Gotnext Women's Basketball Boards

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

... but TRADE VEAL NOW. This is disgusting. She sacrifices her spot on the Opals for THIS.

And I think the Mercury need a good cleanout of coach *and* GM. Hey it worked for the Mystics.

Did I mention Tracy Reid is not a 2 guard?

Strangely enough my Mercury article I wrote earlier on in the year is still relevant. That's scary.

cbibat · Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 232

don't want to lose Veal, but right now she deserves better... she's clearly a team player, doing as instructed and what a waste tonite - in with less than 2 mins and told to foul.......has to be really discouraging for her, know it is for us fans

kr · Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 63 Location: Denver

I just don't understand how Sulka can sit back and watch his team fall apart under Sharp's leadership and not take any action! And don't Timmsy or Eric C. have any say about playing Vealy???

minercon · Joined: 19 Jul 2002 Posts: 8

Stop blaming Sulka for the mess. The mess occurred when Colangelo hired Cooper last year. When she quit there was no time to go out and get another coach, so Sulka had to go from within. If we had hired someone from the outside and we played as we are presently doing we would need to fire a new recruit. It will be easier to let Sharp go if that is their plan. Just pray they don't promote Timmsy to head coach.

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

Sulka has to go for other reasons. All our current problems started from the 1999 ABL draft from which we only got Lisa Harrison (which is measly pickings considering what was available in that draft). Seth has A LOT to do with our current problems.

Timmsy as head coach now? Doubt it. Don't think the Merc organisation is that desperate either though it's a good option a couple of seasons down the track.

eaction83 · Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 130 Location: Fremont, CA

May I remind you Keegan, that it was Cheryl Miller, not Seth, who was general manager at the time of the ABL draft and who was responsible for those picks, as well as in the other three of the first four drafts. Sulka wasn't the one making the picks until the 2001 draft.

Now I rate his 2001 draft as excellent considering how late in the round they were picking, because Veal is going to be a great one if Sharp would ever PLAY her, Saunders was essentially his second round pick (via trade from Cleveland), and nobody taken after Saunders has done a damn thing in this league, so he didn't miss any hidden gems or anything.

2002 you can argue a little bit more, with the merits of Grubin vs. keeping a #8 pick (although she's certainly been more productive on the stat sheet this season than anyone taken after #6), or with taking Tootie Shaw. But I like the Grubin trade, and even if taking Shaw was a waste, there still wasn't much left on the board by then anyway. Yet I somehow get the feeling that if he had drafted and cut, say, Angie Welle instead of Tootie, nobody would be saying a word about his second round choice. Can't play is can't play, and it doesn't matter if the person who can't play is a college star or a no-name, the result is the same. And the result is, the only late draft picks taken after Shaw who are making any impact as rookies are Kayte, Felicia Ragland, and Lindsey Yamasaki (all west coast players, hmmm...), and the latter two might have been cut by Phoenix anyway, because they weren't really the type of players the team needed.

caune · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1560 Location: Phoenix

No decisions are made without Seths approval. Cheryl had the GM title and paycheck, but not all the voice, so he is partially to blame/or thanks for good decisions.

This team has had bad luck coupled with bad decisons and there is no easy way out!

A smart coach who can also be GM would help, or Linda as GM because she has an system of evaluating talent that works (ok so she doen't know how to use them on court ;) then Seth is still President of basketball operations.
Alot depends on who the coach is and wether they want to be in charge of it all!

eaction83 · Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 130 Location: Fremont, CA

Well of course Seth had to do a lot more GM-type work than his official duties called for back then, because Miller was too busy with her NBA and TNT jobs in the winter and spring to get out and do any actual scouting or talent evaluation like she was supposed to. :wink:

I'd much rather see the offices stay separate. A lot of times someone who is both coach and GM in this league has tended to be their own worst enemy. Brian Agler and Carolyn Peck are good examples of that, and Lin Dunn and Linda Hargrove have also ventured near that slippery slope at various times. Also note that two of the three most historically successful teams (LA and New York) have kept the offices separate. In fact, LA's turnaround started when, besides hiring Woolridge, they also got Toler out of the backcourt and into the GM's chair. Phoenix GM Jennifer Gillom kind of has a nice ring to it, don't you think? :D

Seriously though, I don't think Seth has done a bad job at all. And I can say that as someone who is completely objective about every move the team has made prior to this year's draft. But I've covered all that ground before.

capsman · Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 31

Don't worry guys! All you have to do to watch Vealy play is fly 16,000km.
I flew 16,000km to watch her sit on the bench!!! At least if you all come to Canberra, your guaranteed of seeing the Veal girl kick some ass; and hell, we'll throw in Lauren Jackson for free!! :D :D

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

I argue you could have gotten Grubin without sacrificing the #8 pick.

And I have no doubt Seth has some responsibility for that botched 1999 draft.