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| Who will win this game? |
| Sun |
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75% |
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| Liberty |
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25% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 12 |
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Shades
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
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 Posted: 05/16/22 3:42 pm ::: |
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Is it in the realm of realism to hope for improved chemistry and cohesion with time? Dolson has only had a few practices. They had few healthy players in camp. New system, new coach. I’m not too sold on the talent but I’m hoping that better cohesion will bring out whatever the best capability of the team is.
Generally speaking, I think Laney and Howard are being put in positions to succeed. They’re not being asked to make shots that they can’t make. It’s possible maybe they’re good players but not the great players they were brought here to be. But I don’t see it as being a coaching or system-specific thing. Howard is supposed to score inside 1-on-1 on rookies. Laney’s midrange game is supposed to be her strength. Dolson is supposed to take, and make, open 3s. And those are the positions each are being put in. The pick and rolls that they do tend to yield wide open passing opportunities, with some connections and some bad misses by Sabrina.
I’m not a Dolson fan but she hasn’t made a 3 in four games. She’s passed up several and missed a few more. That…should improve…shouldn’t it?
Howard is shooting .296. Laney is shooting .400. Those should improve too. But even as they do, will that even be enough? Statistically the team is awful in offense, defense and rebounding. The above would improve their offense. How will they improve everything else? Or will they?
Bec might help defensively. But if their best defensive lineup is a small-ball lineup that looks similar to last year, what does that say about where we are headed and the changes that were made? Since their best defensive lineups tend to feature Willoughby on a perimeter player, that probably only leaves the 4 spot for Bec’s presence to be impactful on that end of the floor.
All things being equal, I envision Bec being potentially more valuable than I would have thought. Desperate times, desperate measures.
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Bob Lamm
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| Posted: 05/16/22 4:06 pm ::: |
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| NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
Is it in the realm of realism to hope for improved chemistry and cohesion with time? Dolson has only had a few practices. They had few healthy players in camp. New system, new coach. I’m not too sold on the talent but I’m hoping that better cohesion will bring out whatever the best capability of the team is.
Generally speaking, I think Laney and Howard are being put in positions to succeed. They’re not being asked to make shots that they can’t make. It’s possible maybe they’re good players but not the great players they were brought here to be. But I don’t see it as being a coaching or system-specific thing. Howard is supposed to score inside 1-on-1 on rookies. Laney’s midrange game is supposed to be her strength. Dolson is supposed to take, and make, open 3s. And those are the positions each are being put in. The pick and rolls that they do tend to yield wide open passing opportunities, with some connections and some bad misses by Sabrina.
I’m not a Dolson fan but she hasn’t made a 3 in four games. She’s passed up several and missed a few more. That…should improve…shouldn’t it?
Howard is shooting .296. Laney is shooting .400. Those should improve too. But even as they do, will that even be enough? |
It has been a disturbing start to the season for those of us who are Liberty fans. Many worrisome things have been rightly noted, especially on the Liberty thread, by you and others.
It's also worth noting that, even after one absolutely horrific game and two disappointing games, New York wasn't far from being 2-2. Whatever anyone thinks of the Liberty roster, it was staggering for this team to score only FIFTY points in a 40-minute game. And in the following games the Liberty had stretches where their shooting was absolutely abysmal. They've had open threes, they've had very makeable layups, and they've had such difficulty putting the ball in the basket. That part surely isn't on Sandy Brondello.
I'd have to think that the team will be better. How much better... that I can't say.
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
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| Posted: 05/16/22 4:27 pm ::: |
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| Missing shots that a team knows they should be making can also affect them defensively. Both in terms of confidence and in terms of having to defend in transition with great frequency. Certain things are bound to improve because so much of what they’re doing involves some negative statistical outliers. Whatever one might think of the team, I don’t think a point differential between of -11.5 is where they should be.
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Bob Lamm
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| Posted: 05/16/22 4:47 pm ::: |
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| NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
| Missing shots that a team knows they should be making can also affect them defensively. Both in terms of confidence and in terms of having to defend in transition with great frequency. Certain things are bound to improve because so much of what they’re doing involves some negative statistical outliers. Whatever one might think of the team, I don’t think a point differential between of -11.5 is where they should be. |
New York has a week off between 5/17 and 5/24. That is surely well timed. It's going to be tough to beat Connecticut on the road tomorrow night so soon after winning against them on opening night.
