Tuesday, October 30, 2012
2012-13 NBA Preview - NBA Topics - ESPN
im not a big nba person but this is a link to the team previews even though it is opening night
2012-13 NBA Preview - NBA Topics - ESPN
Monday, October 29, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Just to say
It has been a hectic month between moving, cleaning up after a tropical storm, my brother's wedding and job stuff. the blog hasnt been getting its usual daily updates. There is a link to one of the sites I get many of the links from and we still have the playoffs coming up next week. thanks to those of you who have checked out this blog.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Olympic Picks
USA -39, its a lot cover but this is olympic womens basketball where it can get out of hand in a hurry, and all teams have 12 players. Team USa is going for their 5th straight gold medal. The only team that can maybe stop them is \
Australia -20.5 against Great Britain the opals have too much size and talent for great britain. It may be close for a half because of the crowd behind them.
Australia -20.5 against Great Britain the opals have too much size and talent for great britain. It may be close for a half because of the crowd behind them.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I have been fade material lately, with the WNBA being so weird and quirky this olympic year. Inconsistent Injury reports, I saw one source saying McCoughtry would be out for a while and play sporadically until the Olympics. Candace Parker was a healthy scratch getting rest before the Olympics, but the sparks played 14 games in 5 weeks.
Mystics +3
ths storm have won 4 in a row and all at home, even beating the Lynx. The Storm and mystics flew out on the same flight to DC. the Storm are 1-6 on the road, while the Mystics are 2-3@home. I think the mystics have a good chance to surprise the Storm.
Fever +2.5
The sky are missing 22ppg with Prince's injury and always struggle against the Fever. The fever after jshooting 29% and getting blown out in Atlanta. I think will be focused and ready to play tomorrow. These teams play grind it out type games and Prince was the perimeter option for the sky.
Mystics +3
ths storm have won 4 in a row and all at home, even beating the Lynx. The Storm and mystics flew out on the same flight to DC. the Storm are 1-6 on the road, while the Mystics are 2-3@home. I think the mystics have a good chance to surprise the Storm.
Fever +2.5
The sky are missing 22ppg with Prince's injury and always struggle against the Fever. The fever after jshooting 29% and getting blown out in Atlanta. I think will be focused and ready to play tomorrow. These teams play grind it out type games and Prince was the perimeter option for the sky.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
This blog
was intended to make people more informed betttors. The WNBA is bad at times about releasing injury information and even the league website is slow to update. You have to seek out links and reviews from the local writers that follow the teams. I try to post articles and even some highlight clips from youtube. That was the purpose of this blog and yes I do post picks. I am also a bettor.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Tulsa -1.5
Despite being winless tulsa has lost three games by 3 points or less and one in OT. The shock does one thing very well force turnovers, in a 76-75 loss to the sparks, they force 24, 14 committed by Tolliver who hit a late 3 to beat them. Seattle has struggled mightily offensively, with Swin Cash being traded to Chicago and Lauren Jackson with the Australian Olympic Team. they are averaging 61 ppg. Seattle has been the top under team the last three years in the WNBA. but the offense has been dreadful on the road.
Sparks +3 and ML +130
a healthy Candace Parker and a revamped team and sold 15 ppg and 6 rpg from the #1 pick in the WNBA draft. One , the sparks have a clear advantage in the post against the dream with Desouza out with the Brazilian Olympic team. One overlooked thing , Carol Ross first year sparks coach was an assistant for the Dream, last season. The Dream have won the last 4 meetings but parker has missed 3 of them.
15-11 ytd on pregame.com
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Niesen: There's an unfair bias against WNBA
Niesen: There's an unfair bias against WNBA
MINNEAPOLIS – Maya Moore is not Michael Jordan. She never will be.
Moore could average 30 points for her career. She could lead her team to the WNBA Finals year after year. She could flash championship rings, pro titles after college ones. Jordan did all that, but she will never be Jordan.
Maya Moore is a woman. Maya Moore is, due to biology and genetics, a different type of player. Maya Moore will never dunk frequently in games. Her muscles will never bulge like Jordan's, and her jump will never explode so high.
