Post by lynxmania on Aug 14, 2022 20:19:32 GMT -5
Welp. The playoff streak over. The last player from our Destiny Era has retired. The question is.... now what?
1. Hire a New Assistant Coach
With Plenette moving on during the year to Texas Tech, the Lynx rolled with just 2 assistants in Katie Smith and Rebekkah Brunson to finish the year off. The question is where will Reeve go with this move. She has gone with former league players or connections the last couple of hires. So that leads to me wonder.....
2. Plan Around Phee
With Syl retiring, the team now gets handed over to Phee. Her first couple of years, she has played at the 3, but returning this year, she hadn't gotten her lateral movement back yet from pregnancy and played more at the 4. We need to decide where she is going to go moving forward so that we can build around her.
From what I have seen, Phee can play in both spots and needs some space to operate on her drives and post ups. If we decide to go with Jess, then Jess needs to really put in work on her shot because teams aren't guarding her at all and it caused a lot of problems this past year. The other things we need around Phee are some consistent shooters. Banham stepped up for a majority of the year and was great from downtown. But we need more help.
3. Draft and Free Agency
We have some picks and money to play with. Obviously we don't trade the pick if we get a #1, but I would maybe think about trading the Vegas pick (potentially to package someone). We need some youth and some athleticism on this squad. We were constantly too slow on defensive. We didn't have a lot of fighters on that end. I would look at maybe also finding people that have the athleticism, but can guard multiple possessions, as well. The other thing is that we don't have a lot of guards who can create for themselves. That's not McBride's game. Jefferson wasn't bad. Powers loses the ball about 40% of the time. We need someone who can do that.
I hope Cheryl swings bigs and goes after Nneka and/or Stewie to gauge their interest. Hell throw money at Loyd. Brionna Jones would be thrown max money from me as well. Brittney Sykes would be an interesting target because she would bring toughness, ball handling, and defense. I'll have to look more into the free agents once the season winds down, but those are some obvious names everyone is gonna go after lol.
4. Time to Say Goodbye
Based on this past season, it's time to say some goodbyes to players. Bridget Carleton - it was nice to have your around, but it's time to move on from you. Her shot was not there this year and she just struggled all over. Rachel Banham - she can only come back at like vet minimum numbers please and has to become our 10th or 11th player. Her shooting was good this year, but she can't be a top rotation player for a competing team IMO. Natalie Achonwa - she might have to be our starting 5 good god, but she isn't healthy all the time and could barely get on the court this year. The positive for her is that she is a good passer from the high post, so that could keep her here.
5. Shake UP?!
Okay hear me out.... one of McBride or Powers might have to go. I love them both and would love to see it work, but I'm not sure how this group gels at all. If we decide that we are going to try and fully rebuild, then one goes, but if we would like to see if we can find a PG/C and go with ?/McBride/Powers/Phee/?, I'm also into listening to it.
6. Offensive Scheme Change
We have been throw the ball into Syl and let her go to work heavy for a while. Now we don't have that option at all. We don't even have a post who is consistent enough to do that. Unless we get a major post FA or Boston, we might see a whole new offense from the Lynx next season.
7. Next Year (IMO)
Obviously I don't care about guaranteed contracts or whatever with this list. But this is where I am at right now - 6 hours after being eliminated from the playoffs.
1. Hire a New Assistant Coach
With Plenette moving on during the year to Texas Tech, the Lynx rolled with just 2 assistants in Katie Smith and Rebekkah Brunson to finish the year off. The question is where will Reeve go with this move. She has gone with former league players or connections the last couple of hires. So that leads to me wonder.....
- The Sparks are ass and Seimone might be out of a job there. Would Seimone be willing to come back and coach here?
- Does she promote current Video Coordinator Ashlee McGee to AC. McGee previously has been an assistant at the NCAA D1 level for a couple of years before moving into the VC role. The con would be that McGee also works as one of the VC's for the Timberwolves. So would she want to end that to move over full time? Or maybe she could still do both?
- Would Reeve wait until potentially after the NCAA season and hire Whalen - who is probably getting fired unless a miracle happens lmao
- Can she snatch anyone from someone's current staff or will we see someone brand new come into the fold
2. Plan Around Phee
With Syl retiring, the team now gets handed over to Phee. Her first couple of years, she has played at the 3, but returning this year, she hadn't gotten her lateral movement back yet from pregnancy and played more at the 4. We need to decide where she is going to go moving forward so that we can build around her.
- In the rookie season, Phee and Shepard connected really well before Shepard's ACL. There connection on passing and knowing how to play with each other was great.
- In the Wubble, when Syl went down, Phee and Dantas played great together and Dantas put up some career numbers.
From what I have seen, Phee can play in both spots and needs some space to operate on her drives and post ups. If we decide to go with Jess, then Jess needs to really put in work on her shot because teams aren't guarding her at all and it caused a lot of problems this past year. The other things we need around Phee are some consistent shooters. Banham stepped up for a majority of the year and was great from downtown. But we need more help.
3. Draft and Free Agency
We have some picks and money to play with. Obviously we don't trade the pick if we get a #1, but I would maybe think about trading the Vegas pick (potentially to package someone). We need some youth and some athleticism on this squad. We were constantly too slow on defensive. We didn't have a lot of fighters on that end. I would look at maybe also finding people that have the athleticism, but can guard multiple possessions, as well. The other thing is that we don't have a lot of guards who can create for themselves. That's not McBride's game. Jefferson wasn't bad. Powers loses the ball about 40% of the time. We need someone who can do that.
I hope Cheryl swings bigs and goes after Nneka and/or Stewie to gauge their interest. Hell throw money at Loyd. Brionna Jones would be thrown max money from me as well. Brittney Sykes would be an interesting target because she would bring toughness, ball handling, and defense. I'll have to look more into the free agents once the season winds down, but those are some obvious names everyone is gonna go after lol.
4. Time to Say Goodbye
Based on this past season, it's time to say some goodbyes to players. Bridget Carleton - it was nice to have your around, but it's time to move on from you. Her shot was not there this year and she just struggled all over. Rachel Banham - she can only come back at like vet minimum numbers please and has to become our 10th or 11th player. Her shooting was good this year, but she can't be a top rotation player for a competing team IMO. Natalie Achonwa - she might have to be our starting 5 good god, but she isn't healthy all the time and could barely get on the court this year. The positive for her is that she is a good passer from the high post, so that could keep her here.
5. Shake UP?!
Okay hear me out.... one of McBride or Powers might have to go. I love them both and would love to see it work, but I'm not sure how this group gels at all. If we decide that we are going to try and fully rebuild, then one goes, but if we would like to see if we can find a PG/C and go with ?/McBride/Powers/Phee/?, I'm also into listening to it.
6. Offensive Scheme Change
We have been throw the ball into Syl and let her go to work heavy for a while. Now we don't have that option at all. We don't even have a post who is consistent enough to do that. Unless we get a major post FA or Boston, we might see a whole new offense from the Lynx next season.
7. Next Year (IMO)
Obviously I don't care about guaranteed contracts or whatever with this list. But this is where I am at right now - 6 hours after being eliminated from the playoffs.
| Bring Back For Sure | Training Camp Maybe | Goodbye |
| Napheesa Collier | Lindsay Allen | Bridget Carleton |
| Kayla McBride | Moriah Jefferson | Rachel Banham |
| Aerial Powers | Nina Milić | |
| Jessica Shepard | Natalie Achonwa | |
| Damiris Dantas |
