Blow up the team. I think Jonquel needs to demand a trade somewhere and then they'd sign Bri Jones to a deal. Keep Hiedeman as insurance. Too bad Bonner is under contract through 2024. They'll need a SG somehow to replace Williams or they move Carrington in as a starter.
Hard disagree about blowing up the team. They’ve been close every year for a few years now. They just need some more shooting. They need to see this group through, and that includes Miller. There was a time where I wasn’t sure, but firing him now I believe is not the answer.
If JJ has to sit out 2023 due to Prioritization and doesn’t count on the cap, they’ll be able to bring back BJones easily.
If JJ returns, I think they ought to consider trading AT. Remember, without her most of last year, they finished 1st in the League. AT is great, but her literal inability to shoot holds the team back. Trade her, and you can afford to keep BJones + add onto your bench.
If it’s between BJones and JJones, then bye bye Bri. If JJ wants to stay & show up, you let her. Unless she wants out, trading her away would be a grave mistake.
Last Edit: Sept 18, 2022 20:44:04 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by lynxmania on Sept 18, 2022 21:37:59 GMT -5
Connecticut is in an interesting place and potentially a tricky situation.
Curt has done a good job of getting this franchise back to contending mode. The problem is that in every series, it was they have the ugly it up and make it "not pleasing to the viewer" to be in a lot of them. Is that just because they know they have a good defense? Is it because they know they don't have a good offense? That is what they need to figure out. When they played against DC in the Finals, I don't remember many "have to ugly" the game comments. But maybe I blocked those out. That being said, Curt "The Coach" Miller should be safe, IMO. But he's getting close to being axed, IMO. He has maybe 1-2 years to get a title for the Sun before he gets Thibault out of there. Curt "The GM" Miller has to figure out how to get a better offensive unit for "The Coach" to use, but also "The Coach" might need to find a better offensive assistant to maybe help with that.
Now moving onto the players. I'm going to be the one to throw it out there. Having player/player relationships especially with some of their "big" name players might make it hard to maybe move pieces. Are they really going to trade or think of trading AT or Bonner without the thought of maybe the other one wanting to leave then too? Same goes with Jasmine Thomas and Hiedeman. Because I think moving one of them and maybe getting some financial wiggle room to improve could be intriguing, but I'd always wonder if the other half of the shoe would drop. Now maybe the couples wouldn't mind playing on separate teams, but I think both would want out.
Jonquel.... she needs to be more of the offense and I think Miller "The Coach" failed her this year. It seemed that they went away from the MVP and moved the team back to AT and let her run the show. Then Bonner decided that she should be the 2nd Option and it felt like Brionna Jones or Courtney Williams thought half the time that one of them was 3rd. JJ should never feel like the 4th option. So if she comes back, Miller needs to use her more effectively overall. Now Jones might say bye to the league and just become a forgotten overseas player with the Prioritization Clause. I hope she doesn't, but like others here, I have a feeling that she wouldn't mind just playing overseas.
Personally, I hope Brionna leaves the Sun and goes to a team that will start her full time and has a need for a center. A lot of her would come down to what JJ does. But Bri shouldn't take less than what she's proven she's worth either.
formerly pickdiamondmillerchallenge lol formerly dmillerturnprochallenge ha formerly bostonturnprochallenge lol
Agree that JJ's role, at times, became that of an offensive rebound specialist. And her skillset is not being maximized if that's all she's doing. She's too good a player.
Sharing the floor with AT + not having any efficient perimeter shooting beyond Hiedeman meant that JJ had no space to operate. It's not that they *wanted* her to feel like a 4th option but their personnel prevented them from spacing the floor in a way that they could consistently get JJ touches where she is most effective.
Last Edit: Sept 18, 2022 22:17:34 GMT -5 by Deleted
Hiedeman is a RFA. One of the couples is gonna break up between AT+DB & JT+NH it would seem. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ You just get more out of trading away AT. If DB wants to follow her, buy her out or something lol.
Does anyone think AT & JJ had good chemistry? I’m not sure if I do… reason to trade somebody (but not JJ like I said).
Last Edit: Sept 18, 2022 22:21:08 GMT -5 by Deleted
Hiedeman is a RFA. One of the couples is gonna break up between AT+DB & JT+NH it would seem. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ You just get more out of trading away AT. If DB wants to follow her, buy her out or something lol.
Does anyone think AT & JJ had good chemistry? I’m not sure if I do… reason to trade somebody (but not JJ like I said).