And all of that is okay. No one should watch Moore expecting to see Michael Jordan. She's still one of the best players in the history of women's basketball. She's still talented beyond measure. If people could just accept Moore and the WNBA for what they are, something separate and different, even something enjoyable, this could all be a little less mean, devoid of condescension and sexism. There'd certainly be a lot less unwarranted Internet vitriol.
This is not about female equality. This is not about Title IX. This is not about forcing people to care. This is not about sexuality or politics or feminism.
It's about unfair comparisons and biases. It's about giving women opportunities and subsequently demanding that they use those opportunities to do impossible things. The WNBA is not the NBA. It never will be. But these women are still talented athletes, in better shape than 99 percent of the people who cheer for and against them. Their successes and accomplishments mean no less than those of their male counterparts.
There's a two-pronged problem with the way society can at times view the WNBA. The first is a broad generalization about athletes' sexuality, the sweeping statement that it's a league for homosexual women and that therefore something is wrong with it. That's antiquated and crude and so far from the truth. It's so easily refutable upon meeting a team of these women and learning their stories that it deserves no more mention than this.
The bigger problem with society's perception of the league is more complicated. With Saturday's game between the Heat and Celtics drawing the highest ratings of an NBA playoff game since cable ratings began being recorded, society has made its statement. It loves basketball, loves watching it, talking about it, breaking it down. But then it turns to the women and their version of the sport and chastises them because they're not the men.
It's bad basketball. No one dunks. They're not very strong. The nonsense accusations go on and on.
Watching the Lynx, the WNBA's hottest and best team, it's possible to see the genesis of this ridiculousness. These women are good at basketball. Really good. They make great shots. Their passes are crisp, on point. They're the best the league has to offer, and their game isn't that different from the men's. They come so close to transcending gender, but they fall short, and because of their dominance and talent we criticize them for not playing like something they're not.
There are less talented teams in the WNBA, of course, whose play is messier. Maybe they aren't as fun to watch as the Lynx, but really, were the Bobcats not painful to view as well this season? No one looked at them and used their failures to insult a sport.
The WNBA isn't perfect. It's hardly a bastion for female equality in sports – just look at its television exposure. Look at how much these women are making and how hard they work. The circumstances are as different as the biology, so why must we impose this universality to the game?
Seimone Augustus' arms have averaged 18.1 points and 3.9 rebounds this season. They're among the most accurate and feared in the league. They're covered in tattoos, which impose a gruff strength, but if you look past the body art, they're movie star arms. They're the kind of arms most women would kill for. These are not he-women, not even close, not with their creative hairstyles and painted nails. These are strong, talented, athletic women. Why do we have to see them as anything else?
MINNEAPOLIS – Maya Moore is not Michael Jordan. She never will be.
Moore could average 30 points for her career. She could lead her team to the WNBA Finals year after year. She could flash championship rings, pro titles after college ones. Jordan did all that, but she will never be Jordan.
Maya Moore is a woman. Maya Moore is, due to biology and genetics, a different type of player. Maya Moore will never dunk frequently in games. Her muscles will never bulge like Jordan's, and her jump will never explode so high.
And all of that is okay. No one should watch Moore expecting to see Michael Jordan. She's still one of the best players in the history of women's basketball. She's still talented beyond measure. If people could just accept Moore and the WNBA for what they are, something separate and different, even something enjoyable, this could all be a little less mean, devoid of condescension and sexism. There'd certainly be a lot less unwarranted Internet vitriol.
This is not about female equality. This is not about Title IX. This is not about forcing people to care. This is not about sexuality or politics or feminism.
It's about unfair comparisons and biases. It's about giving women opportunities and subsequently demanding that they use those opportunities to do impossible things. The WNBA is not the NBA. It never will be. But these women are still talented athletes, in better shape than 99 percent of the people who cheer for and against them. Their successes and accomplishments mean no less than those of their male counterparts.
There's a two-pronged problem with the way society can at times view the WNBA. The first is a broad generalization about athletes' sexuality, the sweeping statement that it's a league for homosexual women and that therefore something is wrong with it. That's antiquated and crude and so far from the truth. It's so easily refutable upon meeting a team of these women and learning their stories that it deserves no more mention than this.
