The MN Timberwolves waited longer than Perry Jones for their name to be called in the 2012 NBA draft last night and, yet, there they are among the winners. The point being that somebody (Houston) gave up a proven NBA contributors--a guy who has played as many as 22 minutes per game and scored 10 points per game while shooting 40 percent from 3 point range--for a #18 pick, which then fetched a 20-year old power forward "who disappeared for big stretches" as a college sophomore.
In other words, a guy who can and will play for the T-Wolves in 2012-2013 for a guy who wouldn't. Not bad.
The question, of course, is who is the fellow in question, Chase Budinger, going to take those 22 minutes from? The Wolves are said to be ready to dump Martell Webster, who in 2 years with the Wolves proved only that he is never going to be physically fit for NBA play. Shockingly, then, he actually played 24 minutes per game this past year, though only in 47 games. But there's Budinger's time, basically. Still, Budinger said he expects to start and the fact is it is hard to see him sharing the court with, say, Michael Beasley. More moves would seem to be in line.
Meanwhile, Back at the Draft
Meanwhile the draft provided enough surprises that Yahoo Sports took down and otherwise buried its mock draft at the 1st opportunity. They had Thomas Robinson at #2 (so did I) and he went at #5. They had Andre Drummond at #6 (I had him #5) and he went #9. They had Perry Jones at #15 (I had him at #9) and he fell all the way to #28.
On the plus side, they had Terrence Ross going to the T-Wolves (they never quite caught up to the Budinger trade) at #18. He went #8 instead. (I had Ross at #14). They had Dion Waiters at #11, and the Cleveland Cavs swooped in to grab him at #4. (I had him at #20. Ouch.) Both of us had Royce White at #23. Despite his widely publicized fear of flying, he moved up to #16.
But while Perry Jones was the draft's biggest loser, his team--the Oklahoma City Thunder--is one of the big winners. Imagine getting the 2nd best player in the draft, which some people said Jones is, at #28. And imagine being able to bring the guy along slowly under the wing of Kevin Durant. 5 years from now people will be saying, You got him at # what????
And it's likely they'll be saying the same thing, but for the opposite reason, about one of the following. I mean, there's always a draft bust and this year it will be Waiters (#4) or Harrison Barnes (#7) or Drummond (#9) or Meyers Leonard (#11) or White (#16) if he doesn't learn to love air travel.
Along with Jones, the biggest steal will come from among Jared Sullinger (#21) or Arnett Moultrie (#27). The same can be said of Sullinger as of Perry Jones. A year ago both were expected to go in the top 5 but neither came out. Now they're worse than #20? Were the scouts wrong last year or are they wrong now? It's obvious that somebody is/was wrong and it's not obvious they're not wrong now. If so, that makes the Boston Celtics, who picked Sullinger, winners in the 2012 draft, along with the 76ers, who picked Moultrie.
This most likely to be embarrassed include the Cavs (Waiters), the Warriors (Barnes), Detroit (Drummond), Portland (Leonard) and the Rockets (White). It will be interesting to see if #11 Leonard really proves to be better than #27 Moultrie.
Meanwhile, the Rockets stockpiled #14, #16 and #18 in hopes of moving up, then got stuck with those 3 mid-level picks, which they parlayed into Jeremy Lamb, White and Terence Jones. Surely one of them will prove to be a player? Please!
Finally the T-Wolves made a feel-good pick of Robbie Hummel, 6 year-man at Purdue due to persistent leg injuries, at #58. Good for Hummel, who is never ever going to play in the NBA.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Anthony Davis Wins Draft Lottery, Wolves Get Harkless
EDIT Just to note that the draft is coming this Thursday night. If I did this over again I would say Sullinger, Austin Rivers and Perry Jones are rated too high and Jeremy Lamb and Dion Waiters too low. The big mystery is the #6 pick; there's nobody in this draft worthy of coming after Davis, Robinson, Kidd-Gilchrist, Beal and Drummond. Barnes could still go that high, so could J. Lamb or Lillard. #6 will determine how the next 10 dominoes fall.
Terrence Ross is not gonna fall to #18. He's the best wing-type in the 2nd 10 and he is the guy the Wolves should want, but her won't be there. Harkless is the poor man's version thereof. I still think he'll be the guy unless David Kahn gets cute and makes a deal. If somebody wants Michael Beasley, Wes Johnson, Darko Milicic and/or Martell Webster and is actually willing to give up something of value for any combination of them, of course, you should make that trade. But it ain't gonna happen. So the Wolves need and will need on Thursday the best perimeter scorer available in the draft at than time.
ORIGINAL POST
There are always winners and losers in the NBA draft lottery. The worst team has the most chances to land the #1 pick but almost never does. So this year Charlotte is the big loser in the draft lottery. The winner? The New Orleans Hornets and Anthony Davis.
Oh, and the NBA, who owns the Hornets. There was lots of sour-grapes conspiracy talk after the announcement was made. And while nobody really believes that the lottery was fixed, nobody would let the appearance of a fix go by unnoticed.
All of that aside, the Hornets are winners because they get the #1 pick and will get to pick Anthony Davis. Davis is a winner because he won't have to play for the most dysfunctional franchise in any major sports league, the Charlotte Hornets.
So now a mock draft can be offered.
1. New Orleans--Anthony Davis for reasons expressed in my May 29 post re. the draft lottery.
2. Charlotte--The Bobs clearly need size but the biggest of the top 5 or 6 candidates, Andre Drummond of Connecticut, is just a little too risky at #2. So Thomas Robinson, 6-9 forward from Kansas, is the choice.
3. Washington--The Wiz also need inside help but Drummond is still too much of a risk. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is just 6-7 but plays big for his size and, more to the point, comes to play. He's merely the best available athlete and that's what Washington really needs.
4. Cleveland--The Cavs need some scoring and that, at this point in the draft, can only mean Harrison Barnes or Bradley Beal, and I like Beal. Check out my May 29 post for more on that.
5. Sacramento--The Kings could use some size and toughness to help out DeMarcus Cousins inside. On the other hand, they're said to like Harrison Barnes. I can't say whether that's true or not. But I can say that if Andre Drummond slips all the way to #5, the intersection of that with the Kings' need for size will make Drummond a no-brainer. And if the Kings can get away with the Cousins pick a year ago, they're not gonna be too worried about Drummond being a head case.
