Gotnext Women's Basketball Boards

mb · Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2002 2:08 pm Post subject: Next Season

Not writing off this season, let's discuss some possibilities for next season.

First we must make some decisions on the coaching staff.

Player personnel choices is what I'd like to hear opinions on, however.

Some guidelines/assumptions:

no work stoppage occurs
final roster is 11 spots with two IR's
everybody returns
positions are somewhat interchangable (ie PG&SG, SG&SF, SF&PF, PF&C)

Here is where we would stand:

PG: Veal, Moises
SG: Grubin, Fallon, Bonfiglio
SF: Harrison, Reid, Saunders
PF: Gillom, Christensen, Tuvic
C: Stepanova, Williams

Two draft picks. That makes 15. Who do you cut or trade?
Hopefully we draft high in 2003.
Hopefully we can stockpile draftpicks for 2004.

Do you consider Veal, Christensen, Saunders, and Stepanova the future of the team?

If so, or even if not, what are our needs? Do you trade or draft for them, or both?

Are a scoring SG and a banging PF still our glaring needs?

Looking forward to everyones thoughts.

Go Mercury!

Ohio Gaucho · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 65 Location: Salem, OH

mb wrote: Not writing off this season, let's discuss some possibilities for next season. (snip)

Sharp will be replaced with someone who commands respect, teaches, and does not scream or swear. Timmsy stays as an assistant.

Grandmama retires after leading the Mercury to a successful wrapup of season, capturing the mathematical chance of a playoff berth.

PG: Veal, Moises
SG: Grubin, Fallon :?: , Bonfiglio
SF: Harrison, Saunders
PF: Christensen, Tuvic
C: Stepanova
Reid & Williams are traded (for PF/draft pick/draft position). Grab Chantelle if there is ANY way to do it. :idea: Do bring back Fallon, if possible. :idea:
Two draft picks and a free agent make 11 + 2.

Veal, Christensen, Saunders, and Stepanova are part of the future of the team :!: Grubin/Fallon can provide the scoring at SG. Kayte IS a banging PF. (More time in the weight room will raise Kayte's college-level banging PF credentials up to WNBA standards. She would still be gorgeous about 7 lbs heavier. :wink: )

Thanks for your informative posts. :lol:

Go Mercury :!:
Bob
UCSB '61

mb · Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2002 4:05 pm Post subject:

Looks like Ohio Gaucho and I are on the same wavelength.

Liking both Adrain and Tracy, they still are who stood out to me as trade possibilities. With Lisa at SF, and others at SG; Tracy is a likely candidate for trade. If Gillom returns, as well as Stepanova, the improvement of Kayte and Tuvic; Adrain could be moved and likely is more marketable than Bobo.

With Fallon :?: , Grubin, and Bonfiglio at SG; our focus should be a banger to replace Jen/back up Kayte.

If unable to draft Chantelle Anderson :?: , get the banger/project and work towards accumulating picks/moving up in 2004 draft.

Diana Turasi and Nicole Powell are both worth going after. They could play in the league right now.

The future looks bright.

I'd take Graf as head coach with Timms and Eric Cooper assisting.

mb · Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2002 4:34 pm Post subject:

Why we want Fallon back:

Fallon averaged 10.4 ppg on 49% shooting, playing 27 minutes a game. She was the only scorer besides Gillom (12.3) and Stepanova (10.4 also).

gia · Guest

Right, but bringing back Fallon now is not going to have a major impact. How can it really? She barely knows any of the opponents, or any of her teammates for that matter. or the new head coach and any new play(s), etc.

The smarter move would have been to find someone who's been playing in this league all season (preferably a few seasons) and trade for them. I was pretty disappointed that a trade didn't happen. We all know there are players on this team who will not be with us next season. I can't imagine there wasn't a way to package something to pull in someone who might be able to make a difference right now. Forget this playing for a draft pick the rest of the way. That's giving up. Who wants to play the rest of the season giving up?

gia · Guest

mb wrote:
Here is where we would stand:

PG: Veal, Moises
SG: Grubin, Fallon, Bonfiglio
SF: Harrison, Reid, Saunders
PF: Gillom, Christensen, Tuvic
C: Stepanova, Williams

I see Reid, Tuvic, Moises in the not with us next season category, for whatever reason (trades, not returning to states etc). Actually, I think there are question marks next to everyone's name outside of Jen, Lisa, Grubin, Christensen.

