The Best Group of Guards Ever?

[oldude]

By play defense? Do you mean they're good or elite defensively? Because Paige has yet to shown me that even her hc has said she needs to improve defensively. Her defense was abysmal in that Arizona game, she makes no effort aside swiping to take the ball,at a defender.

Paige lead UConn with 66 steals and played surprisingly good defense all season imo. Other than Aari McDonald who was guarded by Christyn, the rest of the AZ team didn’t do much against UConn.

 

[jchusky]

Paige lead UConn with 66 steals and played surprisingly good defense all season imo. Other than Aari McDonald who was guarded by Christyn, the rest of the AZ team didn’t do much against UConn.

Baylor game she also didn't look good, Carrington was having her way with her. Again big east play everyone is gonna have great games

 

[oldude]

Baylor game she also didn't look good, Carrington was having her way with her. Again big east play everyone is gonna have great games

Really? Carrington was 7/22 (32%) with 3 turnovers, 1 for 7 from the arc (14%). Sounds to me like Paige did a pretty good job on her defensively.

 

[Waquoit]

It's hard to beat Bird and Taurasi. They are still at the top 20 years later.

 

[oldhusky]

I think the potential to be the best ever is there, depending on how good Azzi turns out to be. For a starting back-court Sue and Diana are obviously the gold standard. If Azzi is another generational talent and they are comparable to Sue and Diana, then the next tier of Christyn, Evina and Nika would elevate the guard group above previous units.

If Azzi is quite good but roughly equivalent to Christyn or Evina I do not think that would be true. She needs to be much closer to Paige than those two for this unit to be clearly the best, which may very well happen. Regardless the depth of this guard group is probably as good as any I can think of.

 

[MilfordHusky]

This is the standard. The Gold standard. The 5-time Gold standard.

 

[oldude]

This is the standard. The Gold standard. The 5-time Gold standard.

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Yes, but what if you need 4 guards on the floor at the same time?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yes, but what if you need 4 guards on the floor at the same time

Simple--clone them.

 

[eebmg]

A bit baffling. In HS Aubrey scored from everywhere, including from the 3-pt line.

She should just imagine all the players on the other team look like Geno.

 

[Alydar]

A bit baffling. In HS Aubrey scored from everywhere, including from the 3-pt line.

I recall that in her freshman year the game announcers stated that Geno had given her the green light to shoot 3's so she definitely made enough in practice. I suspect that her scoring will come in transition and from putbacks of other's misses. She may never be a shooter but things happen when she is on the floor, mostly good.

 

[Alydar]

Paige lead UConn with 66 steals and played surprisingly good defense all season imo. Other than Aari McDonald who was guarded by Christyn, the rest of the AZ team didn’t do much against UConn.

Bueckers isn't a good on ball defender yet but as a disruptor she is great.

 

[oldude]

I recall that in her freshman year the game announcers stated that Geno had given her the green light to shoot 3's so she definitely made enough in practice. I suspect that her scoring will come in transition and from putbacks of other's misses. She may never be a shooter but things happen when she is on the floor, mostly good.

There’s no denying Aubrey’s disruptive ability. During UConn’s 19-0 run against Baylor, Aubrey held NaLyssa Smith, the Wade Trophy winner, to 0 shots, and also managed to switch off Smith on 3 occasions to force 2 charging calls on Carrington & 1 traveling call on Egbo.

 

[Alydar]

There’s no denying Aubrey’s disruptive ability. During UConn’s 19-0 run against Baylor, Aubrey held NaLyssa Smith, the Wade Trophy winner, to 0 shots, and also managed to switch off Smith on 3 occasions to force 2 charging calls on Carrington & 1 traveling call on Egbo.

That's what I mean.

 

[oldude]

Bueckers isn't a good on ball defender yet but as a disruptor she is great.

I respectfully disagree. In HS Paige was not a good on ball defender, but once she got to UConn, she made a commitment to play solid defense, probably so that Geno would have one less thing to complain about.

Paige moves her feet and gets her hands up well. As I have remarked in other posts, Paige’s commitment to play solid defense was the most surprising element of her game at UConn.

