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Post by sp on Dec 4, 2022 6:26:56 GMT -5
Just some random 2024 draft thoughts from a n00b: - I will be surprised if Fudd and Miles declare for the 2024 draft.
- I think the top four picks are almost set in stone (assuming all eligible seniors declare for the draft): Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, quite possibly in that order. Bueckers' injury problems might cause her to drop a position or two.
Outside the top four, it's a lot more ambiguous for the rest of the first round. - Hailey Van Lith is a decent shotmaker, but is undersized and efficiency is not good. She'll go first round but not hugely keen on her.
- There are a few borderline point guard prospects with differing strengths and flaws: Diamond Johnson, Deja Kelly and Emily Ryan. Not hugely keen on any of them but in a league lacking point guard depth, they'll get attention.
- There are a couple of big posts who are paint bound: Ayoka Lee and Kamilla Cardoso. Cardoso is more athletic but less developed than Lee. I don't know if either of them will develop into being starters? They seem more backup material to me. I see Cardoso as having the bigger upside.
- Prospects I am more keen on are Aaliyah Edwards (solid post player, good defensive potential) and Jewel Spear (athletic shooter)
- My sleeper prospect is 5'11" 18yo Australian shooting guard Isobel Borlase who is leading her WNBL team Adelaide Lightning in scoring so far in her rookie season (14 ppg at an amazing 63% field goal shooting). She is great at getting to the rim and finishing and is a solid secondary playmaker. Her driving ability reminds me of Penny Taylor. The biggest question mark is her perimeter game - she has a jumpshot (proven at junior international level) but hasn't used it much at the WNBL level yet. She'll obviously need one for the WNBA. Catch her games on the FIBA Youtube channel if you're interested.
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Post by clayk on Dec 4, 2022 13:24:02 GMT -5
A draft with four solid prospects is a good one.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2022 17:05:11 GMT -5
Welcome, sp. Ya certainly don’t carry yourself like a n00b! 🙂 I still don’t know that Deja Kelly’s a PG at the next level, is pretty much my only disagreement. Everything else you said I think is spot-on. I too am not at all sold on HVL, I think Emily Ryan & Diamond Johnson despite being totally different types of PGs could both fit in at the next level, and Cardoso I think will be poised to have a monster season for SoCar next year assuming Aliyah Boston moves on as expected. I’ve never heard of Isobel Borlase until now. Is she more of a 1 or a 2?
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Post by sp on Dec 4, 2022 21:17:02 GMT -5
Thanks for your kind welcome, Stormeo. Borlase is a 2 guard. She's a "get me a bucket" kind of player.
I find it hard to assess Cardoso properly until Boston leaves because they compete with each other, rather than being complementary. Agree she could be poised for a breakout season and may revise my opinion of her then.
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Post by clayk on Dec 5, 2022 10:21:46 GMT -5
Cardoso will get plenty of chances to see if she can upgrade her skills. The combination of size and athleticism is rare.
And welcome, sp. Always enjoy new voices ...
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Post by sp on Dec 5, 2022 23:13:42 GMT -5
Thanks clayk!
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Post by sp on Dec 12, 2022 2:56:34 GMT -5
I would like to add Washington State's Charlisse Leger-Walker for consideration here. She's a legit 3 level scorer and has really good shooting splits (49 FG%/41 TP%/88% FT) while scoring 22 points per game so far. These shooting numbers are a significant improvement on her previous seasons (by ten percentage points in all three categories!) but they're likely to drop given a rise in quality of opposition (Pac-12 league play) and she has very limited offensive support on her team. She's a decent passer too and her physical attributes are ok (5'10" with ok athleticism). Somebody to keep an eye out for and she would be the very first New Zealander to play in the WNBA if she made it.
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Post by clayk on Dec 12, 2022 10:06:51 GMT -5
I think the issue for Leger-Walker will be athleticism, on both ends of the floor. Can she guard WNBA wings, and can she get her shots against what appear to be superior athletes?
You never really know, but history suggests that her type of skill set does not translate well to the WNBA.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2022 12:57:52 GMT -5
Leger-Walker to her credit is seemingly upping her scoring efficiency – she mentioned working a lot on her 3PT shooting in the summer – and she’s definitely not gonna stop her high-volume shooting. If her efficiency is good in her final season (whether it’s '23-'24 or '24-'25), best believe she’ll be in that first-round conversation. Her game is very much mirroring Kelsey Plum these days, and she’s even a couple inches taller than Plum at 5-10.