The bigger problem with society's perception of the league is more complicated. With Saturday's game between the Heat and Celtics drawing the highest ratings of an NBA playoff game since cable ratings began being recorded, society has made its statement. It loves basketball, loves watching it, talking about it, breaking it down. But then it turns to the women and their version of the sport and chastises them because they're not the men.
It's bad basketball. No one dunks. They're not very strong. The nonsense accusations go on and on.
Watching the Lynx, the WNBA's hottest and best team, it's possible to see the genesis of this ridiculousness. These women are good at basketball. Really good. They make great shots. Their passes are crisp, on point. They're the best the league has to offer, and their game isn't that different from the men's. They come so close to transcending gender, but they fall short, and because of their dominance and talent we criticize them for not playing like something they're not.
There are less talented teams in the WNBA, of course, whose play is messier. Maybe they aren't as fun to watch as the Lynx, but really, were the Bobcats not painful to view as well this season? No one looked at them and used their failures to insult a sport.
The WNBA isn't perfect. It's hardly a bastion for female equality in sports – just look at its television exposure. Look at how much these women are making and how hard they work. The circumstances are as different as the biology, so why must we impose this universality to the game?
Seimone Augustus' arms have averaged 18.1 points and 3.9 rebounds this season. They're among the most accurate and feared in the league. They're covered in tattoos, which impose a gruff strength, but if you look past the body art, they're movie star arms. They're the kind of arms most women would kill for. These are not he-women, not even close, not with their creative hairstyles and painted nails. These are strong, talented, athletic women. Why do we have to see them as anything else?
Here's what's interesting, though. The people who have given these athletes a chance, who have shelled out the money for tickets t-shirts – they're into it. Really into it. These aren't NBA crowds, but there are moments when they sound like it. There are fewer bored dates sipping beers and picking at their fingernails in the stands, more people wearing homemade, customized gear. These people care.
At the Lynx game on June 3, the seventh win in their nine-game streak, a male fan would occasionally chant: “It's not the NBA." It was quiet, at times lost among the applause, but the words were undeniably clear. At first, the man seemed to be yelling it only to protest bad refereeing calls, but as the game progressed, there appeared to be little justification for when or why he'd begin the chant.
The assumption, of course, was that he meant it negatively.
No matter that he'd bought a ticket, that he'd devoted his Sunday night to watching the reigning WNBA champions. There's no reason for that assumption, other than society's general apathy toward and dismissal of the league.
It's a statement that rings so true, though. This isn't the NBA, and it shouldn't have to be. This is entertaining. This is talent and competition and the oh-so-human stories that make us care.
So start caring. Or don't. Just stop being unreasonable.
Follow Joan Niesen on Twitter.
At the Lynx game on June 3, the seventh win in their nine-game streak, a male fan would occasionally chant: “It's not the NBA." It was quiet, at times lost among the applause, but the words were undeniably clear. At first, the man seemed to be yelling it only to protest bad refereeing calls, but as the game progressed, there appeared to be little justification for when or why he'd begin the chant.
The assumption, of course, was that he meant it negatively.
No matter that he'd bought a ticket, that he'd devoted his Sunday night to watching the reigning WNBA champions. There's no reason for that assumption, other than society's general apathy toward and dismissal of the league.
It's a statement that rings so true, though. This isn't the NBA, and it shouldn't have to be. This is entertaining. This is talent and competition and the oh-so-human stories that make us care.
So start caring. Or don't. Just stop being unreasonable.
Follow Joan Niesen on Twitter.
Sparks/Sun
The sparks are off to a 6-1 start this season, between a new coach, revamped roster and the return of Candace Parker from injury. The sparks have only lost to the Lynx and so has the Sun as well. The sparks are solid in the frontcourt , with Parker, Ogwidmuke the #1 pick to offset the advantage that tina Charles normally has. Tolliver cannot be the primary ballhandler , her 14 turnover game against tulsa along with Zoll's acl injury and the signing of the Veteran miller. The sun are a deep team as well, besides the aforementioned tina charles, they have Ashja Jones. The Sun's coach has a clear rotation and a few of his young players are barely getting minutes.but the opening line of 7 is a bit high with a fairly even opponent. the line has moved down to 6.