6. Portland--The Blazers have the #6 and #11 picks. so they can go for the best available athlete here and fill a need at #11. But who is the best available? Harrison Barnes (6-8, small forward, North Carolina) if you go by the consensus. But there are those who prefer Austin Rivers among perimeter players, and who prefer Perry Jones and those who like Jared Sullinger on the inside. And Portland isn't desperate to go inside or outside here, so this is a tough pick to predict. Jones is the best talent of the group, but lacks the motor that's needed to excel at this level. Sullinger's stock has fallen since the 2011 draft, too. So I'll say Barnes goes here.
7. Golden State--The Warriors would seem to need everything, but perhaps size and/or a point guard most of all. A "1" is a stretch at #7 so Jared Sullinger and P. Jones would seem to be the best bets. And, do you prefer a 6-7 tough guy (Sullinger, Ohio State, post-power forward) or a 6-11 guy who's a little bit soft (Jones)? Jones has more up (and down) side But Sullinger seems to be more highly motivated. Sullinger.
8. Toronto--The Raps mostly need help at the "1" and it just so happens there's a couple options in Damian Lillard of Weber State and Kendall Marshall, North Carolina. On the other hand, a couple of 2-guards are probably safer picks. Those would be Austin Rivers (6-4, shooting guard, North Carolina) and Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut. Odds are that one of the four will be an NBA superstar, it's just that nobody knows which, and all four have their downsides. On upside I'd pick Lillard, but the safest of the four is probably Rivers.
9. Detroit--The Pistons just need the guy with the most upside, and at #9 that seems destined to be Perry Jones (6-11, power forward, Baylor). Last year at this time he was rated more like #2-3 but opted out of the draft. On talent alone, he's still #2-3, but another year has only heightened concerns that he doesn't play hard. Still, at #9 you can't pass on that potential and the Pistons can even be patient in grooming the big guy.
10. New Orleans--After going big with pick #1, the Hornets look outside with #10 and some great talent remains, principally Jeremy Lamb (6-5, shooting guard, Connecticut). He's got more upside than Rivers but his disappearing act in the NCAA tournament is probably costing him about to drop about 5 picks. But with their 2nd 1st round pick, the Hornets can afford a little git of a gamble and the fact is that everybody is a gamble at this point.
11. Portland--The Blazers join N'Awlins in picking for a 2nd time in the 1st round and the likelihood is that Portland can get a long-term upgrade at the point in either Damian Lillard or Kendall Marshall. Marshall is the safer pick, Lillard has more upside. With a 2nd 1st round pick, go for upside.
12. Milwaukee--After trading away Andrew Bogut, the Bucks have to be looking for size. And picking #12 they could have their pick of Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Meyers Leonard and Arnett Moultrie. Zeller (6-11, North Carolina) would seem to be the best of those options.
13. Phoenix--With Steve Nash rumored to be on the way out, Kendall Marshall (6-4, point guard, North Carolina) would be in the proverbial right time at the right place. Not that filling Nash's shoes is going to be easy for anyone. But the Suns cannot pass Marshall up at #13.
14 and 16. Houston--The Rockets need everything and anything, so why not pick 2? At #14 Terrence Ross (6-6, wing, Washington) is the obvious choice, the next best on the perimeter. He might not be better than a couple-three bigs who also remain available, but at #16, no matter what Philly does at #15, one of them will still remain whereas the perimeter pickings could be slim at #16.
Then at #16, the Rockets will take whichever of the following bigs the 76ers do not: John Henson (6-10, North Carolina), Arnett Moultrie or Meyers Leonard.
15. Philly--The improving 76ers will be looking for that one guy who can move them to the next level. At #15? Good luck with that. But Arnett Moultrie (6-10, Mississippi State) can be the heir apparent to replace Elton Brand at the big forward spot. John Henson is the safer pick, but Moultrie's got more upside.
17. Dallas--It's hard to say which of their veterans the long-in-the-tooth Mavs need to replace the most but, still, I'll say it--Vince Carter at the 2. Doron Lamb, 6-5, Kentucky shooting guard is the answer to that particular prayer.
18. Minnesota--The Wolves would have loved Ross or Lamb given their need for a natural perimeter scorer, not some power forward shoe-horned into the roll. But it is not to be. So the next best bets to fill that need are Big East rivals Moe Harkless (6-8, small forward) of St. John's and Dion Waiters of Syracuse. Or Minnesota seriously could move this pick for a veteran with less downside. But if you gotta pick, pick Harkless.
19. Orlando--If Dwight Howard is going to slink out of town, then Meyers Leonard (7-1, Illinois) slinks in.
20. Denver--Dion Waiters, 6-4, shooting guard, Syracuse.
21 and 22. Boston--Like the Mavs, Boston needs to start replacing its aging superstars though, granted, that's hard to do at #21 and #22. Well, not so fast. Terrence Jones (6-9, power forward, Kentucky) has top 10 talent but with the Wildcats' ridiculous collection of ballplayers last year, he never had to asset himself. He could be the steal of the draft at #21.
At #22 the Celtics will play a balancing act, going outside to Jones' inside. Tony Wroten (6-5, point guard, Washington) is the pick.
23. Atlanta--Royce White (6-8, small forward, Iowa State) is the obvious pick.
24. Cleveland--Another team with 2 1st round picks, Cleveland probably went outside at #4 and looks to go inside here. Unfortunately, inside talent is not what will be available here unless you consider Fab Melo to be NBA-caliber talent. I don't. So the Cavs move the pick and somebody else gets Andrew Nicholson (6-9, power forward, St. Bonaventure.)
25. Memphis--Marquis Teague and John Jenkins are your options. It says here: Jenkins (6-4, shooting guard, Vanderbilt).
26. Indiana--Looking for guard play and Marquis Teague (6-2, point guard, Kentucky) is the only game in town at #26.
27. Miami--Doesn't need a 2 or a 3 but can upgrade everything else even at #27. Festus Ezeli (7-0, post, Vanderbilt) is a big body who does all the stuff that Chris Bosh doesn't do.
28. Oklahoma City--Quincy Miller (6-9, small forward, Baylor) is the proverbial best available.
29. Chicago--Jeffrey Taylor (6-6, small forward, Vanderbilt) is likewise the best available at #29.
30. Golden State--Having already gone big in the 1st round, the Warriors would like to go small but there's no there there. Next best is Evan Fournier, a 6-6 small forward and a Frenchman.
