RebKell's Junkie Boards

[root_thing]

I wanted to piggyback on some of the things said in the NY-CT game thread, but I felt the team thread was a more appropriate place.

Kolb said explicitly before the draft that they were still in “build” mode and that fans shouldn’t expect them to draft for need. They would take the best piece available consistent with their long-term vision. The direction they've clearly chosen for now is to go all-in on small-ball. Kolb talked about how they took a deep dive into the statistics after last season. He and Hopkins decided there was a limited amount of things that the team could accomplish without practice inside the Wubble. Consequently, New York played one style consistently so that management could accumulate solid data on that one approach. Ironically, it was mostly with a conventional two-post system. This season, with an opportunity to practice, they will in theory be able to make adjustments and record a broader range of information. My question is what will they do if the stats indicate that small ball is a failure? Can they admit their mistake and pivot to conventional basketball if that’s where the analytics lead them?

From what I’ve seen so far, it looks like the Liberty might be able to win the majority of their games if everybody is healthy and playing up to expectations. However, their margin of error is extremely thin. If more than one thing goes wrong, then they lose. Furthermore, winning most of your games is not the same as winning a championship. You can’t build your hopes around being lucky and avoiding those teams that have dominant post players. Management has to construct a team that can win against anybody at any time. Small ball is a theory with obvious built-in shortcomings. It supposedly has offsetting advantages, but from what I’ve seen you would need several extraordinary players to pull it off. This approach doesn’t seem robust enough to work under anything much less than optimum conditions. I hope I'm wrong, but I think this is a path toward mediocrity.

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You can always do something else.

[Bob Lamm]

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

I think we have to see what the team looks like with Howard honestly. Without the benefit of her presence, you can’t know if the plan will work or not. I agree that being so ridiculously dependent on one player is a problem though. One I’m sure they’ll address further in the off-season.

But not only are you down Howard, you’re down Willoughby, who Hopkins said was the best player in camp. So what they actually probably planned to do entering the season isn’t what’s happening. We’re judging the system with players playing 20-25 minutes now who might only be playing 5-10 minutes per game in August.

So while I’m not running away with optimism, judging what you have based on players who the staff probably wasn’t planning to start before the season is also not necessarily indicative of how well it can work once they have the players they intended to use in the first place.

I said from day 1 that I didn’t think the team was built to win if Howard went down and that the team was built precariously. So there’s nothing really new here, either pro or con. It’s just what it is.

I thought they’d play better last night though. But I underestimated CT some. Plus Sabrina isn’t Sabrina. Without that....

Their defense on first shots is still pretty good. The main problem is they’re yielding 11 offensive rebounds per game. Second shot opportunities have hurt them.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[root_thing]

Stokes suspended so it looks like she's going overseas. Now they definitely have to bring someone in. Actually a good time with all the days off.

_________________
You can always do something else.

[pilight]

Liberty re-sign Reshanda Gray on a hardship contract. Gray will be available for Sunday’s game against Phoenix.

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

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

Geez. We may not win a game for the rest of June. Hopefully Howard is back on the early side of the projected 4-6 weeks. Looked like a sure solid playoff team a few weeks ago with Howard’s impending return.

Now it’s anyone’s guess, and most of those guesses look bad. Down to two true posts, one a second round pick and the other not having been on the team yesterday.

Perfect timing to face Griner, Wilson and Cambage. The next three games should be amazing.

Sabrina needs to get healthy soon. Our only chance to hang in these games is to score 90+ points. If Sabrina can’t break down defenses we may not reach 75.

Sigh.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[Bob Lamm]

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

[Bob Lamm]

I wish I understood what's happened with Kia Nurse. I was so excited about her during her rookie year in 2018. Then in the first half of 2019 she was terrific and named an All Star. It's been all downhill since that half season, even with this opportunity on a new team. I don't get it.

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Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.

[root_thing]

So many of Nurse's shots look like they're on target but they don't go in. It's like she's cursed.

At the end of the game, Kia came over and hugged a number of the Liberty players but not the coaches. Walker hugged both players and coaches. But the mystery for me was Bria Hartley hanging out with Ionescu and Jones. Hartley was gone last year when Sabrina and Jazz joined the team. What's the connection? Sabrina and Bria were rehabbing this past winter, and Jazz lasted like 3 games in France. So, they weren't teammates overseas. Bria is too old to be a USA Basketball teammate of Sabrina and Jazz. They're from different parts of the country (Northeast, West, Southeast) and went to three different colleges in three different conferences.

