So with the playoffs kicking off tonight (and the games actually on TV...WOW!) it's time for some predictions.
Tonight's games:
Atlanta @ Detroit (8:00 pm, ESPN2)
Seattle @ Los Angeles (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Atlanta Dream vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (Detroit)- 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Atlanta)- 7:30 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Atlanta)- 3:00 pm (If necessary) (ESPN2)
It's reality time for Atlanta and their first round games are going to be the toughest games they have played all season. Why? The Detroit Shock are a.) on a tear b.) no WAY are the defending Champs going to bow out in the first round (a-la Tennessee Lady Vols). On paper, Atlanta is a more balanced team but that doesn't take into account the factor of the playoffs and what it can do to a team (good and bad). Some notes:
-5 Double figure scorers for the Dream compared to 3 for Shock (1 for each team might be out).
-Katie Smith and Chamique Holdsclaw are doubtful to play in Game 1, perhaps the entire series.
-Atlanta scores average 84 PPG and allows 82 PPG
-Detroit scores 78 PPG and allows 77 PPG
-Rebounds are close: Atlanta 37, Detroit 36
-Rebounds allowed (this is where Atlanta will suffer): Atlanta 37, Detroit 32
Here are some keys for Detroit to win: If Cheryl Ford remains healthy and dominates Erika de Souza (who is averaging 2 more boards per game then Cheryl), the Shock will win. If Katie Smith can play in the series, they will win (right now it's unclear if she will play in the first game or at all).
Keys for Atlanta to win: Limit the number of second chance opportunities for the Shock and perhaps, Atlanta can sneak out the win....but I just don't see that happening.
Detroit wins the series 2-0. (I'm sorry Atlanta, I love you, but first playoffs against Detroit? Sorry ladies!).
Seattle Storm vs Los Angeles Sparks
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (LA) - 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Seattle)- 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Seattle)- 5:00 pm (if necessary) (ESPN 2)
Seattle will be without All-World player Lauren Jackson for this series BUT they get many of their other players back. Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Tanisha Wright and Katie Geralds should all be in uniform and ready to play tonight. Geralds is still pretty hurt from her injured PCL but just having her on the floor for a few minutes will create some positive vibes for the Storm. The Sparks, on the other hand, have as much playoff experience as the Storm and are flying high with emotion. Nobody on that teams wants legendary Lisa Leslie to retire without a WNBA title this season (heck, how storybook would that be...a-la David Robinson?). The Sparks are playing really good ball right now and they are healthy. Some notes:
-Both teams have 5 players scoring in double figures but Seattle is down one
-Both teams average 74 points per game and allow the same 73
-Sparks have the edge in rebounds: 37-32
-Sparks have the edge in allowed rebounds: 30-32 (but close enough)
For Seattle to win: One name-Swin Cash. If Cash plays BIG (boards and points) Seattle could win the series. What is going to hurt them is no Lauren Jackson in the playoffs. Sure, they are playing great ball without her but LA is on a mission and they know how to win and they know how to use emotion effectively (loaded with successful NCAA and Olympic Champions).
For LA to win: Rebounds, rebounds and rebounds. Stop Swin Cash and limit the assists Sue Bird gets (in other words, protect the low block) and LA can win this series.
This is the series to watch...arguably the best one of the playoffs.
Los Angeles wins 2-1.
Showing posts with label Atlanta Dream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlanta Dream. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Angels, Wiggins and Leslies...oh my!
Tonight is a pretty important night here in WNBA land. Minnesota Lynx play at Los Angeles Sparks and Connecticut Sun play at Atlanta Dream. It's important because....
-the Atlanta Dream can start to complete their turn around from last season by clinching a playoff spot in their friendly confines of Philips Arena. If they beat the Sun (which I think they will) the Dream will certainly be living a dream.
-The Minnesota Lynx can keep their hopes alive by staying alive in the playoff hunt with a win at Los Angeles. IF the Lynx can win and win again on Sunday (saying the Silver Stars beat the Storm Saturday) they are in the playoffs. How can they be if they are tied with the Silver Stars? You know, that recreational head-to-head thing....Minnesota has the edge over San Antonio.
Check out the games! The more viewers the better...
Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream (7:00 pm)
Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Washington Mystics
So if the Mystics make the playoffs the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show will kick them out of the Verizon Center. They will have to go 30 minutes north to College Park, MD...where there is train service but it's kind of a pain to navigate. Of course this is not the first time a pro team has had to reschedule a playoff game. Just this past NHL season the Pittsburgh Penguins had to reschedule their game with the Washington Capitals because of a Yanni concert. Not like it mattered because my Pens won but still...dinos and Yanni kick pro sports out of their own arena? Who exactly has banners hanging in the rafters? I rest my case....