Terrence Ross is not gonna fall to #18. He's the best wing-type in the 2nd 10 and he is the guy the Wolves should want, but her won't be there. Harkless is the poor man's version thereof. I still think he'll be the guy unless David Kahn gets cute and makes a deal. If somebody wants Michael Beasley, Wes Johnson, Darko Milicic and/or Martell Webster and is actually willing to give up something of value for any combination of them, of course, you should make that trade. But it ain't gonna happen. So the Wolves need and will need on Thursday the best perimeter scorer available in the draft at than time.
ORIGINAL POST
There are always winners and losers in the NBA draft lottery. The worst team has the most chances to land the #1 pick but almost never does. So this year Charlotte is the big loser in the draft lottery. The winner? The New Orleans Hornets and Anthony Davis.
Oh, and the NBA, who owns the Hornets. There was lots of sour-grapes conspiracy talk after the announcement was made. And while nobody really believes that the lottery was fixed, nobody would let the appearance of a fix go by unnoticed.
All of that aside, the Hornets are winners because they get the #1 pick and will get to pick Anthony Davis. Davis is a winner because he won't have to play for the most dysfunctional franchise in any major sports league, the Charlotte Hornets.
So now a mock draft can be offered.
1. New Orleans--Anthony Davis for reasons expressed in my May 29 post re. the draft lottery.
2. Charlotte--The Bobs clearly need size but the biggest of the top 5 or 6 candidates, Andre Drummond of Connecticut, is just a little too risky at #2. So Thomas Robinson, 6-9 forward from Kansas, is the choice.
3. Washington--The Wiz also need inside help but Drummond is still too much of a risk. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is just 6-7 but plays big for his size and, more to the point, comes to play. He's merely the best available athlete and that's what Washington really needs.
4. Cleveland--The Cavs need some scoring and that, at this point in the draft, can only mean Harrison Barnes or Bradley Beal, and I like Beal. Check out my May 29 post for more on that.
5. Sacramento--The Kings could use some size and toughness to help out DeMarcus Cousins inside. On the other hand, they're said to like Harrison Barnes. I can't say whether that's true or not. But I can say that if Andre Drummond slips all the way to #5, the intersection of that with the Kings' need for size will make Drummond a no-brainer. And if the Kings can get away with the Cousins pick a year ago, they're not gonna be too worried about Drummond being a head case.
6. Portland--The Blazers have the #6 and #11 picks. so they can go for the best available athlete here and fill a need at #11. But who is the best available? Harrison Barnes (6-8, small forward, North Carolina) if you go by the consensus. But there are those who prefer Austin Rivers among perimeter players, and who prefer Perry Jones and those who like Jared Sullinger on the inside. And Portland isn't desperate to go inside or outside here, so this is a tough pick to predict. Jones is the best talent of the group, but lacks the motor that's needed to excel at this level. Sullinger's stock has fallen since the 2011 draft, too. So I'll say Barnes goes here.
7. Golden State--The Warriors would seem to need everything, but perhaps size and/or a point guard most of all. A "1" is a stretch at #7 so Jared Sullinger and P. Jones would seem to be the best bets. And, do you prefer a 6-7 tough guy (Sullinger, Ohio State, post-power forward) or a 6-11 guy who's a little bit soft (Jones)? Jones has more up (and down) side But Sullinger seems to be more highly motivated. Sullinger.
8. Toronto--The Raps mostly need help at the "1" and it just so happens there's a couple options in Damian Lillard of Weber State and Kendall Marshall, North Carolina. On the other hand, a couple of 2-guards are probably safer picks. Those would be Austin Rivers (6-4, shooting guard, North Carolina) and Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut. Odds are that one of the four will be an NBA superstar, it's just that nobody knows which, and all four have their downsides. On upside I'd pick Lillard, but the safest of the four is probably Rivers.
9. Detroit--The Pistons just need the guy with the most upside, and at #9 that seems destined to be Perry Jones (6-11, power forward, Baylor). Last year at this time he was rated more like #2-3 but opted out of the draft. On talent alone, he's still #2-3, but another year has only heightened concerns that he doesn't play hard. Still, at #9 you can't pass on that potential and the Pistons can even be patient in grooming the big guy.
10. New Orleans--After going big with pick #1, the Hornets look outside with #10 and some great talent remains, principally Jeremy Lamb (6-5, shooting guard, Connecticut). He's got more upside than Rivers but his disappearing act in the NCAA tournament is probably costing him about to drop about 5 picks. But with their 2nd 1st round pick, the Hornets can afford a little git of a gamble and the fact is that everybody is a gamble at this point.
11. Portland--The Blazers join N'Awlins in picking for a 2nd time in the 1st round and the likelihood is that Portland can get a long-term upgrade at the point in either Damian Lillard or Kendall Marshall. Marshall is the safer pick, Lillard has more upside. With a 2nd 1st round pick, go for upside.
12. Milwaukee--After trading away Andrew Bogut, the Bucks have to be looking for size. And picking #12 they could have their pick of Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Meyers Leonard and Arnett Moultrie. Zeller (6-11, North Carolina) would seem to be the best of those options.
13. Phoenix--With Steve Nash rumored to be on the way out, Kendall Marshall (6-4, point guard, North Carolina) would be in the proverbial right time at the right place. Not that filling Nash's shoes is going to be easy for anyone. But the Suns cannot pass Marshall up at #13.
14 and 16. Houston--The Rockets need everything and anything, so why not pick 2? At #14 Terrence Ross (6-6, wing, Washington) is the obvious choice, the next best on the perimeter. He might not be better than a couple-three bigs who also remain available, but at #16, no matter what Philly does at #15, one of them will still remain whereas the perimeter pickings could be slim at #16.
Then at #16, the Rockets will take whichever of the following bigs the 76ers do not: John Henson (6-10, North Carolina), Arnett Moultrie or Meyers Leonard.
15. Philly--The improving 76ers will be looking for that one guy who can move them to the next level. At #15? Good luck with that. But Arnett Moultrie (6-10, Mississippi State) can be the heir apparent to replace Elton Brand at the big forward spot. John Henson is the safer pick, but Moultrie's got more upside.
17. Dallas--It's hard to say which of their veterans the long-in-the-tooth Mavs need to replace the most but, still, I'll say it--Vince Carter at the 2. Doron Lamb, 6-5, Kentucky shooting guard is the answer to that particular prayer.