I don't care how big of a promise Maria made to Seth, there's a lot to assume there....i.e. that the delivery goes well, that her recoupe time is short, that she adjusts to motherhood & working easily and that she's going to want to drag a 3 month old and a husband across the world and on the road to play for peanuts. I just don't see it happening.

Oh......and Fallon is a natural 3, not a 2, no? I know she did well at the 2 last season and seeing how this team likes playing everyone out of position, she'd fit right in. ;)

minercon · Guest Joined: 19 Jul 2002 Posts: 8

My take is that Fallon is out of the WNBA. If she would not come this year as the salary was low ( 50% of the reason.... the other is to work for the Aussies) then the WNBA will not offer her more next year. She will follow Griffiths-Brogan. Maybe she hated Cooper as coach and will return as she is out for good.

You beat me to the punch!!!! Maria will not return. She will want her husband to be paid (presuming they tied the knot) as a babysitter and will the WNBA relent on this matter??? Horrible to drag a baby over here. He will probably need to stay in Phoenix while she takes all the short jaunts to AWAY games. Maybe he will take a long one with her.....but I think she will stay in Russia as she doesn't know what Motherhood is all about until she really experiences it. Maria is gone for now.

cbibat · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 232

I don't disagree about Maria, but I do think in the past accomodations have been made for things like child care, nanny services for the players with children. Think that was one reason the Merc got Brogan back her last year, they did something to accomodate child care. Maybe something can be done to accomodate the child and the boyfriend, but.....

gia · Guest

That's true but I'm not talking about helping with childcare. I think she'd have a hard time handling it under the best of circumstances. There's different maturity levels (Brogan vs Stepanova). Brogan had the ability/maturity to balance everything (and then some - ugh)

I'm not saying Maria is immature but she's not exactly an "old" 22 and she's never seemed like she was one that handled stress easily. I'd be shocked if she was playing here next season

cbibat · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 232

gia

I do agree with you on Maria. She's stated before that she really doesn't like it here, she's really not become comfortable in the States. Plus won't her baby be 4-6 months old, (think Brogans was 18 mons +/-) - traveling with any child under the age of ____ is difficult.

If she takes next year off, would love to have her back as a stronger, 'older' 24 yr old in 2004 - but why would she bother when she can play in Europe and on the Russian National team and stay close to home.

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

Gia, I agree with you. I personally have a bad feeling about Maria playing next year. First it is very hard to come back from having a baby and play 5 mounths later, it is doable, but players like Swoopes will tell you, it takes at least a year for your body to work the same....and frankly I am not sure our Maria has the fortitude to soldier through the hardship, but I hope I am wrong!
Just to be sure though, Let's draft Chantelle Anderson if we get the chance OK??

As to Fallon coming back, whatever :oops: :roll:
It's total grasping at straws.
Trish is a small forward, without the athleticism required to really shine in this league. Don't get me wrong, shes a smart player with a good jumper but we already have our share of wings on this team...could we just trade three mediocore players for one really good one??

and finally....
Phoenix is and always has been the black hole of 2 guards!
can anyone name ONE who has played up to their ability while wearing a Mercury uniform...can't can you;)
:(

gia · Guest

cbibat wrote: traveling with any child under the age of ____ is difficult.

I'll fill in that blank with 16.......but maybe that's because I have a hard time just traveling around the block with one that age! ;)

cc · Guest Joined: 26 Jun 2002 Posts: 11

:D Thanks for that comment: ...."anyone playing up their ability in Merc uniform.." Totally agree. :D :)

Everyone is venting about the road losing streaks, losing ? games at home. Think about it, just about every obstacle has been thrown at this team and they're still trying to give us hope for a playoff, none of the other players has really given up, except for Jen's comment, she "didn't want to be apart of this", meaning losing.

It seems like the players are still trying to figure out how each one plays. Next year will be better. Everyone of them will up their scoring and their statistics. Go Mercury.

It Princess is gone, we are gone.