The sparks are off to a 6-1 start this season, between a new coach, revamped roster and the return of Candace Parker from injury. The sparks have only lost to the Lynx and so has the Sun as well. The sparks are solid in the frontcourt , with Parker, Ogwidmuke the #1 pick to offset the advantage that tina Charles normally has. Tolliver cannot be the primary ballhandler , her 14 turnover game against tulsa along with Zoll's acl injury and the signing of the Veteran miller. The sun are a deep team as well, besides the aforementioned tina charles, they have Ashja Jones. The Sun's coach has a clear rotation and a few of his young players are barely getting minutes.but the opening line of 7 is a bit high with a fairly even opponent. the line has moved down to 6.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Epiphanny Prince Shocks Tulsa - Swish Appeal
Chicago Sky 98, Tulsa Shock 91 - OT; Epiphanny Prince Shocks Tulsa - Swish Appeal
Artticle refers to the inability of the Shock to close games
Artticle refers to the inability of the Shock to close games
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi will be out indefinitely with a strained left hip flexor
Mercury guard Diana Taurasi will be out indefinitely with a strained left hip flexor, the club announced today. Taurasi did not travel with the team to Atlanta for tonight’s contest against the Eastern Conference defending Dream. She will be re-evaluated daily.hoopfeed.com got from phoenix mercury pr
Taurasi sustained the injury during the 2012 WNBA training camp after reporting just seven days before the season opener following a full Eurolegue season in Turkey and training camp with USA Basketball. She missed the season opener at Minnesota due to the injury and played just 10 minutes at Tulsa in the team’s second game. She played 26 minutes and scored 18 points in Phoenix’s home opener loss to Los Angeles.
Tonight’s game against Atlanta will be broadcast on FOX Sports Arizona with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m. PT. Phoenix plays in San Antonio Friday against the Silver Stars before returning home for a rematch with the Tulsa Shock on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
WNBA.com: Lynx at Mystics Game Info - May 30, 2012
Lynx v Mystics
I really mean the Washington Mistakes, in 2010 they were 22-12 and finished 1st in the east. Then the franchise went cheap and wanted a Coach/GM and their coach just wanted to be the coach and was fired and then they traded their 2011 first round pick to the Lynx . The pick was Maya Moore and their coach Trudi Lacey, is very likely the worst coach in the league. The Mistakes are turnover prone facing a good defensive team The Mistakes was broken up and its Crystal Langhorne , Matee Ajavon and not much else. The Mystics are shooting 22.7% from 3pt range and giving up 40.8 % from behind the arc. The Mistakes are averaging 60 ppg, and that’s the lowest in the league. The Lynx as I have stated before are 9-10, have great team chemistry, play good defense, have 5/6 players that can score in double figures. The Lynx are shooting 50.9% from the floor and 44.2% from the floor. That’s
WNBA.com: Lynx at Mystics Game Info - May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Are the shock improved
After the Tulsa Shock's 88-79 loss in their home opener, Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said, "this is a much improved Tulsa team that we dealt with today."
Given that they are 0-2 to start the season for the third year in a row, the compliment is at least partially a testament to the faith that fans, media, and opposing coaches alike have in new Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg. But what evidence might there be that the Tulsa Shock have put together a roster that can exceed last season's performance or even the performance in their inaugural year?
2011 Shock players that contributed more than 2% to the team's overall production are labeled on the pie chart.
Miranda Ayim and Jacinta Monroe are not shown above.
When considering the question of whether the Shock even can improve
this season, it's impossible not to begin with what they lost from last
year.
They were aware that 6'8" center Liz Cambage would be out for at least half the season due to her commitment to Australia for the 2012 Olympics when they drafted her, so that wasn't much of a surprise. When they actually found out about forward Tiffany Jackson's intentions to sit out for the season due to pregnancy is unclear, but their offseason moves suggest that they might have known enough to fill those minutes in the post with new players.
While those two were their two most significant contributors, what might have gone unnoticed is that Sheryl Swoopes was actually a major contributor to the Shock in her comeback last season - Swoopes was the team's third most significant contributor statistically.