18. Minnesota--The Wolves would have loved Ross or Lamb given their need for a natural perimeter scorer, not some power forward shoe-horned into the roll. But it is not to be. So the next best bets to fill that need are Big East rivals Moe Harkless (6-8, small forward) of St. John's and Dion Waiters of Syracuse. Or Minnesota seriously could move this pick for a veteran with less downside. But if you gotta pick, pick Harkless.
19. Orlando--If Dwight Howard is going to slink out of town, then Meyers Leonard (7-1, Illinois) slinks in.
20. Denver--Dion Waiters, 6-4, shooting guard, Syracuse.
21 and 22. Boston--Like the Mavs, Boston needs to start replacing its aging superstars though, granted, that's hard to do at #21 and #22. Well, not so fast. Terrence Jones (6-9, power forward, Kentucky) has top 10 talent but with the Wildcats' ridiculous collection of ballplayers last year, he never had to asset himself. He could be the steal of the draft at #21.
At #22 the Celtics will play a balancing act, going outside to Jones' inside. Tony Wroten (6-5, point guard, Washington) is the pick.
23. Atlanta--Royce White (6-8, small forward, Iowa State) is the obvious pick.
24. Cleveland--Another team with 2 1st round picks, Cleveland probably went outside at #4 and looks to go inside here. Unfortunately, inside talent is not what will be available here unless you consider Fab Melo to be NBA-caliber talent. I don't. So the Cavs move the pick and somebody else gets Andrew Nicholson (6-9, power forward, St. Bonaventure.)
25. Memphis--Marquis Teague and John Jenkins are your options. It says here: Jenkins (6-4, shooting guard, Vanderbilt).
26. Indiana--Looking for guard play and Marquis Teague (6-2, point guard, Kentucky) is the only game in town at #26.
27. Miami--Doesn't need a 2 or a 3 but can upgrade everything else even at #27. Festus Ezeli (7-0, post, Vanderbilt) is a big body who does all the stuff that Chris Bosh doesn't do.
28. Oklahoma City--Quincy Miller (6-9, small forward, Baylor) is the proverbial best available.
29. Chicago--Jeffrey Taylor (6-6, small forward, Vanderbilt) is likewise the best available at #29.
30. Golden State--Having already gone big in the 1st round, the Warriors would like to go small but there's no there there. Next best is Evan Fournier, a 6-6 small forward and a Frenchman.
Friday, June 22, 2012
2011-2012
The 2011-2012 basketball season ended last night, as the Miami Heat finally fulfilled their immense promise by defeating Oklahoma City 4-1 in the NBA finals. So 2011-2012 in review.
2011-2012 Player of the Year
1. LeBron James, Miami Heat. NBA MVP in the regular season and the playoffs. Hard to do any more than that. The 6-8 forward scored 27 points with 8 boards and 6 assists per game during the regular season. In the playoffs he scored 30.5 points with 10 boards and 5 assists.
2. Brittney Griner, Baylor Bears. Led the Bears to a 40-0 season and the women's NCAA title. The 6-8 post is emerging as one of the best women's players of all-time,and so her team is also coming to be recognized as one of the best ever. She contributed 23 points, 9 boards and 5 blocks per game (full season), while the Bears out-scored their NCAA tournament opponents 76-55.
3. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder. Now a 3-time NBA scoring leader, the 6-9 forward scored 28 points per game with 8 boards and 3.5 assists to lead the Thunder to their 1st NBA finals.In the playoffs he scored 29 points per game with 8 boards and 3 assists.
4. Anthony Davis, Kentucky Wildcats. The 6-10 freshman center-forward won most Player of the Year awards, finishing with 14 points per game, 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. He led the Wildcats to the NCAA title at 38-2.
5. Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford Cardinal. The 6-2 power forward led Stanford to the Final Four, and has scored more than 2,000 career points with more than 1,000 rebounds.
Coach of the Year
1. Kim Mulkey, Baylor Bears. NCAA women's champs at 40-0 and out-scored their NCAA tournament foes by an average of 76-55.
2. Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Led the Irish to the runner-up slot in the women's NCAA tournament and a 35-4 overall record.
3. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx reversed more than a decade of mediocrity going 27-7 during the regular season and 7-1 during the post-season to win the WNBA title.
4. Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks. Won most of the men's coach of the year awards after Kansas took 2nd in the NCAA tournament with a 32-7 record.
5. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs. Led the Spurs to a 50-17 regular season record, but his team fell to Oklahoma City in the conference finals.
Team of the Year
1. Baylor Bears 40-0. NCAA women's champs.
2. Miami Heat 46-20 (regular season) and 16-7 (playoffs). NBA champs.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder 47-19 and 13-7. NBA runner-up.
4. Kentucky Wildcats 36-2. NCAA champs.
5. Stanford Cardinal 35-2. NCAA women's runners-up.
2011-2012 Player of the Year
1. LeBron James, Miami Heat. NBA MVP in the regular season and the playoffs. Hard to do any more than that. The 6-8 forward scored 27 points with 8 boards and 6 assists per game during the regular season. In the playoffs he scored 30.5 points with 10 boards and 5 assists.
2. Brittney Griner, Baylor Bears. Led the Bears to a 40-0 season and the women's NCAA title. The 6-8 post is emerging as one of the best women's players of all-time,and so her team is also coming to be recognized as one of the best ever. She contributed 23 points, 9 boards and 5 blocks per game (full season), while the Bears out-scored their NCAA tournament opponents 76-55.
3. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder. Now a 3-time NBA scoring leader, the 6-9 forward scored 28 points per game with 8 boards and 3.5 assists to lead the Thunder to their 1st NBA finals.In the playoffs he scored 29 points per game with 8 boards and 3 assists.
4. Anthony Davis, Kentucky Wildcats. The 6-10 freshman center-forward won most Player of the Year awards, finishing with 14 points per game, 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. He led the Wildcats to the NCAA title at 38-2.
5. Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford Cardinal. The 6-2 power forward led Stanford to the Final Four, and has scored more than 2,000 career points with more than 1,000 rebounds.
Coach of the Year
1. Kim Mulkey, Baylor Bears. NCAA women's champs at 40-0 and out-scored their NCAA tournament foes by an average of 76-55.
2. Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Led the Irish to the runner-up slot in the women's NCAA tournament and a 35-4 overall record.
3. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx reversed more than a decade of mediocrity going 27-7 during the regular season and 7-1 during the post-season to win the WNBA title.
4. Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks. Won most of the men's coach of the year awards after Kansas took 2nd in the NCAA tournament with a 32-7 record.
5. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs. Led the Spurs to a 50-17 regular season record, but his team fell to Oklahoma City in the conference finals.
Team of the Year
1. Baylor Bears 40-0. NCAA women's champs.
2. Miami Heat 46-20 (regular season) and 16-7 (playoffs). NBA champs.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder 47-19 and 13-7. NBA runner-up.
4. Kentucky Wildcats 36-2. NCAA champs.
5. Stanford Cardinal 35-2. NCAA women's runners-up.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Harden tke Key
I wrote a week ago that Oklahoma City 6th man James Harden would be the key player in the NBA finals, and that is proving to be correct. Just not the way I imagined.
Each team goes 2 deep in superstars--LeBron James and Dwayne Wade for Miami, and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City. They, I thought, would pretty much cancel each other out. Well, not quite.
James and Wade are scoring 52 points per game with 16 boards and 12 assists. Durant and Westbrook are scoring 62 points per game, with 12 boards and 9 assists. So how can they lose?
The Thunder can lose, and Miami can win, because James' and Wade's much-maligned support in Miami has played much better the past week than OKC's.
For Miami Chris Bosh has bounced back from an injury (he did not start in game 1 of this series) to score 12 points with 10 boards so far in the finals. Mario Chalmers scored 25 in game 4 and is averaging 10.5 with 4 boards and 3 assists. Most surprisingly, Shane Battier has scored 12 ppg though his production has dropped from 17 to 9 to 4 was the finals have worn on. That's 34 ppg from the Heat's other 3 starters.
OKC has no such story to tell. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins have had their games--Ibaka with 10 and 6 in game 1, Perkins with 10 and 12 in game 3. But nobody has produced consistently alongside Duirant and Westbrook. Least of all--relative to expectations and relative to the regular season--like James Harden.
Harden busted loose for 21 points in game 2 but in his other 3 games he has scored 5, 9 and 8 points on 6-for-26 (23 percent) shooting. Across the 4 games the averages are 11 points, 5 boards and 3 assists on 35 percent shooting. Hardly the performance that made him the NBA's 6th Man of the Year. The fact is that Shane Battier is playing him to a standstill.
Well, Miami is going to win the Chris Bosh-Serge Ibaka match-up, and Mario Chalmers wins his match-up more often than not. If OKC has any shot at all of coming back from its 3-1 deficit, Harden has to be a plus match-up for the Thunder. He hasn't been that so far.
Each team goes 2 deep in superstars--LeBron James and Dwayne Wade for Miami, and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City. They, I thought, would pretty much cancel each other out. Well, not quite.
James and Wade are scoring 52 points per game with 16 boards and 12 assists. Durant and Westbrook are scoring 62 points per game, with 12 boards and 9 assists. So how can they lose?
The Thunder can lose, and Miami can win, because James' and Wade's much-maligned support in Miami has played much better the past week than OKC's.
For Miami Chris Bosh has bounced back from an injury (he did not start in game 1 of this series) to score 12 points with 10 boards so far in the finals. Mario Chalmers scored 25 in game 4 and is averaging 10.5 with 4 boards and 3 assists. Most surprisingly, Shane Battier has scored 12 ppg though his production has dropped from 17 to 9 to 4 was the finals have worn on. That's 34 ppg from the Heat's other 3 starters.
OKC has no such story to tell. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins have had their games--Ibaka with 10 and 6 in game 1, Perkins with 10 and 12 in game 3. But nobody has produced consistently alongside Duirant and Westbrook. Least of all--relative to expectations and relative to the regular season--like James Harden.
Harden busted loose for 21 points in game 2 but in his other 3 games he has scored 5, 9 and 8 points on 6-for-26 (23 percent) shooting. Across the 4 games the averages are 11 points, 5 boards and 3 assists on 35 percent shooting. Hardly the performance that made him the NBA's 6th Man of the Year. The fact is that Shane Battier is playing him to a standstill.
Well, Miami is going to win the Chris Bosh-Serge Ibaka match-up, and Mario Chalmers wins his match-up more often than not. If OKC has any shot at all of coming back from its 3-1 deficit, Harden has to be a plus match-up for the Thunder. He hasn't been that so far.
Monday, June 18, 2012
We knew the Lynx would lose this year, but...
We knew that the Minnesota Lynx would lose this year, we just didn't think it would come against the (then) 2-7 Seattle Storm. But the Lynx put together a dreadful offensive night, shooting 37.5 percent from the floor, 25 percent on 3s and just 40 percent on their specialty, the 2-point shot. Oh, and 69 percent from the FT line.
For once, they won the possession game, getting 6 more offensive boards than the Storm and having 1 less turnover. But Seattle shot 44 percent each on 2s, 3s and overall.
The result was a 57-44 Seattle lead after 3 periods. The Lynx made a game of it in the 4th, getting within 1 point at 58-57 Seattle with 3:52 yet to go. But Rebekah Brunson turned it over the next time and Seattle hit a bomb, and then Brunson missed a pair of throws and the Storm scored again on a 2. Suddenly it's 63-57 with 2:19 to go. Maya Moore hit a 3 and a pair of throws to get the Lynx back within 1 at 1:05. Seattle failed to score the next time down but an offensive rebound prolonged their possession and the Lynx only got the ball back with 16 ticks left on the clock. Seimone Augustus missed a J and that was that.
Now 10-1, the next record worth breaking is Houston's .900 season win-loss percentage and L.A.'s 28 wins in 1 season. It would take a 29-3 record to break both, and that is what the Lynx are on pace to do. But they need to find their offense real quick if that's going to happen.
For once, they won the possession game, getting 6 more offensive boards than the Storm and having 1 less turnover. But Seattle shot 44 percent each on 2s, 3s and overall.
The result was a 57-44 Seattle lead after 3 periods. The Lynx made a game of it in the 4th, getting within 1 point at 58-57 Seattle with 3:52 yet to go. But Rebekah Brunson turned it over the next time and Seattle hit a bomb, and then Brunson missed a pair of throws and the Storm scored again on a 2. Suddenly it's 63-57 with 2:19 to go. Maya Moore hit a 3 and a pair of throws to get the Lynx back within 1 at 1:05. Seattle failed to score the next time down but an offensive rebound prolonged their possession and the Lynx only got the ball back with 16 ticks left on the clock. Seimone Augustus missed a J and that was that.