-the Atlanta Dream can start to complete their turn around from last season by clinching a playoff spot in their friendly confines of Philips Arena. If they beat the Sun (which I think they will) the Dream will certainly be living a dream.
-The Minnesota Lynx can keep their hopes alive by staying alive in the playoff hunt with a win at Los Angeles. IF the Lynx can win and win again on Sunday (saying the Silver Stars beat the Storm Saturday) they are in the playoffs. How can they be if they are tied with the Silver Stars? You know, that recreational head-to-head thing....Minnesota has the edge over San Antonio.
Check out the games! The more viewers the better...
Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream (7:00 pm)
Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Washington Mystics
So if the Mystics make the playoffs the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show will kick them out of the Verizon Center. They will have to go 30 minutes north to College Park, MD...where there is train service but it's kind of a pain to navigate. Of course this is not the first time a pro team has had to reschedule a playoff game. Just this past NHL season the Pittsburgh Penguins had to reschedule their game with the Washington Capitals because of a Yanni concert. Not like it mattered because my Pens won but still...dinos and Yanni kick pro sports out of their own arena? Who exactly has banners hanging in the rafters? I rest my case....
Monday, August 17, 2009
Shaken, Not Stirred
So the standings have been shaken in both conferences. Primarily the East but man, some upsets in the West have really made things interesting. Atlanta continues their climb and beat the Seattle Storm, 88-79; Silver Stars beat the Mercury 106-89; Liberty beat Mystics 60-59. So what does this mean? This means that those teams that were plagued by poor coaching and injuries are finally coming together.
The Atlanta Dream are only in their second season but the hiring of Marynell Meadors as General Manager/Head Coach was a phenomenal move for the Dream. Last season they struggled as the team tried to gel and the organization tried to figure out just what the WNBA was all about. They finished the season 4-3o. During the year you could see that they were trying to figure out what they needed; the traded for Ivory Latta and Iziane Castro Marques to go along with the nice core of players who make up most of the 2009 team. In 2009 they had the first pick and snagged Angel McCoughtry. The also had the fortune of snagging Chamique Holdsclaw, who came out of retirement, Michelle Snow, Coco Miller and traded for Armentie Price. Now they have a quick and explosive team that is gelling (are you gellin'?) at the right moment. The result? A catapult into 2nd place in the East, 1/2 game ahead of Connecticut and Chicago. With Washington faltering in the second half again (I think there are too many Duke players on that team. Many of them the same ones that could not finish out the 13 point lead in the National Title game in 2006), Atlanta might just pull it off and hang tough and earn a #2 going into the playoffs. Although I see Chicago picking it up along with Connecticut, so maybe Atlanta will get a #4 but heck, they are playing top ball right now...when it counts!
So perhaps the Mercury loss is nothing more then everything going right for San Antonio, but I'm not a believer in that. Don't get me wrong, when teams hit on all cylinders they can be unstoppable but hello, this is the Mercury they are playing against. So yes, the Silver Stars matched the record for most points scored in the first half of a game (61, set by Seattle just over 2 years ago). I just wonder where the defense is for the Mercury, something I've complained about in the past. The Mercury forced only 8 turnovers and had 19 turnovers, above their average of 12 a game. The Silver Stars took advantage. Hopefully the Mercury can rebound and play their "A" game for the rest of the year.
The Liberty are finally playing smart ball. They've changed their offensive structure from an outside dominant game to a penetrate to the basket, shoot/pass. It's made a world of difference. The Liberty have gone 3-4 in the month of August with nice wins over the Sparks and Mystics. They've shown two things they haven't previously in the season: #1 they can hold onto win tight games and #2 when they get a lead they can hold on (be it barely) to get the win. They had a 19 point lead over the Mercury in July and LOST. In August, they've lost to teams that are really starting to kick it into gear: Atlanta (by 6), Detroit (by 12), Seattle (by 1) and Chicago (by 11). So I see a lot of improvement in their game and their attitude. They will continue to improve and might make some noise and knock off some teams that are trying for a playoff spot. I could see the Liberty being the "Party Spoiler" this season.
No games tonight...a fun story tomorrow.