 

[Alydar]

It's premature to compare a UConn backcourt that has a handful of olympic rings to another that has 1 year of college between the 2 of them. But Bueckers has already showed that she may be better than both of them as a college player. And I only care about their college performances.

I suspect that this argument will still be going on 20 years from now.

 

[Vowelguy]

I never cease to be amazed at folks obsession with player ratings from 4 years ago. Who cares that CW was the #1 player in high school evaluations. It says nothing about her current playing status. And I don’t think anyone would say she’s had the top college career of that 2018 class.

Similarly sure EW was highly ranked but injuries have meant she’s not exactly the same player.

paiges #1 ranking is also irrelevant. We know she’s a great player not because she was #1; winning POY last year does that.

 

[Vowelguy]

As far as guard play these were not too bad:
2000 with Bird KJ Shea Svet
2009 Renee lorinD Doty Hayes Maya Kalana gardler
2010 same as 2009 but with Faris instead of Renee

 

[Boreifs]

Yes, but what if you need 4 guards on the floor at the same time?

I respect your basketball acumen greatly, but I just don’t see a four-guard set as a regular feature. Keeping two of those post players on the bench doesn’t look like winning basketball to me. I guess we will see who is right.

 

[oldude]

I respect your basketball acumen greatly, but I just don’t see a four-guard set as a regular feature. Keeping two of those post players on the bench doesn’t look like winning basketball to me. I guess we will see who is right.

I wouldn’t have expected Geno to go with a 4 guard lineup last year against SC. He surprised the hell out of me, but it worked.

I know others may feel differently, but here’s the way I look at it. If UConn has a starting lineup of Paige, Christyn, Evina and Liv +1. Is the team better off with Aaliyah, Dorka or Azzi as the +1?

You can switch Liv & Dorka if you wish, but imo Azzi will ultimately force Geno to put her in the starting lineup in the same way that Nika did last season.

 

[Boreifs]

I wouldn’t have expected Geno to go with a 4 guard lineup last year against SC. He surprised the hell out of me, but it worked.

I know others may feel differently, but here’s the way I look at it. If UConn has a starting lineup of Paige, Christyn, Evina and Liv +1. Is the team better off with Aaliyah, Dorka or Azzi as the +1?

You can switch Liv & Dorka if you wish, but imo Azzi will ultimately force Geno to put her in the starting lineup in the same way that Nika did last season.

Ultimately, it will come down to match ups. Besides, to me the starting lineup is immaterial; I want to see which five are on the court in a close game during the late stages of the fourth quarter.

 

[oldude]

I never cease to be amazed at folks obsession with player ratings from 4 years ago. Who cares that CW was the #1 player in high school evaluations. It says nothing about her current playing status. And I don’t think anyone would say she’s had the top college career of that 2018 class.

Similarly sure EW was highly ranked but injuries have meant she’s not exactly the same player.

paiges #1 ranking is also irrelevant. We know she’s a great player not because she was #1; winning POY last year does that.

HS rankings certainly have their limitations, but they are one measure of evaluation, just like POY. However, I will reiterate my earlier prediction that Christyn & Evina will be the first 2 guards taken in the WNBA draft this coming year, in the first round, in no particular order.

 

[oldude]

Ultimately, it will come down to match ups. Besides, to me the starting lineup is immaterial; I want to see which five are on the court in a close game during the late stages of the fourth quarter.

So here’s the plan. Start the game with 4 guards and build up a 20+ lead. Then bring in the Big lineup to beat the opponents into submission……

 

[Vowelguy]

HS rankings certainly have their limitations, but they are one measure of evaluation, just like POY.

HS ranking is great ... when you're evaluating a HS player.

Ask any W scout if they care what the players HS rank was.
Ditto for any coach evaluating a grad transfer.

 

[Vowelguy]

to me the starting lineup is immaterial; I want to see which five are on the court in a close game during the late stages of the fourth quarter.

 

[oldude]

HS ranking is great ... when you're evaluating a HS player.

Ask any W scout if they care what the players HS rank was.
Ditto for any coach evaluating a grad transfer.

OK, but my premise that UConn’s group of guards may be the deepest and most talented “in college” still stands. If you have another group that you think is better, tell me who they are and why.