The primary reason for that was that she got a lot of minutes once coach Teresa Edwards took over for Nolan Richardson above mid-season whereas both Cambage and Kayla Pedersen saw their minutes decline after Edwards took over - they were two of the most efficient rookies in the league in the first month of play and then just fell off. But the second reason why Swoopes rated so highly was that she was the second most efficient distributor on the team with a pure point rating of 0.64, which is noteworthy because it's above league average on a team that wasn't a very efficient ball handling team.
The most efficient distributor on the team last year, Amber Holt (1.10 PPR), was also released after training camp this season. Although she was only responsible for 7% of the team's overall production, she missed 8 games - close to a quarter of the 34-game season - due to injury and was a major part of the team's late-season performance.
Taking those four losses into account, the Shock lost almost two thirds of their production from last season. And not just any two thirds, but arguably their four best performers. That becomes even more significant when looking at the team's overall performance last season.
And that makes it hard to say what their most significant loss was. They lost their two most efficient ball handlers scorers (Cambage and Jackson), and top rebounders (Cambage and Jackson). So where could they even begin?
The reality is they couldn't really get worse in shooting efficiency or turnover rate relative to their opponents - they were already at the bottom of the conference. But Tulsa was about average in their rebounding ability (49.6% total rebounding percentage is .4% less than league average) so the loss of Cambage and Jackson is significant in that they lost the one thing that they could leverage as a strength.
Obviously, the Shock needed to just add talent to their roster regardless of position. But with their draft selections, they clearly looked to fill that rebounding void.
We've already taken a look at what Johnson - as well as Riquna Williams - might offer a WNBA team here, but Kizer is a bit more of an uncertainty - she didn't start for Maryland in her senior year and her numbers weren't overwhelming, but she clearly had some athleticism that could potentially make her someone that could hold her own at the WNBA level. Her 12.2% offensive rebounding percentage in particular bodes well for helping to replace some of that rebounding energy at some point during the season.
If this season is about the future, Johnson and Kizer offer options for eventually creating a strong post rotation while at least being able to compete on the boards in the absence of Cambage and Jackson. How they negotiate that logjam once they return next season remains to be seen, but those two rookies do have time to prove themselves and earn a spot as part of the team's vision for the future.
And that might be the most significant addition of any this season. Johnson is not only a veteran presence, but was also the third most efficient distributor in the WNBA last season (4.32 PPR). That alone is a huge change for the Shock who have not had an efficient point guard yet during their brief time in Tulsa - it should help improve their efficiency on offense.
But the other thing that Johnson - as well as Jene Morris - add to the roster is some scoring efficiency. Both are also efficient scorers relative to their style of play - and solid 3-point shooters, as is Scholanda Dorrell, who is returning to the Shock after a year with the San Antonio Silver Stars - which helps address their poor shooting efficiency differential.
It might be weird to say Latta is a candidate to breakout, but she has not posted an above average PER (above 15) in her career and hit a career-low 12.8 last season. And the revamped rotation could help her a bit.
Ivory Latta might be the player that benefits most from the arrival of Temeka Johnson in that she won't be relied upon as the lead ball handler. Similar to the way the Connecticut Sun are using Renee Montgomery this season, Latta could be freed to focus more on scoring this season coming off the bench to give a scoring boost.
The only way to measure success for the Shock this year is by way of improvement rather than wins and losses, which makes those Four Factors numbers above - process-based performance metrics rather than outcomes-based - more relevant to them than any other team. Any roster moves they made had to be with the future in mind and it appears they have made modest moves that have put them in a good decision to build a competitive team in the future. Right now, that future has to include at least Cambage and possibly Jackson, which gives them something they haven't really had since their first year: talented assets.
The 2013 WNBA Draft holds options for a team like the Shock: if they wish to add a distributor for the future, both Skylar Diggins and Angel Goodrich will be available. Elena Delle Donne might not be an immediately obvious fit for a team with Cambage, but that would give them a potent inside-outside combination that would be tough to defend. Brittney Griner would be the big prize and is not a fit with Cambage, but then the question is do you really pass on a defensive presence like Griner in favor of Cambage?
Those draft questions will be answered over the next year, but they've put pieces in place now that might have helped them fill some gaps that kept them from being competitive last season while also building for the future.
