Dispersal draft thoughts
Friday 25 April 2003
ABOUT TIME. As usual, there's a fair amount of intrigue...
Detroit: Well I was expecting this so not much surprise here. Definitely a good pick for the Shock as Ndiaye-Diatta is out for most of the season and Farris isn't a starting calibre post. On the flipside, Ruth has the *potential* to be a very solid WNBA centre but hasn't shown much yet. Still the Shock fill a need here and acquire some good young talent so they get a good grade.
Grade: A
Minnesota: At first I thought Brian Agler was still in charge when I saw that the Lynx had acquired ANOTHER wing. However after a bit more thought, this isn't such a bad pick for Minnesota. Rumours indicated that Minnesota were going to draft Figgs but I guess stories about her impending retirement scared them off. Minnesota *still* need a point guard and perhaps Walker would have suited their needs better but all in all, drafting best player available isn't really that bad and Sam is a good talent. Look for them to look for a trade or maybe go for the more mobile lineup of Smith/Sam/Abrosimova.
Grade: B
Cleveland: Cleveland needed players who could shoot the 3 and they got one. Lennox does have a few issues like shot selection, consistency and injuries but when healthy, she has a good all-round game. She could also provide insurance for Merlakia Jones who was looking a bit shaky last year. Lennox would be a useful player to have off the bench and especially with Cleveland getting the #1 pick, this is a very solid pick.
Grade: A-
Phoenix: Tamicha Jackson is quick... and... she's quick. Jackson has shown herself to be one of the quickest players in the league but she's been inconsistent at both ends of the court. Her fundamental D isn't all that good (though it can be improved) and she's very helter-skelter on the offensive end of the court - prone to turnovers and jacking up bad shots. Perhaps new Mercury coach Shumate can help develop her. She's more of a 2 guard than a 1 and may be able to complement Kristen Veal provided she gains some control and defensive skills. Not an impressive pick (especially when Walker could be of some use) but not really an awful pick either.
Grade: C
Sacramento: The Monarchs already have the framework of a championship team (good point guard, good post game, sufficient perimeter game - though it could be more consistent), they just need to flesh out their team a little bit. DeMya Walker gives the Monarchs some much needed post depth (the lack of it was exposed when Yolanda Griffith was out last year). The Monarchs could use a better/more consistent 2/3 but any player which adds depth of the Monarchs team is a good pick.
Grade: A-
Connecticut: Okay the Sun needed some backcourt depth but I'm not really sure that picking Debbie Black was the right choice. She's a starting calibre WNBA point guard and hustles like mad but how does she fit into the Sun's scheme? Shannon Johnson will hog most of the minutes at the point and unless they're thinking of playing Shannon *and* Debbie (I've advocated playing Shannon at the 2 but I don't think this would be the right scenario to do it in), it's not really going to work out. Taking Stiles for some bench scoring or even taking a gamble on Figgs (if she turned up, she would be an excellent fit) would have been better. Or taking a one of the solid rotation frontcourt players and dumping some of the deadweight they have. If Black is willing to play backup though (and there are reports saying she would be), this is a solid pick.
Grade: B-
Indiana: Sylvia Crawley isn't exactly the toughest centre around but she's adequate. She contributes on the offensive end and she will allow Catchings and Scott-Richardson to move to their more 'natural' positions (3 and the 4 respectively). Indiana could've looked to go for size (Burras) instead of Crawley's height and finesse but this is a solid pick.
Grade: B
Washington: Well this was a surprise pick and not necessarily for the right reasons. What has Jenny Mowe done? Played a couple of minutes in TWO seasons and spent long bouts on the Injured Reserve list. She's probably most famous for throwing a punch at Lauren Jackson that copped her a fine. She is 6'5" and apparently has soft hands (couldn't really tell from the couple of minutes she's played) but she's a project that hasn't panned out in two seasons. It's possible that she's developed or that she will be developed more but the facts remain - she's big; she's slow and she hasn't done anything (especially on a team that didn't have any outstanding posts). If the Mystics wanted big and slow they should've gone for Alisa Burras who has shown that she can contribute. Speculation is rife that the Mystics did this for "salary cap" reasons but I find that explanation lame (a lot of better players below that probably could be taken on the cheap). Or there's the usual "trust in Pat" line but this isn't college basketball. Perhaps I'll be proven wrong as time goes by but I really can't see any possible reason for this pick at the moment.
