lani’s rise to stardom |
And here are three versions of a quote from Onyenwere:
Quote: |
“Benijah’s a bucket,” raved rookie teammate Michaela Onyenwere. “Her pull-up is always on, and even if it’s not, she finds other ways to get to the basket and facilitate.”
“Benijah is a trash can,” the rookie teammate exclaimed Michaela Onion“Her pull-ups have been in progress, and even if not, she will find other ways to layup and help.”
“Benigah Bucket,” his rookie fellow exclaimed Michaela O’Nein. “Her pull is always open, and even if it’s not, she finds other ways to get into the basket and make it easier.” |
https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2021/6/4/22457811/wnba-betnijah-laney-new-york-liberty-chicago-sky-connecticut-sun-indiana-fever-michaela-onyenwere
https://sportsnewssky.com/wnba-new-york-liberty-guard-beni-jalini-becomes-a-star/
https://zaroorat.in/2021/06/04/wnba-new-york-liberty-guard-petnia-lanis-rise-to-stardom/ |
Hopefully Laney didn't read the middle quote
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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PickledGinger
Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Posts: 1380
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67164 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 06/05/21 1:42 pm ::: |
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This is how nicknames are born
_________________ The truth is like poetry
Most people hate poetry
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ChiSky54
Joined: 19 Jun 2019 Posts: 703 Location: Chicago
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Bob Lamm
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PickledGinger
Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Posts: 1380
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Posted: 06/05/21 3:17 pm ::: |
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Bob Lamm wrote: |
Thanks, PIckledGinger.
I sent you a private message recently about a discussion in a different thread. If you haven't seen it, please take a look. |
I didn't get your message. Probably because my account was banned for 3 days based on what I am assuming you attempted to contact me about.
_________________ Unspoken expectations are just premeditated resentments.
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 06/05/21 4:31 pm ::: |
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PickledGinger wrote: |
I didn't get your message. Probably because my account was banned for 3 days based on what I am assuming you attempted to contact me about. |
I've sent another message. I hope you see this one. I will tell you in advance: it was a message of support.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
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LibFan25
Joined: 01 Sep 2012 Posts: 895 Location: NY
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Posted: 06/06/21 3:47 am ::: |
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I don't know what the hell is going on with Sabrina, maybe it's just a "rookie" wall slump or something is up with her. I just hope it's only mental
Once Howard gets back our Lineup has to go big or we gonna be losing to decent teams every night
Sabrina
Michaela
Laney
Stokes
Howard
That's a solid 5 for teams much bigger then us and we can still score even though Stokes is a offensive liability we need the size
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