For more on what all of these statistics mean, visit our statistics glossary.
this is from swishappeal.com and using to teast a feature on a blog only
Given that they are 0-2 to start the season for the third year in a row, the compliment is at least partially a testament to the faith that fans, media, and opposing coaches alike have in new Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg. But what evidence might there be that the Tulsa Shock have put together a roster that can exceed last season's performance or even the performance in their inaugural year?
Most significant departure
Click here for an explanation of this framework and here for our statistics glossary.
2011 Shock players that contributed more than 2% to the team's overall production are labeled on the pie chart.
Miranda Ayim and Jacinta Monroe are not shown above.
They were aware that 6'8" center Liz Cambage would be out for at least half the season due to her commitment to Australia for the 2012 Olympics when they drafted her, so that wasn't much of a surprise. When they actually found out about forward Tiffany Jackson's intentions to sit out for the season due to pregnancy is unclear, but their offseason moves suggest that they might have known enough to fill those minutes in the post with new players.
While those two were their two most significant contributors, what might have gone unnoticed is that Sheryl Swoopes was actually a major contributor to the Shock in her comeback last season - Swoopes was the team's third most significant contributor statistically.
The primary reason for that was that she got a lot of minutes once coach Teresa Edwards took over for Nolan Richardson above mid-season whereas both Cambage and Kayla Pedersen saw their minutes decline after Edwards took over - they were two of the most efficient rookies in the league in the first month of play and then just fell off. But the second reason why Swoopes rated so highly was that she was the second most efficient distributor on the team with a pure point rating of 0.64, which is noteworthy because it's above league average on a team that wasn't a very efficient ball handling team.
The most efficient distributor on the team last year, Amber Holt (1.10 PPR), was also released after training camp this season. Although she was only responsible for 7% of the team's overall production, she missed 8 games - close to a quarter of the 34-game season - due to injury and was a major part of the team's late-season performance.
Taking those four losses into account, the Shock lost almost two thirds of their production from last season. And not just any two thirds, but arguably their four best performers. That becomes even more significant when looking at the team's overall performance last season.
2011 Season In Review
eFg% |
Fta/Fga | Oreb% | Tov% | |
Tulsa Shock
|
43.53%
|
28.55%
|
26.79%
|
19.46%
|
Opp
|
52.78%
|
31.45%
|
27.59%
|
16.48%
|
Weighted differentials
|
eFg% | fta/fga | Oreb% | Tov% |
Tulsa
|
-0.93
|
-0.06
|
-0.03
|
-0.25
|
Four Factors differentials for the Shock and their opponents in 2011.
As you can see in the table above - or, of course, from observation
alone - the Shock didn't play particularly good basketball last season.And that makes it hard to say what their most significant loss was. They lost their two most efficient ball handlers scorers (Cambage and Jackson), and top rebounders (Cambage and Jackson). So where could they even begin?
The reality is they couldn't really get worse in shooting efficiency or turnover rate relative to their opponents - they were already at the bottom of the conference. But Tulsa was about average in their rebounding ability (49.6% total rebounding percentage is .4% less than league average) so the loss of Cambage and Jackson is significant in that they lost the one thing that they could leverage as a strength.
Obviously, the Shock needed to just add talent to their roster regardless of position. But with their draft selections, they clearly looked to fill that rebounding void.
Shock rookies
Rookies
|
S
|
P
|
I
|
Projected WNBA Style
|
Glory Johnson
|
13%
|
18%
|
96%
|
IP
|
Riquna Williams
|
88.10%
|
67.50%
|
12.90%
|
SP
|
Lynetta Kizer
|
64.10%
|
19.40%
|
62.50%
|
IP
|
Projected SPI Playing Style for Shock rookies based upon 2011-12 NCAA statistics
When the Shock drafted Vicki Baugh, Glory Johnson, and Lynetta Kizer,
it was clear that they were concerned about the void left in the post
by Cambage and Jackson.We've already taken a look at what Johnson - as well as Riquna Williams - might offer a WNBA team here, but Kizer is a bit more of an uncertainty - she didn't start for Maryland in her senior year and her numbers weren't overwhelming, but she clearly had some athleticism that could potentially make her someone that could hold her own at the WNBA level. Her 12.2% offensive rebounding percentage in particular bodes well for helping to replace some of that rebounding energy at some point during the season.