Grade: F
Seattle: There are a couple of things on Seattle's shopping list - wing scorers and big bodies in the middle and Alisa Burras definitely falls into that second category. She's big, she can finish (#1 in the league in FG% last season) and she would definitely be another strong option in the paint to help ease pressure off Lauren Jackson. She does have an issue with work ethic but if she can turn up to camp in shape and she's prepared to work hard, she's a lock for good minutes in the Seattle rotation.
Grade: B+
Charlotte: Charlotte probably have one of the most 'complete' rosters in the league. They have a veteran backcourt with some young ones to backup and start in the future, they have a solid wing and have a stud centre with some frontcourt backup. Their weakness is the 4 spot though. Charlotte Smith is really a 3 masquerading as a 4; Shalonda Enis has never replicated her ABL form and is a bit undersized and Erin Buescher is a tweener backup at best. Pollyanna Johns-Kimbrough isn't exactly a saviour but she adds size and experience to the Sting frontcourt. Johns-Kimbrough has been on and off rosters over the years but finally fought her way onto a rotation last year with positive results. That sort of mentality is a good addition to the Sting frontcourt. As a point of trivia, Johns-Kimbrough is returning to the team that drafted her all the way back in 1998 in the 3rd round.
Grade: B+
New York: So we come to the 'interesting' picks. No doubt, Baranova is one of the best posts in the world with her wide array of skills and her size (6'5"). The question is, how long she will stick around the WNBA for? There's a good chance she won't be coming next year. There's a chance that this year may be her last in the W. There's also the chance that she will never turn up to the W ever again. Still, this move is a sign that the Libs realise that the time to win is now and if Baranova does turn up, she and Phillips will form one of the most intimidating frontcourts in the league. The Libs aren't risking much by making this pick. Any remaining players possibly of worth to them (I'm thinking of Folkl and Rasmussen) can be picked up by free agency and if Baranova doesn't turn up, well they're not losing much.
Grade: A
Houston: The only reason why I can think of Figgs dropping this low is because those retirement rumours are fairly tangible ones. Again this is a relatively no risk pick. If Figgs turns up, Houston gets a solid point guard who can pop the three. If Figgs doesn't turn up, well they're not missing out on much. Houston might have had some use for Stiles especially on a team whose best three point shooter is their power forward but that's not a major issue.
Grade: A
Los Angeles: What does L.A need? Frankly basically nothing. I'm sure they were surprised that Stiles dropped this low and took the chance to grab her. Stiles has shown fragility and is relatively one-dimensional but she does her specialty very well - she can shoot the lights out. A good replacement for Witherspoon when she finally goes but one has to wonder whether Stiles can fit in with the L.A team and whether she can get enough touches to be effective off the bench. As a sidenote, there's also a sense of irony about the situation since supposedly Witherspoon was traded away from Portland because she didn't like the fact Stiles had usurped her position as top dog. Well they're both beneath Dixon in the pecking order and will fight for backup minutes. Unless there's a trade...
Grade: A-
Thoughts on some non-dispersed players
Top five remaining (not in any particular order):
Sandy Brondello (veteran who can still shoot)
Tully Bevilaqua (solid backup point guard)
Kristin Folkl (forward who can rebound and play some D)
Kristen Rasmussen (forward who can do a bit of everything)
Stacey Thomas (great athlete, can do everything but score)
Special note goes out to Iziane Castro-Marques who is a young Brazilian wing with intriguing potential. If she turns up, I think she should make a roster easily as well.