The Atlanta Dream are only in their second season but the hiring of Marynell Meadors as General Manager/Head Coach was a phenomenal move for the Dream. Last season they struggled as the team tried to gel and the organization tried to figure out just what the WNBA was all about. They finished the season 4-3o. During the year you could see that they were trying to figure out what they needed; the traded for Ivory Latta and Iziane Castro Marques to go along with the nice core of players who make up most of the 2009 team. In 2009 they had the first pick and snagged Angel McCoughtry. The also had the fortune of snagging Chamique Holdsclaw, who came out of retirement, Michelle Snow, Coco Miller and traded for Armentie Price. Now they have a quick and explosive team that is gelling (are you gellin'?) at the right moment. The result? A catapult into 2nd place in the East, 1/2 game ahead of Connecticut and Chicago. With Washington faltering in the second half again (I think there are too many Duke players on that team. Many of them the same ones that could not finish out the 13 point lead in the National Title game in 2006), Atlanta might just pull it off and hang tough and earn a #2 going into the playoffs. Although I see Chicago picking it up along with Connecticut, so maybe Atlanta will get a #4 but heck, they are playing top ball right now...when it counts!
So perhaps the Mercury loss is nothing more then everything going right for San Antonio, but I'm not a believer in that. Don't get me wrong, when teams hit on all cylinders they can be unstoppable but hello, this is the Mercury they are playing against. So yes, the Silver Stars matched the record for most points scored in the first half of a game (61, set by Seattle just over 2 years ago). I just wonder where the defense is for the Mercury, something I've complained about in the past. The Mercury forced only 8 turnovers and had 19 turnovers, above their average of 12 a game. The Silver Stars took advantage. Hopefully the Mercury can rebound and play their "A" game for the rest of the year.
The Liberty are finally playing smart ball. They've changed their offensive structure from an outside dominant game to a penetrate to the basket, shoot/pass. It's made a world of difference. The Liberty have gone 3-4 in the month of August with nice wins over the Sparks and Mystics. They've shown two things they haven't previously in the season: #1 they can hold onto win tight games and #2 when they get a lead they can hold on (be it barely) to get the win. They had a 19 point lead over the Mercury in July and LOST. In August, they've lost to teams that are really starting to kick it into gear: Atlanta (by 6), Detroit (by 12), Seattle (by 1) and Chicago (by 11). So I see a lot of improvement in their game and their attitude. They will continue to improve and might make some noise and knock off some teams that are trying for a playoff spot. I could see the Liberty being the "Party Spoiler" this season.
No games tonight...a fun story tomorrow.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
An inspiring story...and other news
I was very shocked and saddened to read about University of Tennessee Sophomore Amber Gray having a stroke. She went in for arthroscopic surgery on her left shoulder to repair her posterior capsule and labrum (basically she tore her rotator cuff and needed it fixed). After her July 2nd surgery, while still in the hospital, she had some complications. An unrelated brain aneurysm occurred which began to hemorrhage thus causing a stroke. Amber was then flown to a hospital near her home in Ohio. A 12.5 hour surgery snipped the aneurysm and saved her life.
On August 11, 2009, Ms. Gray walked out of the rehabilitation center. When asked by a reporter if she thinks she will play basketball again, she said "Of course I do". I have no doubt in my mind that this 19 year old woman will play basketball again for the Tennessee Lady Vols. I wish her well and her story is very inspiring as she continues to grow stronger and stronger each day. To read the story, click here.
This isn't the first bit of illness effecting teams this summer. University of North Carolina forward, Jessica Breland, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in late May. She is still undergoing chemotherapy treatments and it is still unclear if she will be able to play this season.
Best of luck to both women as they continue to recover.
Shout out to Teresa Edwards!
August 12, 2009, Teresa Edwards was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame. Wow, it took this long to recognize her feats? Are you serious? She is the most decorated Olympic basketball player in the WORLD, not the U.S.A. but the WORLD. She has four gold medals and one bronze medal (1984, 1988, 1996, 2000-Gold, 1992-Bronze). She is the only 5-time Olympic hoops player in the U.S.A., and there are only two others that have played in 5 Olympic Basketball competitions in the world (and the only female I might add). And get this; she is also one of only three U.S. Olympians to win gold in four different Olympic Games, former teammate Lisa Leslie and sprinter Carl Lewis. Only five other non-U.S. athletes have accomplished that feat. Oh, and on top of that she is a super nice woman that loves the game. Currently she is passing her knowledge onto WNBA players as she is an Assistant with the Minnesota Lynx.
Some more info:
--Youngest (1984, 20 years old) and oldest (2000, 36 years old) U.S. women’s basketball player to win an Olympic gold medal
--Member of the historic 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and 1995-96 USA Basketball Women’s National Team that compiled a combined 60-0 record and was named the 1996 U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Basketball Team of the Year
--USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year a record four times (1987, 1990, 1996, 2000)
--Took Olympic Oath on behalf of all Olympic competitors at 1996 Opening Ceremony
Congratulations to Teresa Edwards. LONG, LONG overdue. (And in my humble opinion, that entire 1996 Women's Basketball team belongs in the Hall of Fame. Look at what they did to the face of women's basketball!)
