Rantings of an Insane Platypus - 14th March 2003
Monday 15 March 2004
Olympia Scott-Richardson
Her asking rate was apparently $75000 and while she probably didn't get this, she probably got something close because Indiana didn't think it was worth matching.
It was probably a smart move - Scott-Richardson is a solid rotation post but she's just recovered from an ACL injury and we all know that there's no guarantee she'll revert to pre-injury form. Even then, her pre-injury form was nothing special - solid but not worth 10K below the max. Will she help Charlotte compete with Detroit's post game? (which must be a prime concern for Eastern Conference teams) Well she'll provide an extra body and six extra fouls but Ford and Riley will just be too big and too strong for her.
This move probably means that Charlotte will go for Chandi Jones at #3. However I'm getting this hunch that they may still go for Nicole Powell - because they think they can play her at guard or they think she's too good to pass up.
I'd also expect to see either Rushia Brown and/or Charlotte Smith-Taylor out unless they re-sign for a low amount. Smith-Taylor is long past her use-by date but Brown might make a nice bench player somewhere with her solid skill set and experience (L.A might want to sign her to a year contract to fill in for Milton).
Diana Taurasi is not a point guard
If the Mercury are to draft Diana Taurasi because she's a good marketing tool and everyone expects them to blah blah well fair enough (I guess) but can they PLEASE get this silly notion out of their heads that DT should be playing significant minutes at point guard.
DT at point guard is a silly notion for a couple of reasons. Firstly, her ballhandling is solid enough for a 2/3 but is definitely not good enough for a 1. She doesn't even perform full-time ball-handling duties for UConn. Secondly, she won't be able to guard any WNBA point guards. Not that this is the deciding factor because there are big point guards in the WNBA with dubious defensive ability but it doesn't help her case. Thirdly, I don't think her dribble penetration skills are up to it - most of her play in the paint consists of posting up on smaller guards as opposed to pure dribble penetration. Point guards must be good penetrators. Finally, it's a waste of her talent. Point guards are pass first by nature (I cling to that quaint notion) and while Diana is a great passer, her primary goal should to be scoring - especially on a Mercury team that needs it. She shouldn't have to worry about setting up the offence and the like. Just because she's a good passer doesn't mean she's a point guard.
So what should the Mercury do to fill the void at point guard? (no, I don't think Tamicha Jackson is the answer) There's a couple of options:
* Go for one with the second round pick. There's a couple of point guards out there with intriguing potential - Toccara Williams of Texas A&M, Sara Nord of Louisville and Temeka Johnson of LSU. Toccara Williams may be a good complement for DT in the backcourt - a quick, defensive-minded point guard who isn't undersized (unlike Nord and Johnson who are 5'4" and 5'3" respectively).
* Trade for one. Packaging Anna DeForge and Tamicha Jackson may get SOMETHING - reportedly several teams are interested in DeForge. Then again, teams are reluctant to trade decent point guards because they are a scarce commodity in the WNBA.
* Sign one in free agency. Well this one is a bit of a longshot as there's not many (decent) point guards out there. Kristi Harrower could be an option (if she decides to turn up for the WNBA) as it's likely the Lynx will let her go with T Edwards and Darling in the fold. Granted a backcourt of Harrower and DT will be weak defensively but maybe the Mercury can bring in Tamicha Jackson off the bench whenever they need some quickness on the defensive end.
If it comes down to a choice between DT and TJ though, I'll go with DT. Yes, I think TJ is that much of a liability especially with her poor decision making and she has this bad habit of jacking up low percentage perimeter jumpers as opposed to taking it to the rack (21 FT attempts in 34 games in 2003? Atrocious).
Selection Sunday
My predicted top 4 seeds:
East - #1 Purdue, #2 Connecticut, #3 Vanderbilt, #4 Texas Tech
Mideast - #1 Tennessee, #2 Penn State, #3 LSU, #4 Boston College
Midwest - #1 Texas, #2 Oklahoma, #3 Houston, #4 Baylor
West - #1 Duke, #2 Kansas State, #3 Georgia, #4 Stanford
Just for Big 12 fans who don't believe the Midwest could happen - remember the West bracket of 2002 which had Oklahoma #1, Colorado #3 and Texas Tech #4.
Random predictions:
Maryland and Arizona State will get in. With regards to ASU, I don't believe the committee when they say subregional hosting will have no impact on their final decision.
A Big 12 team (Baylor? Texas Tech? Oklahoma if they get a #3 or #4?) will be sent to New Mexico.
Stanford will be sent to UCSB