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Post by clayk on Dec 13, 2022 10:28:03 GMT -5
I just don't see the comparison between Leger-Walker and Plum. Plum seems to me to be much more athletic, and was more athletic in college as well.
As for being a first-round choice, that's different than being an effective WNBA player.
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Post by libertyfan2020 on Feb 26, 2023 16:57:10 GMT -5
1. Clark 2. Brink 3. Bueckers(if she enters) 4. Olivia Miles(if she enters early) 5. Reese 6. Edwards 7. Mackenzie Holmes 8. Cardoso 9. Diamond Johnson 10. Deja Kelly 11. Emily Ryan 12. Hailey Van Lith 13. Ayoka Lee 14. Sarah Andrews 15. Alissa Pili 16. Lauren Gustin 17. Aubrey Griffin 18. Erynn Barnum 19. Desi-Rae Young 20. Nika Muhl
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Post by toad455 on Feb 26, 2023 17:08:40 GMT -5
This class is so deep, it's insane. Yet Engelbert keeps sidestepping expansion and roster expansion.
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Post by clayk on Feb 27, 2023 10:29:25 GMT -5
"Deep" is a relative term.
Clark and Brink look to me like WNBA starters and potential all-stars. Bueckers hasn't been healthy since her sophomore year in high school, as I recall, and the best predictor for future injuries is past injuries. Healthy, though, she's a starter.
I love Olivia Miles but she's shooting 23% from three and averages 3.3 turnovers a game. Unless her three-point shooting improves, she's a backup or second-division starter. Angel Reese, Aaliyah Edwards and Kamila Cardoso will be good WNBA players, and conceivably one will be very good
And of course a couple more players will emerge, so yes it's a strong draft. But deep? Let's say all of those players stay healthy and become WNBA starters or better, and two more emerge. That's nine players, say, not even one per team. And of course, we will have retirements as well, so if all goes well, there will be five or six more strong players than there were the year before.
Is that enough for the owners of the league (Engelbert has no say) to approve expansion and for each team to lose a significant percentage of their TV and sponsorship income? Or add a roster spot, which costs a lot more than just the salary?
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Post by awhom111 on Feb 27, 2023 10:46:39 GMT -5
toad455 is out there testing everyone's reading comprehension on Twitter and a lot of people are failing.
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Post by sp on Feb 27, 2023 11:16:33 GMT -5
toad455 is out there testing everyone's reading comprehension on Twitter and a lot of people are failing. Linear time - it's a difficult concept for some.
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Post by toad455 on Feb 27, 2023 12:07:44 GMT -5
toad455 is out there testing everyone's reading comprehension on Twitter and a lot of people are failing. Yeah, some fans really have no clue what year their favorite player is eligible to be drafted. The eternal debate on Bueckers and that she'd be the #1 pick in any of the 2023, 2024 or 2025 drafts. UCONN fans are unruly on Twitter.
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Post by WBBDaily on Feb 27, 2023 14:36:33 GMT -5
We might need a '25 draft thread soon:
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2023 22:04:08 GMT -5
i do think she’d get it communicated to her through W 'back channels' or what have you that her staying an extra season in school would be looked down upon by the inner league circles, possibly in the same way that it has allegedly happened with Aliyah Boston for this year
that said, i can understand why Clark would want to stay close to home for as long as possible – the closest W franchise to her hometown of West Des Moines (the Lynx) is still a good 4-hour drive away
not to mention, she’s probably more marketable with Iowa – Iowa! – than she’d be with any WNBA team, sadly
i do hope now that she breaks Kelsey Plum’s scoring record specifically next season, to further disincentivize her from sticking around an extra season (she’s now less than 1,100 points away from that record fwiw, so by this time next year, who knows)
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Post by sp on Mar 2, 2023 10:09:39 GMT -5
I can understand why Caitlin Clark wants to stay in college for an additional season. I just don't think it's really going to add to her legacy much (I have assumed she's going to break Plum's record in 4 seasons). I don't think Iowa are going to get much better as a team than 2022-23.
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Post by randy on Mar 2, 2023 10:31:00 GMT -5
I don't see why players should feel obligated to turn pro if they have eligibility remaining. NIL $ may also take some of the motivation out of turning pro. College life is fun, turning pro is working for living......what's the rush?
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