(thanks to teamusa.org for those amazing numbers)
WNBA News
Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky traded some players. The Dream sent 2008 first round draft pick Tamera Young to the Sky for fellow 2007 first round pick Armintie Price. Who wins? The Dream, man! Price was the 2007 Rookie of the Year and has been on the bench for the Sky. She'll start playing right away. Oh man, the Dream are really coming together.
Indiana Fever lost another starter, Ebony Hoffman. She has some tendinitis in her left ankle. Not sure how long she'll be out, probably day-to-day. Hopefully Tammy Sutton-Brown will recover quickly and get back into the lineup.
Other News
Leon Barmore WILL return to his Assistant Coaching position at Baylor. He really contemplated staying retired but has decided his heart is still in the game. I mean, seriously, would anyone turn down the opportunity to coach Brittney Griner? Article here.
And an interesting bit of trivia:
What two teams played the first intercollegiate women's basketball game?
Give up??? How about Stanford and Cal...who would've thought? April 4, 1896 at the Page Street Armory in San Francisco, CA. Final score: 2-1 Stanford. Nice article on the game.
On August 11, 2009, Ms. Gray walked out of the rehabilitation center. When asked by a reporter if she thinks she will play basketball again, she said "Of course I do". I have no doubt in my mind that this 19 year old woman will play basketball again for the Tennessee Lady Vols. I wish her well and her story is very inspiring as she continues to grow stronger and stronger each day. To read the story, click here.
This isn't the first bit of illness effecting teams this summer. University of North Carolina forward, Jessica Breland, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in late May. She is still undergoing chemotherapy treatments and it is still unclear if she will be able to play this season.
Best of luck to both women as they continue to recover.
Shout out to Teresa Edwards!
August 12, 2009, Teresa Edwards was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame. Wow, it took this long to recognize her feats? Are you serious? She is the most decorated Olympic basketball player in the WORLD, not the U.S.A. but the WORLD. She has four gold medals and one bronze medal (1984, 1988, 1996, 2000-Gold, 1992-Bronze). She is the only 5-time Olympic hoops player in the U.S.A., and there are only two others that have played in 5 Olympic Basketball competitions in the world (and the only female I might add). And get this; she is also one of only three U.S. Olympians to win gold in four different Olympic Games, former teammate Lisa Leslie and sprinter Carl Lewis. Only five other non-U.S. athletes have accomplished that feat. Oh, and on top of that she is a super nice woman that loves the game. Currently she is passing her knowledge onto WNBA players as she is an Assistant with the Minnesota Lynx.
Some more info:
--Youngest (1984, 20 years old) and oldest (2000, 36 years old) U.S. women’s basketball player to win an Olympic gold medal
--Member of the historic 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and 1995-96 USA Basketball Women’s National Team that compiled a combined 60-0 record and was named the 1996 U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Basketball Team of the Year
--USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year a record four times (1987, 1990, 1996, 2000)
--Took Olympic Oath on behalf of all Olympic competitors at 1996 Opening Ceremony
Congratulations to Teresa Edwards. LONG, LONG overdue. (And in my humble opinion, that entire 1996 Women's Basketball team belongs in the Hall of Fame. Look at what they did to the face of women's basketball!)
(thanks to teamusa.org for those amazing numbers)
WNBA News
Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky traded some players. The Dream sent 2008 first round draft pick Tamera Young to the Sky for fellow 2007 first round pick Armintie Price. Who wins? The Dream, man! Price was the 2007 Rookie of the Year and has been on the bench for the Sky. She'll start playing right away. Oh man, the Dream are really coming together.
Indiana Fever lost another starter, Ebony Hoffman. She has some tendinitis in her left ankle. Not sure how long she'll be out, probably day-to-day. Hopefully Tammy Sutton-Brown will recover quickly and get back into the lineup.
Other News
Leon Barmore WILL return to his Assistant Coaching position at Baylor. He really contemplated staying retired but has decided his heart is still in the game. I mean, seriously, would anyone turn down the opportunity to coach Brittney Griner? Article here.
And an interesting bit of trivia:
What two teams played the first intercollegiate women's basketball game?
Give up??? How about Stanford and Cal...who would've thought? April 4, 1896 at the Page Street Armory in San Francisco, CA. Final score: 2-1 Stanford. Nice article on the game.
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