Similarly, after the Las Vegas game, A'ja Wilson finished a television interview and then detoured over to the Liberty bench to hug Hopkins and maybe also Patterson. What's the connection? Maybe Team USA during games when Reeve was filling in for Staley? I seem to remember at least once Cheryl brought her own coaches. Otherwise, another head scratcher. I guess it's just a small world in women's basketball.

_________________
You can always do something else.

[Bob Lamm]

So we're now 10 games into the 2021 season, essentially one-third of it over. New York is 6-4 and in FOURTH place after a 2-20 LAST place finish in 2020.
And this has been done with only limited contributions from Sabrina Inonescu (who obviously was playing hurt in her subpar games) and from Natasha Howard.

Seattle, Connecticut, and Las Vegas are at the top of the league. I don't see the Liberty as being anywhere close to them at the moment. But look at the EIGHT teams behind us in the standings, not one of which has a .500 record at the moment. Is it clear that any of those teams are better than the Liberty?

Given this difficult stretch just ahead, playing at far less than full strength, I'm not saying the Liberty will finish fourth in the regular season. But, in my view, there are only three teams in the league that definitely look better than New York so far. That's a huge change in a short time.

_________________
Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

I agree with all of the above. If you put all the teams at full strength (not including Maya Moore), the Liberty are in my opinion the fourth or fifth best team in the league. Chicago is probably going to be really good soon, now that they’re healthy again. But take JJ and Alyssa Thomas away from CT and Seattle destroyed them at home. So I’m not sold that CT is a better team full strength than NY. Next year NY also has the benefit of the return or potential return of at least Johannes. With an eye on Willoughby and Durr to see what comes of their situations. They also will have some possible cap space (Bec and Stokes are free agents) and a draft rich in posts and bigger wing players…which means they can add a player who can make an impact. They’re 6-4 now. With Howard having played about 45 minutes all season and Sabrina being healthy for 6 of the 10 games. That’s pretty impressive and a sign of better things to come when they have their core group back.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[jmvcity]

Gov. Cuomo just lifted all covid restrictions statewide "in all commercial settings, including: offices, sporting events, manufacturing buildings, malls, movie theaters, camps, child care and personal care businesses, construction sites, food service establishments, amusement parks, and retail buildings."

The Yankees will return to 100% capacity beginning this Friday's game. Will the Libs follow soon? If so, I wonder how this affects STH seating.

[root_thing]

Stokes didn't make the Turkish team, and her Instagram story indicates she will be back in NY tonight. Assuming Kiah gets on a plane to LA either tomorrow or Saturday, she should be availabe for the Sparks game.

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You can always do something else.

[ClayK]

[Richyyy]

Naturalised limit is one, and they went with Quanitra Hollingsworth instead of Stokes.

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

[Bob Lamm]

[Bob Lamm]

Announcement from the New York Liberty: Ashley Battle has become a color commentator for the YES Network and presumably will be on the air for some Liberty games.

_________________
Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

Tomorrow’s game is a pivotal…and winnable one. After that there’s two against Chicago at home. They haven’t lost a game since Parker’s return. I’d expect to likely lose both of those games as well. There’s just too many people to guard, and the DD/Copper combo on the wings matches up well to NY. Let alone dealing with Chicago’s 4/5 spot talent and depth.

The good news is that IF Howard returns in the prognosticated timetable, the six games with the most negative matchups for NY will be over with. There will be time for NY to go on a nice run if they do get healthy. Time will tell.

They’re not as well constructed to withstand injury as some other teams might be, being so disproportionately dependent on Sab, Laney and Howard.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[Bob Lamm]

Recently NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote of a significant stretch of games ahead and the very real possibility that the Liberty could lose every one of them. Not the slightest criticism of him intended; his worried analysis was excellent.

That difficult stretch isn't over, but already New York has won two of those games. Bravo!!!

P.S. At this moment, with a record of 7-6, the Liberty stand alone in fourth place in the WNBA standings.

_________________
Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

[Shades]

June 22, 2021
New York Liberty: Kiah Stokes – Set Active
New York Liberty: Reshanda Gray – Hardship Release

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Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

Howard was also warming up earlier with the posts. We’ll see if she is out for pregame warmups. Looks like she will be.

_________________
The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[Bob Lamm]

[Bob Lamm]