Now 10-1, the next record worth breaking is Houston's .900 season win-loss percentage and L.A.'s 28 wins in 1 season. It would take a 29-3 record to break both, and that is what the Lynx are on pace to do. But they need to find their offense real quick if that's going to happen.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Combining 2009 through 2013
Best MN girls over a 5 year period.
1. Taylor Hill, Mpls. South, 5-10, shooting guard, 2009, Ohio State
2. Rachel Banham, Lakeville North, 5-9, combo guard, 2010, Minnesota
3. Nia Coffey, Hopkins, 6-1, wing-small forward, 2013, Northwestern
4. Rebekah Dahlman, Braham, 5-9, combo guard, 2013, undeclared
5. Brittney Chambers, Jordan, 5-8, combo guard, 2009, Kansas State
6. Marissa Janning, Watertown-Mayer, 5-8, point guard, 2012, Creighton
7. Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle, 5-11, wing, 2013, undeclared
8. Kayla Hirt, Bemidji, 6-2, forward, 2011, Minnesota. Has been hurt for the better part of 2 years
9, Theiarra Taylor, St. Paul Central, 5-11, shooting guard, 2009, Iowa. Has had 3 ACL injuries
10 (tie). Katie Loberg, Princeton, 6-4, post, 2009, Minnesota.
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North, 6-4, post, 2010, Wisconsin.
12. Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie, 6-1, post-big forward, 2012, Minnesota.
13. Sari Noga, Parkers Prairie, 5-10, wing, 2010, Minnesota.
14. Suriya McGuire, Mpls. Roosevelt, 5-11, small forward-off guard, 2010, Miami Fla.
15. Martha Alwal, Worthington, 6-4, post, 2011, Mississippi State.
16. Michelle Young, Woodbury, 5-9, guard, 2011, Bradley.
17. Brianna Williams, Hopkins, 5-7, point guard, 2011, North Dakota.
18 (tie). Allina Starr, DeLaSalle, 5-9, point guard, 2013, Georgetown.
Jade Martin, Bloomington Kennedy, 6-0, wing, 2013, Georgetown.
20. Shakila Boler, Mpls Roosevelt, 5-6, point guard, 2010. Knee injuries ended her career.
21. Apiew Ojulu, Lakeville North, 6-3, post-power forward, 2011, Marquette.
22. Beth Doolittle, Hill-Murray, 6-4, post, 2011, Iowa.
23. Jade Geif, Lakeville South, 6-0, post-big forward, 2010, Navy.
24. Kate Thompson, Wayzata, 6-3, small forward-off guard, 2009, Michigan.
25. Sydney Coffey, Hopkins, 5-11, wing, 2012, Marist.
26. Shayne Mullaney, Eden Prairie, 5-8, combo guard, 2012, Minnesota.
27. Megan Waytashek, Centennial, 6-0, forward, 2010, South Dakota State.
28. Katrina Newman, Barnum, 5-11, forward-guard, 2011, UMD.
29. Angela Christianson, Alexandria, 6-0, off guard, 2011, Drake-Moorhead State. A pedestrian-auto accident may have ended her career.
30. Katya Leick, Park, 6-1, forward, 2009, Nebraska-Kansas State.
31. Whitney Tinjum, Chisago Lakes, 6-2, forward, 2012, Washington State.
32. Janae Burich, Roseville, 6-5, post, 2009, North Dakota.
33. Alexis Foley, White Bear Lake, 5-9, point guard, 2012, Illinois State.
34. Savannah Trapp, Esko, 6-8, post, 2013, undeclared.
35. Jessica January, Richfield, 5-9, combo guard, 2013, undeclared.
36. Nytor Longar, Rochester John Marshall, 6-2, post, 2009, Buffalo.
37. Tempestt Wilson, Elk River, 5-10, forward-guard, 2009, South Dakota.
38. Katybeth Biewen, Edina, 5-9, point guard, 2012, undeclared.
39. Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata, 6-1, forward, 2012, Illinois-Chicago.
40. Morgan Van Riper-Rose, Eden Prairie, 5-10, off guard, Denver.
41. Kali Peschel, Sauk Centre, 6-2, forward, 2012, Iowa.
42. Taylor Anderson, Hopkins, 5-7, point guard, 2013, undeclared.
43. Hana Potter, Hopkins, 6-2, post, 2010, Washington State.
44. Taylor Young, Edina, 5-10, forward, 2011, St. Thomas
45. Brittaney Scherber, Bloomington Jefferson, 5-8, point guard,
46. Jamie Bresnahan, Edina, 6-2, power forward, 2011, Mankato State.
47. Aubrey Davis, Eden Prairie, 5-9, point guard, 2011, Mankato State.
48. Kadidjah Shumpert, Benilde-St. Margaret's, 6-0, power forward, 2012.
49. Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray, 6-0, guard-forward, 2012, Wisconsin.
50 (tie). Brianna Edwards, Mpls. North, 6-1, post, 2009, Providence.
Onye Osemenam, Maranatha, 6-2, post, 2013, undeclared.
The 2009s have 10 of the top 51. The 2010s have 10. The 2011s have 10. The 2012s have 12. And the mighty 2013s have just 9. I am probably being a bit conservative on the 2013s since they alone among this group have not completed their high school eligibility. If that is the case, then Phyllis Webb, Mikaala Shackleford and MC McGrory are 3 who are probably underrated.
Then, finally, where do some of the younger ballplayers coming up look like they might fit? Here's a wild guess as to how the entire group of 9 classes from 2009 to 2017 might rate 5 years from now.
1. Tayler Hill
2. Rachel Banham
3. Nia Coffey
4. Rebekah Dahlman
5. Carlie Wagner, NRHEG, 5-9, combo guard, 2014. Comp is Brittney Chambers.
6. Brittney Chambers
7. T.T. Starks, Hopkins, 5-9, small forward-shooting guard, 2015. Comp is Tyseanna Johnson.
8. Tyseanna Johnson
9. Kayla Hirt
10. Cayla McMorris, Park Center, 6-1, post-power forward, 2014. Comp is Kayla Hirt.
11. Kenisha Bell, Bloomington Kennedy, 5-9, point guard, 2014. Comp is Theairra Taylor.
12. Theairra Taylor
13. Katie Loberg
Cassie Rochel
14. Jackie Johnson
15. Maddie Guebert, Eastview, 5-9, combo guard, 2015. Comp is Sari Noga.
16. Sari Noga
17. Suriya McGuire
18. Martha Alwal
19. Michelle Young
20. Brianna Williams
21. Allina Starr
22. Tia Elbert, Tartan, 5-7, combo guard, 2014. Comps are Allina Starr and Brianna Williams.
23. Jade Martin
Jazmyn Martin, Bloomington Kennedy, 2017. Comp is of course sister Jade.