I believe that one of the couples will "break up" with each other basketball wise or both parties leave the Sun
But also, I feel like the Sun played better overall when one of the AT/JJ combos were not healthy or playing together. They seemed better separate.
EDIT: fixing how I phrased my first sentence. I am not intending the the couples are going to break up in their personal lives, but in their basketball lives
Last Edit: Sept 18, 2022 22:39:27 GMT -5 by lynxmania
formerly pickdiamondmillerchallenge lol formerly dmillerturnprochallenge ha formerly bostonturnprochallenge lol
Here's a quick deep dive on the past four seasons for this team.
2019 Sun: —Finished 2nd overall —Lost in Finals in 5 to Washington —Playoff starters: JThomas-CWilliams-Stricklen-AThomas-JJones —Main playoff bench: Bria Holmes, Hiedeman, Morgan Tuck, BJones (who only averaged 3.5 ppg in regular season, 4.4 ppg in playoffs – this was before she blossomed)
2020 Sun: —Finished 7th overall —Lost in Semis in 5 to Vegas —Playoff starters: JThomas-January-Bonner-AThomas-BJones. —Main playoff bench: Kaila Charles, Hiedeman, Beatrice Mompremier, Essence Carson —JJones opted out of this year
2021 Sun: —Finished 1st overall —Lost in Semis in 4 to Chicago —Playoff starters: JThomas-January-Bonner-BJones-JJones —Main playoff bench: AThomas, Hiedeman, Kaila Charles —AThomas was out due to torn achilles recovery up until the second-to-last regular season game
2022 Sun: —Finished 3rd overall —Lost in Finals in 4 to Vegas —Playoff starters: Hiedeman-CWilliams-Bonner-AThomas-JJones —Main playoff bench: BJones, Carrington, Sims —JThomas was out for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL suffered in just the 5th regular-season game
Last Edit: Sept 18, 2022 22:48:04 GMT -5 by Deleted
Here is the cap sheet. Carrington's salary is blocked out but it's 69k. Somebody has to go.
Agree that a lot hinges on JJ. If she's out then the path forward is pretty simple - bring back everyone else.
If not, then crazy idea time:
AT and Bonner to the Mercury for SDS and Cunningham. Mercury should like the deal because if Griner comes back they have a really well balanced , possibly contending team. The Sun get the outside shooting and the point guard they need. Use the cap space to sign Bri Jones and C Will.
So Curt Miller should be fired because he doesn't win a WNBA championship? What about having a really good team year in and year out despite lacking perimeter shooting and depth?
OK, he's the GM but few players want to come to Mohegan. He's taken a team that doesn't fit the mold of modern basketball and made it work. If Bonner makes some shots, they might have won it all this year (though I think the better team won).
That said, the window is closing. Bonner's on the downside, Jasmine Thomas is also older and coming off a major injury, and there's no depth. If Stewart goes to New York, the Sun will be looking up at the Liberty. and the draft isn't going help (barring a huge stroke of luck).
Now if the Sun want to blow it up completely and be Indiana for a couple years, then sure, fire Miller, let everyone walk and ... well, I don't have a good answer for that because building through the draft is very hard to do, and again, free agents do not flock to the middle of Connecticut.
Post by wbbfan2020 on Sept 19, 2022 12:15:19 GMT -5
Thibault had some solid years in Connecticut(2003-2008, 2011 & 2012) and was let go only to go on to win a title with the Mystics. Maybe Miller should be let go, have the Fever or Sparks hire him so he can win a title in a few years elsewhere.
So Curt Miller should be fired because he doesn't win a WNBA championship? What about having a really good team year in and year out despite lacking perimeter shooting and depth?
I know we all talked a little about him last month – I think the team ought to replace his GM role but not him as coach, but then I've never liked it when HCs also are the GMs of their team for multiple reasons – but who is currently advocating for him to get fired completely?
So Curt Miller should be fired because he doesn't win a WNBA championship? What about having a really good team year in and year out despite lacking perimeter shooting and depth?
The Sun have shown that they want results when they fired Thibault all those years ago. My thought process about the potential of him being replaced is the same. If they did it to Mike who produced good teams year in and year out, then Miller isn’t safe.
Brondello produced many solid years for Phoenix and she made the Finals last year and was let go, so it also wouldn’t be the first time of Finals team made that move.
Again, all that being said, I believe he still gets another year.
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