Here's one thing I believe the Liberty desperately need soon: someone other than Ionescu, Laney, or Howard to give the team a big lift offensively. Of course New York needs major contributions from their three best players, but even if that happens they need help. Allen's arrival will be a plus. But so far we haven't seen anything close to a big game from Dolson, Whitcomb, Willoughby, or Onyenwere. (I'm giving a pass here for various obvious reasons to Richards, Cubaj, Han, and AD.)
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
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| Posted: 05/16/22 5:50 pm ::: |
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| It would be helpful to get Willoughby more touches. Sami, Sabrina, Laney, Howard and Han (when she plays) tend to dominate the touches. Partially understandable but the offense definitely needs more balance, particularly if Laney and Howard aren’t going to play like all stars.
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Queenie
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| Posted: 05/16/22 6:17 pm ::: |
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| I would not recommend giving Jocelyn Willoughby more touches in a game for which she is not active, although I agree with the idea in theory.
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
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| Posted: 05/16/22 6:36 pm ::: |
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| Ugh I missed that. Maybe that’s why her playing time was limited in the second half. Sandy made it sound basketball-related. I guess Sami will start and Bec will get some minutes on the wing. If Bec shoots as frequently as last year she will have the opportunities if not the results.
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zune69
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| Posted: 05/17/22 4:08 pm ::: |
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| What the Liberty need is for Howard/Laney to play like the All-stars they're paying them to be...Everything else will fall into place....But if they continue to play like role players, the season will be a huge disappointment.
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Queenie
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| Posted: 05/17/22 4:11 pm ::: |
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| still trapped in the tower, alas
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Queenie
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| Posted: 05/17/22 4:54 pm ::: |
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| And to forestall any questions: Han Xu is out with non-COVID illness and that's why Sandy's not putting her in the game.
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Queenie
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| Posted: 05/17/22 6:24 pm ::: |
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| 14 of Connecticut's 16 points are off NY turnovers. So I think I see our problem.
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Queenie
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| Posted: 05/17/22 6:34 pm ::: |
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"Other than that, a great start."
Yes, Julianne. Other than the fact that Connecticut's score should have a bow on it and some of that plastic grass underneath because we have gifted them almost all their baskets, it's a great start.
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Shades
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| Posted: 05/17/22 6:44 pm ::: |
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| The Bonner factor. Didn’t have her in the first game.
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zune69
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| Posted: 05/17/22 6:50 pm ::: |
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| The Liberty should just trade Howard/Dolson/Whitcomb and go for a lottery pk in the 2023 draft.......I'm not saying give up on the season...The Liberty should focus on developing their young talent and stacking assets instead of wasting time on 30+year-old players like Howard, Dolson, and Whitcomb.
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Shades
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| Posted: 05/17/22 6:52 pm ::: |
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Am I reading this right?
5 TO’s ea for Ionescu and Laney
19 TO’s for the team…. in the first half
Might have to research for record turnover numbers.
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pilight
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:04 pm ::: |
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| The record for turnovers in a game is 33, set by the Utah Starzz in 1997
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Queenie
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:22 pm ::: |
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| at this point we might as well not fight it, if we're gonna lose it might as well be historic
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Shades
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:25 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| The record for turnovers in a game is 33, set by the Utah Starzz in 1997 |
How about in a half?
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Shades
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:46 pm ::: |
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The announcer is on turnover watch now. He says the franchise record is 30 turnovers, and they have 27 now with a quarter left.
But the W box score is showing 24 TO’s.
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Luuuc
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Queenie
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:51 pm ::: |
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| Shades wrote: |
The announcer is on turnover watch now. He says the franchise record is 30 turnovers, and they have 27 now with a quarter left.
But the W box score is showing 24 TO’s. |
I'm seeing the same thing. What I'm not sure about, since I turned off the game in disgust, is whether there were turnovers that aren't attributed to anyone in particular. (Shot clock violations are thrown at the team generally, not the player holding the hot potato, right? What about the inbounding violation in the first half?)
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:51 pm ::: |
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| I think I speak for all Liberty fans when I say that the Liberty and I need a break from each other.
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Shades
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:53 pm ::: |
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| Cubaj is out. Wouldn’t be surprised if she has a broken nose from a Holmes elbow.
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
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| Posted: 05/17/22 7:55 pm ::: |
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| Connecticut is on an 81-40 run. I left the game halfway through the third quarter.
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