25. Shakila Boler
26. Apiew Ojulu
27. Beth Doolittle
28. Jade Geif
29. Kate Thompson
30. Sydney Coffey
31. Shayne Mullaney
32. Courtney Frederickson, Minnetonka, 6-1, forward, 2016. Comp is Megan Waytashek.
33. Megan Waytashek
34. Katrina Newman
35. Carolyn Kieger, Woodbury, 5-8, combo guard, 2017. Comps are Katrina Newman and Angela Christianson.
36. Angela Christiansoin
37. Katya Leick
39. Whitney Tinjum
40. Janae Burich
41. Alexis Foley
42. Savanna Trapp
43. Jessica January
44. Viria Livingston, Hopkins, 5-7, combo guard, 2015. Comp is Jessica January.
45. Nytor Longar
46. Katybeth Biewen
47. Tempestt Wilson
48. Nia Hollie Jones, Hopkins, 5-10, guard, 2017. Comp is Tempestt Wilson.
49. Marissa Grossfeld
50 (tie). Kylie Brown, Simley, 6-3, forward, 2014, and Ali Greene, Mahtomedi, 6-1, forward, 2015. Comps are Marissa Grossfeld and Jamie Bresnahan.
1. Taylor Hill, Mpls. South, 5-10, shooting guard, 2009, Ohio State
2. Rachel Banham, Lakeville North, 5-9, combo guard, 2010, Minnesota
3. Nia Coffey, Hopkins, 6-1, wing-small forward, 2013, Northwestern
4. Rebekah Dahlman, Braham, 5-9, combo guard, 2013, undeclared
5. Brittney Chambers, Jordan, 5-8, combo guard, 2009, Kansas State
6. Marissa Janning, Watertown-Mayer, 5-8, point guard, 2012, Creighton
7. Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle, 5-11, wing, 2013, undeclared
8. Kayla Hirt, Bemidji, 6-2, forward, 2011, Minnesota. Has been hurt for the better part of 2 years
9, Theiarra Taylor, St. Paul Central, 5-11, shooting guard, 2009, Iowa. Has had 3 ACL injuries
10 (tie). Katie Loberg, Princeton, 6-4, post, 2009, Minnesota.
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North, 6-4, post, 2010, Wisconsin.
12. Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie, 6-1, post-big forward, 2012, Minnesota.
13. Sari Noga, Parkers Prairie, 5-10, wing, 2010, Minnesota.
14. Suriya McGuire, Mpls. Roosevelt, 5-11, small forward-off guard, 2010, Miami Fla.
15. Martha Alwal, Worthington, 6-4, post, 2011, Mississippi State.
16. Michelle Young, Woodbury, 5-9, guard, 2011, Bradley.
17. Brianna Williams, Hopkins, 5-7, point guard, 2011, North Dakota.
18 (tie). Allina Starr, DeLaSalle, 5-9, point guard, 2013, Georgetown.
Jade Martin, Bloomington Kennedy, 6-0, wing, 2013, Georgetown.
20. Shakila Boler, Mpls Roosevelt, 5-6, point guard, 2010. Knee injuries ended her career.
21. Apiew Ojulu, Lakeville North, 6-3, post-power forward, 2011, Marquette.
22. Beth Doolittle, Hill-Murray, 6-4, post, 2011, Iowa.
23. Jade Geif, Lakeville South, 6-0, post-big forward, 2010, Navy.
24. Kate Thompson, Wayzata, 6-3, small forward-off guard, 2009, Michigan.
25. Sydney Coffey, Hopkins, 5-11, wing, 2012, Marist.
26. Shayne Mullaney, Eden Prairie, 5-8, combo guard, 2012, Minnesota.
27. Megan Waytashek, Centennial, 6-0, forward, 2010, South Dakota State.
28. Katrina Newman, Barnum, 5-11, forward-guard, 2011, UMD.
29. Angela Christianson, Alexandria, 6-0, off guard, 2011, Drake-Moorhead State. A pedestrian-auto accident may have ended her career.
30. Katya Leick, Park, 6-1, forward, 2009, Nebraska-Kansas State.
31. Whitney Tinjum, Chisago Lakes, 6-2, forward, 2012, Washington State.
32. Janae Burich, Roseville, 6-5, post, 2009, North Dakota.
33. Alexis Foley, White Bear Lake, 5-9, point guard, 2012, Illinois State.
34. Savannah Trapp, Esko, 6-8, post, 2013, undeclared.
35. Jessica January, Richfield, 5-9, combo guard, 2013, undeclared.
36. Nytor Longar, Rochester John Marshall, 6-2, post, 2009, Buffalo.
37. Tempestt Wilson, Elk River, 5-10, forward-guard, 2009, South Dakota.
38. Katybeth Biewen, Edina, 5-9, point guard, 2012, undeclared.
39. Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata, 6-1, forward, 2012, Illinois-Chicago.
40. Morgan Van Riper-Rose, Eden Prairie, 5-10, off guard, Denver.
41. Kali Peschel, Sauk Centre, 6-2, forward, 2012, Iowa.
42. Taylor Anderson, Hopkins, 5-7, point guard, 2013, undeclared.
43. Hana Potter, Hopkins, 6-2, post, 2010, Washington State.
44. Taylor Young, Edina, 5-10, forward, 2011, St. Thomas
45. Brittaney Scherber, Bloomington Jefferson, 5-8, point guard,
46. Jamie Bresnahan, Edina, 6-2, power forward, 2011, Mankato State.
47. Aubrey Davis, Eden Prairie, 5-9, point guard, 2011, Mankato State.
48. Kadidjah Shumpert, Benilde-St. Margaret's, 6-0, power forward, 2012.
49. Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray, 6-0, guard-forward, 2012, Wisconsin.
50 (tie). Brianna Edwards, Mpls. North, 6-1, post, 2009, Providence.
Onye Osemenam, Maranatha, 6-2, post, 2013, undeclared.
The 2009s have 10 of the top 51. The 2010s have 10. The 2011s have 10. The 2012s have 12. And the mighty 2013s have just 9. I am probably being a bit conservative on the 2013s since they alone among this group have not completed their high school eligibility. If that is the case, then Phyllis Webb, Mikaala Shackleford and MC McGrory are 3 who are probably underrated.
