(12-25-2017, 06:51 PM)81alum link Wrote:To be a consistent offensive threat, a player needs multiple ways to score, since otherwise defenses will scout them and shut down their favorite tendency. I think the reason some of our players have superb nights followed by mediocre ones (offensively) has to do with the defensive matchups put against them on any given night--and the fact that some of our players are too one dimensional. The greatest players can't be scouted easily because they can score equally well from right or left, layups, floaters, midrange or three point line. Think Plum or Wiggins. And while no team is going to have 5 Plums on it, a winning team needs 5 players who can all score against man or the zone in a couple of different ways so there is no "right way" to defend them.Â
This is why Nadia's game against Tennessee is hopeful. Having the ability to make jumpers from the foul line and also layups under the basket makes her much more difficult to defend.Â
McPhee worries me because her three point shot is erratic. Romano doesn't seem to be able to drive. Sniezek drives but doesn't seem to want to shoot. Can Wilson drive? Williams has a great pull up jumper, can she drive in traffic? Dodson is becoming comfortable under the basket, does she have a jumpshot? Carrington may be our most balanced offensive threat, but we have seen her go cold from three in some games. A good defense forces every player on the other team to take their second favorite shots. We will start winning again when we can make those shots.
Everyone comes in with at least one superb offensive skill--Tara has stated that she recruits for offense and teaches defense. Where college level experience pays off is when players learn alternative ways to score when the scouting report refuses to allow them their preferred shot. The good news is that UConn, tOSU, Baylor, Western Illinois, and Tennessee have probably shown us every kind of defense our players are likely to see--and at a high level. How many of our youngsters have developed solutions to the scouting reports that were thrown against them? We are about to find out--our Pac-12 season depends upon it.
That's true. I haven't given too much thought about that factor, but you are right in that many of our players have a good to great primary method of scoring, but it drops off pretty quickly when they have to rely on their secondary skills.
I thought Alanna might be more versatile more consistently. She has shown she can score down low in the post, but she can also hit jumpers, including from long range. I believe her issue is that she can get frustrated if she's double-teamed or fouls aren't called in her favor when defenders get too physical in the paint while her shooting can be too inconsistent. But I think the foundation is there to score in different ways depending on the defense and who's defending her.
Brit and DiJonai are similar in that their strengths are using their athleticism to drive and maneuver around the basket and both have streaky shooting nights. Maybe having both of them in at the same time can mitigate that they both have poor shooting nights at the same time, even though it does seem contagious on our team that either every one is shooting well or no one is.
I love to see Kiana pick up some of Brit's or DiJonai's moves around the basket if she doesn't have already. A premier scoring point/shooting guard is one that we haven't had in a while.
