Rantings of an Insane Platypus - 8th Feb 2004
Sunday 08 February 2004
Shu - why did he go? Who will replace him?
With the Merc's outlook being very rosy after a tough 2003, why did Shumate go back to being a NBA scout? No, it was not because of the new female owners - I'll dispel that silly idea now. A clue could lie in one of his quotes from this article:
"I think, especially if you're a big man," the 6-foot-8 Shumate said, "you have to keep in mind that they're women. I don't mean that in a derogatory way.
"You have to tone it down a bit and understand that your intensity level in dealing with men is one thing . . . You have to understand that."
I think Shu realised that WNBA coaching really wasn't his thing and that is why I think he decided to call it a day (and yes, this is based on other things I've heard as well). And that's fair enough - I wish him luck in his future endeavours. I also hope this makes franchises think before they blindly appoint an ex-NBA personality.
Was this a good thing for the Mercury? Well I think so. Shu *did* do a good job at squeezing out wins out of the 2003 Mercury but I think his system is suspect in the long term. His defensive system did a good job at forcing turnovers but it also gave up high percentage shots (a "do or die" defence). The Mercury had no direction offensively. It's true they didn't have the talent but that doesn't mean the Mercury offence had to look as bad as it did. Putting TJ at the point was a bad move and Anna DeForge didn't work her way into his system until he was prodded to.
Who should replace Shu? I'll predictably add my voice to the chorus of those asking for Carrie Graf. Graf was the brains behind Cheryl Miller and the Storm's playoff run in 2002. Indeed, she also deserves a lot of credit for the Mercury's "overachievement" in 2003. She knows the Mercury organisation well, having been in Phoenix in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003 (the good *and* the bad times) and the fans know her well. Players who have been coached by her speak highly of her including various Australian players and Sue Bird. The only hitch is that Graf may not be available for 2004 because of her commitments to the New Zealand national team who are Athens bound. Then again, the Mercury could always appoint her head coach for 2005 and have an interim coach for 2004, just like the Fever did with Nell Fortner.
And just say no to re-runs like Agler and NLC.
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Latest free agent signings - *yawn*
Jessie Hicks to San Antonio - watching her and Tausha Mills fight out for a roster spot should be an event no one should miss.
Nicky McCrimmon to Houston - she's good for some minutes at backup point but that's about it. Surely she's not going to start? Or is Van going to start Canty at the point? Or draft Toccara Williams and throw her into the lion's den? The last one is probably the best option (sadly enough).
Detrina White to New York - why exactly is Blaze signing practice players NOW? Shouldn't she re-sign all her big stars first and worry about training camp fodder later? Undersized posts don't last in the W. Byears did but she's the exception and not the rule.
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Dissecting the Dandenong/Sydney game
Yes, it was as bad as I feared. Dandenong did to Sydney what Sydney did to Canberra last week - made their perimeter D look like shit and they went from there. Dandenong moved the ball around the perimeter really well and got disgustingly open looks at the basket which they naturally converted. They also dominated inside and their posts were also unstoppable. Tammy Hoare who did a great job on LJ last weekend was near invisible this week against Jacinta Hamilton and Allie Douglas. Dandenong also exploited the backdoor, dominated the rebounding when it mattered and got everyone into the action. Their bench outscored Sydney's 41-6 and EVERYONE was on song. Caitlin Ryan and Jessica Bibby were Dandenong's two big perimeter guns off the bench and took turns (Ryan in the first half, Bibby in the final quarter) at destroying Sydney with their threes.
Conversely, Sydney were finding it hard to get anything going at the other end because Dandenong were playing their usual brand of tough D. The Flames really missed Musselwhite on both ends of the court - she provides defensive intensity and legitimate third offensive threat. With her out, Dandenong could focus on shutting out the rest of the team which they did really well. Still the Flames can't use Musselwhite as an excuse for the lazy D and boxing out. They were slow to get through screens and let Dandenong easily move the ball around. Sydney played with close to zero defensive intensity in the first half and there were big gaps in the defence which Dandenong took advantage of. They did better in the second half but by then, it was way too late.
Probably the only highlight for Sydney was Belinda Snell. In the past, Dandenong have done a great job on Snell (usually by putting defensive extraordinaire Emily McInerny on her) but she was just unstoppable last night. She started off slowly but exploded in the second half and displayed a wide range of moves. Snell knocked down NBA-range threes, drove the lane, banked home mid-range jumpers, ran the floor - you name it, she did it. She also worked hard on the boards, whipped off some nice passes and was probably the Flames' best defender on court. She was the only Flame who gave it her all for the whole 40 minutes (yes, she nearly played the whole game bar a few seconds) and single-handedly drove the Flames' second half where they made a run and made the score look a bit more respectable. Snell is a warrior, should be starting Opals 2 guard for Athens (are you noticing her, Jan?) and is WNBA-ready. Her 36 points was an all-time single game points record for the Sydney Flames and was also a career high. Go Snelly!
It was also great to see Kelly Wilson on court who probably only suited up because of Muss' injury. She looked hampered by her knee but made a sweet reverse circus layup which was a flash of her old self. I hope she shows more of that next season. Hammonds had a tough day at the office dealing with the Dandenong D. Speaking of Muss, her injury is a suspected wrist fracture and I think she may be a non-factor for the rest of the finals (sadly).
I'm sure Karen will instil the wrath of various deities into the Flames after this game and they will bounce back against Adelaide. Even without Muss, I think the Flames should go in favourites against Adelaide. Despite the fact Adelaide are kind of like Dandenong (defensive grind type of team with good rebounding), they don't have a perimeter game and they don't have a bench - the two things which killed the Flames yesterday. Also they haven't had much recent success in Sydney.