Then, finally, where do some of the younger ballplayers coming up look like they might fit? Here's a wild guess as to how the entire group of 9 classes from 2009 to 2017 might rate 5 years from now.
1. Tayler Hill
2. Rachel Banham
3. Nia Coffey
4. Rebekah Dahlman
5. Carlie Wagner, NRHEG, 5-9, combo guard, 2014. Comp is Brittney Chambers.
6. Brittney Chambers
7. T.T. Starks, Hopkins, 5-9, small forward-shooting guard, 2015. Comp is Tyseanna Johnson.
8. Tyseanna Johnson
9. Kayla Hirt
10. Cayla McMorris, Park Center, 6-1, post-power forward, 2014. Comp is Kayla Hirt.
11. Kenisha Bell, Bloomington Kennedy, 5-9, point guard, 2014. Comp is Theairra Taylor.
12. Theairra Taylor
13. Katie Loberg
Cassie Rochel
14. Jackie Johnson
15. Maddie Guebert, Eastview, 5-9, combo guard, 2015. Comp is Sari Noga.
16. Sari Noga
17. Suriya McGuire
18. Martha Alwal
19. Michelle Young
20. Brianna Williams
21. Allina Starr
22. Tia Elbert, Tartan, 5-7, combo guard, 2014. Comps are Allina Starr and Brianna Williams.
23. Jade Martin
Jazmyn Martin, Bloomington Kennedy, 2017. Comp is of course sister Jade.
25. Shakila Boler
26. Apiew Ojulu
27. Beth Doolittle
28. Jade Geif
29. Kate Thompson
30. Sydney Coffey
31. Shayne Mullaney
32. Courtney Frederickson, Minnetonka, 6-1, forward, 2016. Comp is Megan Waytashek.
33. Megan Waytashek
34. Katrina Newman
35. Carolyn Kieger, Woodbury, 5-8, combo guard, 2017. Comps are Katrina Newman and Angela Christianson.
36. Angela Christiansoin
37. Katya Leick
39. Whitney Tinjum
40. Janae Burich
41. Alexis Foley
42. Savanna Trapp
43. Jessica January
44. Viria Livingston, Hopkins, 5-7, combo guard, 2015. Comp is Jessica January.
45. Nytor Longar
46. Katybeth Biewen
47. Tempestt Wilson
48. Nia Hollie Jones, Hopkins, 5-10, guard, 2017. Comp is Tempestt Wilson.
49. Marissa Grossfeld
50 (tie). Kylie Brown, Simley, 6-3, forward, 2014, and Ali Greene, Mahtomedi, 6-1, forward, 2015. Comps are Marissa Grossfeld and Jamie Bresnahan.
You Win Again
Well, the Lynx made it 10-0 for a new WNBA record for consecutive wins at the start of a season. Phoenix was the latest victim and it was not close at 78-60 and a high of 74-51 at 5:03. Lindsay Whalen has been quiet lately but not tonight, leading the Lynx by far with 29 points while Seimone Augustus added 14 and Monica Wright off the bench with 11.
I was wrong about this one, however. I said the Lynx would have to match-up inside against the Merc. Well, they didn't and they won anyway. The Merc's DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree outscored our starting forwards 29-12 but our guards just demolished the Merc's Charde Houston and Sam Prahalis 43-11.
The Lynx shot poorly for once--39 percent from the floor, 32 percent on 3s, 41.5 percent on 2s, 67 percent from the line--but still outshot their opponent, in keeping with their season-long record. Phoenix was worse--29 percent from the field, 10.5 percent on 3s, and 36 percent on 2s.
The Lynx also won the possession game, something they have not generally done this year, but they won it very narrowly with 1 more offensive board (13 to 12) and 4 fewer turnovers (12 vs. 16 for Phoenix). Next up is the WNBA record for consecutive wins, period, of 18 by the L.A. Sparks of Lisa Leslie way back in 2001. The Lynx regular season win streak, going back to last year, is now 13.
So in other words, don't hold your breath. But, just for the record, here's the schedule through a record 19 wins. W-L records are shown for some of the tougher opponents.
Sunday June 17 at Seattle
Thursday June 21 New York here
Saturday June 23 Chicago here (7-1)
Wednesday June 27 Phoenix here
Sunday July 1 at San Antone would tie the record of 18
Thursday July 5 at L.A.would set the new record of 19 (7-2)
So, again, don't hold your breath. #19 at L.A. will be the toughest game yet, regardless of whether the win streak is still intact. But even if it is not, the next record worth pursuing is Houston's 27-3 record in 1998. The most wins is Seattle with 28 in 2010 ()28-4). A 29-3 record would be the crowning achievement but I don't really see that happening either.
I was wrong about this one, however. I said the Lynx would have to match-up inside against the Merc. Well, they didn't and they won anyway. The Merc's DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree outscored our starting forwards 29-12 but our guards just demolished the Merc's Charde Houston and Sam Prahalis 43-11.
The Lynx shot poorly for once--39 percent from the floor, 32 percent on 3s, 41.5 percent on 2s, 67 percent from the line--but still outshot their opponent, in keeping with their season-long record. Phoenix was worse--29 percent from the field, 10.5 percent on 3s, and 36 percent on 2s.
The Lynx also won the possession game, something they have not generally done this year, but they won it very narrowly with 1 more offensive board (13 to 12) and 4 fewer turnovers (12 vs. 16 for Phoenix). Next up is the WNBA record for consecutive wins, period, of 18 by the L.A. Sparks of Lisa Leslie way back in 2001. The Lynx regular season win streak, going back to last year, is now 13.
So in other words, don't hold your breath. But, just for the record, here's the schedule through a record 19 wins. W-L records are shown for some of the tougher opponents.
Sunday June 17 at Seattle
Thursday June 21 New York here
Saturday June 23 Chicago here (7-1)
Wednesday June 27 Phoenix here
Sunday July 1 at San Antone would tie the record of 18
Thursday July 5 at L.A.would set the new record of 19 (7-2)
So, again, don't hold your breath. #19 at L.A. will be the toughest game yet, regardless of whether the win streak is still intact. But even if it is not, the next record worth pursuing is Houston's 27-3 record in 1998. The most wins is Seattle with 28 in 2010 ()28-4). A 29-3 record would be the crowning achievement but I don't really see that happening either.
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