If this season is about the future, Johnson and Kizer offer options for eventually creating a strong post rotation while at least being able to compete on the boards in the absence of Cambage and Jackson. How they negotiate that logjam once they return next season remains to be seen, but those two rookies do have time to prove themselves and earn a spot as part of the team's vision for the future.
New Shock veterans
New veterans
|
SPI Style
|
Min/G
|
VCR
|
TS%
|
Tov%
|
Oreb%
|
FTR
|
Usg%
|
Value Added
|
4-yr RAPM
|
Scholanda Dorrell
|
S
|
16.18
|
0.49 <
|
43.87 <
|
9.25 >
|
2.01 <
|
28.39 >
|
17.25
|
-1.89
|
-1.1
|
Temeka Johnson
|
DU
|
23.90
|
0.76 <
|
53.43 =
|
15.46 >
|
1.53 <
|
12.94 <
|
14.32
|
1.52
|
-0.2
|
Jene Morris *
|
SP
|
7.83
|
0.41 <
|
53.47 >
|
17.64 <
|
2.73 <
|
3.03 <
|
23.38
|
-1.25
|
-0.5
|
2011 statistics for Shock's new veterans.
* Morris did not play in the WNBA in 2011.
But the Shock didn't ignore their ball handling struggles and traded
scoring guard Andrea Riley to the Phoenix Mercury for Temeka Johnson
this offseason.* Morris did not play in the WNBA in 2011.
And that might be the most significant addition of any this season. Johnson is not only a veteran presence, but was also the third most efficient distributor in the WNBA last season (4.32 PPR). That alone is a huge change for the Shock who have not had an efficient point guard yet during their brief time in Tulsa - it should help improve their efficiency on offense.
But the other thing that Johnson - as well as Jene Morris - add to the roster is some scoring efficiency. Both are also efficient scorers relative to their style of play - and solid 3-point shooters, as is Scholanda Dorrell, who is returning to the Shock after a year with the San Antonio Silver Stars - which helps address their poor shooting efficiency differential.
2012 Outlook
Returners
SPI Style
|
Min/G
|
VCR
|
TS%
|
Tov%
|
Oreb%
|
FTR
|
Usg
|
Value Added
|
4-yr RAPM
|
|
Elizabeth Cambage **
|
IP
|
19.98
|
1.73 >
|
58.63 >
|
18.81 <
|
9.88 >
|
53.82 >
|
27.90
|
-1.69
|
0.3
|
Kayla Pedersen
|
M
|
23.76
|
1.14 >
|
50.50 >
|
13.01 >
|
3.85 <
|
27.14 <
|
15.41
|
0.50
|
-2.1
|
Ivory Latta
|
SP
|
28.52
|
1.02 >
|
51.10 >
|
15.95 <
|
1.76 <
|
17.67 <
|
23.72
|
-4.30
|
-3.2
|
Jennifer Lacy
|
M
|
19.22
|
0.82 <
|
49.03 =
|
16.88 <
|
5.36 <
|
14.71 <
|
18.73
|
-1.74
|
-3.1
|
Karima Christmas
|
M
|
9.96
|
0.68 <
|
47.23 <
|
18.00 <
|
7.82 >
|
48.86 >
|
19.50
|
-1.17
|
2
|
| Chante Black * |
IU
|
20.9 |
0.80 < |
51.23 > |
18.25 < |
13.2 > |
32.88 < |
15.14 |
4.14 |
-1.9 |
2011 statistics for Shock returners.
* Black did not play in the WNBA in 2011.
** Will not play until after the Olympic break.
*** Tiffany Jackson will not play in 2012.
Strengths* Black did not play in the WNBA in 2011.
** Will not play until after the Olympic break.
*** Tiffany Jackson will not play in 2012.
- Rebounding: Chante Black was not listed among the new
veterans because she didn't play last year due to injury, but did play
for the Shock in 2010. But when you combine Black with the other new
post additions, the Shock should be able to remain competitive on the
boards - Black was 5th in the league in offensive rebounding percentage
(13.2%) and 8th in defensive rebounding percentage (23.6%) when she last
played. If Pedersen can improve her rebounding with more consistent
minutes and Johnson or Kizer can contribute on the boards, it's not
impossible to imagine them matching last year's rebounding rate or
improving.
- Versatility: One thing that really stands out about this
roster - not at all ignoring their poor performance last year - is that
their new additions have made them a very versatile team, especially if
Cambage returns after the Olympics. The player that really stands out in
that regard is Pedersen, who has proven that she can be a well above
average distributor for her position, which could help the team in their
effort to cut down on turnovers. But they also have a mix of efficient
scorers (Latta and Morris both had above average true shooting
percentages relative to other scorers in their last seasons) and 3-point
shooters, efficient distributors relative to style of play, potentially
strong rebounders, and a few defenders. Multiple players would have to
develop quickly to pick themselves up out of the cellar this season, but
they're a step closer than they were before just in terms of style of
play.
- How much can Johnson alone help the turnover situation? It's doubtful that the Shock go from where they were last season to an efficient ball handling team, but just having a player who can get the ball in the hands of scorers in the right spots should help immensely. If they want to run, Johnson is obviously a point guard who can lead an uptempo offense given her time with the Mercury.
- How much can they improve defensively? Their one defensive strength last season was stopping second chance points and they lost a major presence on the interior in Cambage. The combination of players they've brought in might be sufficient to replace that, but it's hard to say for sure. On the perimeter, Dorrell and possibly Williams could be difference makers in terms of applying pressure. We also know that Kloppenburg has a defensive pedigree and that could go a long way to helping them. Again, the question here isn't about whether they'll be good, but whether they'll be better and the likely answer is yes.
- How well does this roster complement Cambage and vice versa? As evidenced from her numbers above, Cambage demonstrated a lot of potential last season and the Olympics might be our first opportunity to really see how far she's come and whether she can truly be the centerpiece that carries a team in the future. What the Shock have assembled is a roster that gives them some flexibility moving forward in terms of complementing Cambage. Black's VCR suggests that she's probably best as a 20 minute-per-game player, so she can help back up a starting center. Johnson and Pedersen are two very different power forward options that can be played with Cambage depending on what her strengths and weaknesses are. A distributor on the wing would have helped this team immensely in terms of becoming a more fluid offense, but they've put together pieces that make sense thus far.
It might be weird to say Latta is a candidate to breakout, but she has not posted an above average PER (above 15) in her career and hit a career-low 12.8 last season. And the revamped rotation could help her a bit.
Ivory Latta might be the player that benefits most from the arrival of Temeka Johnson in that she won't be relied upon as the lead ball handler. Similar to the way the Connecticut Sun are using Renee Montgomery this season, Latta could be freed to focus more on scoring this season coming off the bench to give a scoring boost.
2012 projection: 2013 WNBA Lottery
There are some that will judge the Shock harshly if they don't win more games this season, but that's probably not the best way to judge a team that will struggle to challenge for a playoff spot even if they optimized their talent - there are still too many gaps in the roster to expect the playoffs. They're better off seeing this as a development year for the future rather than sacrificing opportunities to develop talent for the future in hopes of greater success in the present (as they pursued last season in adding and playing veterans.The only way to measure success for the Shock this year is by way of improvement rather than wins and losses, which makes those Four Factors numbers above - process-based performance metrics rather than outcomes-based - more relevant to them than any other team. Any roster moves they made had to be with the future in mind and it appears they have made modest moves that have put them in a good decision to build a competitive team in the future. Right now, that future has to include at least Cambage and possibly Jackson, which gives them something they haven't really had since their first year: talented assets.
The 2013 WNBA Draft holds options for a team like the Shock: if they wish to add a distributor for the future, both Skylar Diggins and Angel Goodrich will be available. Elena Delle Donne might not be an immediately obvious fit for a team with Cambage, but that would give them a potent inside-outside combination that would be tough to defend. Brittney Griner would be the big prize and is not a fit with Cambage, but then the question is do you really pass on a defensive presence like Griner in favor of Cambage?
Those draft questions will be answered over the next year, but they've put pieces in place now that might have helped them fill some gaps that kept them from being competitive last season while also building for the future.
For more on what all of these statistics mean, visit our statistics glossary.
this is from swishappeal.com and using to teast a feature on a blog only
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