[PHX/DET] The Finals *** Game 5 - Winner Take All ***

Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#1
#1
I mostly wanted to say that that pick Taurasi set on Feenstra to open up Tan Smith was a thing of beauty. I'll probably add comments as the game goes on.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#2
#2
Looks like the law of averages may have finally caught up with Phoenix. Of course, I can't imagine that anybody other than Mercury fans believed that they were going to shoot like they've been doing for the whole season/playoffs...
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#3
#3
Now that's just silly; you're the biggest player on either team; you're four inches taller than the tallest player on the other team... so how do you let yourself get blocked on three straight possessions? That was Dydek-esque...
 
K

Kstat

Bench
#4
#4
There's a reason Feenstra's a backup...

That said, when she gets her shot off, she has a great touch for her size. She's also a tough girl to shoot over. Not a great rebounder, but she can block shots.

So far, defense is beating offense. Classic Shock basketball, at least so far. Even without Cheryl Ford we're beating them up in the paint. Laimbeer set up a really effective system to slow down finesse teams, and it worked even with our 2nd best player out and our best player sitting due to foul trouble.

That late run had a lot to do with Lambs adjusting mid-half with the twin-tower lineup of Feenstra and Braxton, and Westhead having no answer in the paint.

BTW, I really like Ivory Latta. Aside from being cute, she's the best pure PG we have. Hope to see her play more next year.
 
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Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#5
#5
Hasn't Feenstra started every game in the playoffs?

I'm going to go on record as saying that Phoenix is going to miss Vodichkova in this series.
 
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#7
#7
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
Hasn't Feenstra started every game in the playoffs?

I'm going to go on record as saying that Phoenix is going to miss Vodichkova in this series.
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Well, she's a ceremonial starter, as Braxton gets most of the minutes. She's just more focused coming off the bench a few minutes into the game, for whatever reason.

I still think of her as a backup because when it's winning time, Braxton's always in.
 
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Bench
#8
#8
It's a black mark for the WNBA that their MVP might refuse to play next year...

I do wonder if money might talk, though. I'm sure some owners would be tempted to pay big money for the chance to get their ticket sales up. She could be looking at a huge payday if the Storm folds.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#9
#9
Kstat said:
Well, she's a ceremonial starter, as Braxton gets most of the minutes...
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Most? Slow down; Braxton's only averaging four minutes a game more than Feenstra is... it looks to me like neither one of them are in the game in "winning time."

Doesn't Laimbeer usually go with Ford and Pierson down the stretch?
 
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#10
#10
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
Most? Slow down; Braxton's only averaging four minutes a game more than Feenstra is... it looks to me like neither one of them are in the game in "winning time."

Doesn't Laimbeer usually go with Ford and Pierson down the stretch?
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That isn't very often. Mostly when we have to go small.

Pierson actually subs for Ford more often than braxton.
 
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K

Kstat

Bench
#11
#11
I'm scratching my head trying to figure out if Taurasi has any basketball IQ at all, or all her points come off sheer physical superiority.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#13
#13
Kstat said:
I'm scratching my head trying to figure out if Taurasi has any basketball IQ at all, or all her points come off sheer physical superiority.
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You could say the same thing about Pondexter... fortunately for the Mercury, Taylor and Miller appear to have enough basketball IQ to go around...

EDIT - And, to be fair, Taurasi has excellent court vision, and it probably the best passer on that team.
 
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K

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#14
#14
Mr. S£im Citrus said:

EDIT - And, to be fair, Taurasi has excellent court vision, and it probably the best passer on that team.
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Yeah- she's like LeBron James,except she wastes her game jacking up threes and commits completely terrible fouls. I'm happy she spends her game trying to be Dan Majerle.
 
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K

Kstat

Bench
#16
#16
Katie Smith plays on sheer guts now. She's not nearly the player she was offensively, but she still plays the best perimeter defense on our team, and takes a punishment at the basket getting to the line.
 
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#17
#17
BTW, Kira Braxton is further puzzling me. So much talent, and she can't figure out how to use it consistently, like tonight.

She's really everything you could want in a female center. The only player Laimbeer hasn't figure out how to maximize yet.
 
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#19
#19
note to Phoenix: starting fights with the Shock is exactly what they want.

case-in-point: Pondexter is out of control, and Nolan is smiling all the way to the bench.

Mentally, physically, emotionally, we've got them right where we want them. I hope it stays that way.
 
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Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#22
#22
Kstat said:
note to Phoenix: starting fights with the Shock is exactly what they want.

case-in-point: Pondexter is out of control, and Nolan is smiling all the way to the bench.

Mentall, physically, emotionally, we've got them right where they want them. I hope it stays that way.
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I'll agree with that; Phoenix hasn't particularly impressed me as a mentally tough team; that's why I was really hoping that we could have beaten San Antonio... because we'd be in the Finals right now.

No surprise that Phoenix is having difficulty; they're playing the one team in the WNBA that's athletic enough to keep up with them, and is much better on the defensive end and the glass. Phoenix lives and dies by their transition game, and if you're not going to get rebounds, you've got to force turnovers.

 
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#23
#23
The Shock beat the Mercury the same way they beat everyone else.

48-30 on the glass

50-12 bench scoring advantage

The fact we beat them so badly inside without Cheryl Ford should be a pretty big red flag. Phoenix isn't going to beat us with their cheesy box and 1 zone that a 7-year old could figure out how to beat.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#24
#24
I love how the reporter asks Laimbeer whether Pierson looked to getting traded from Phoenix as motivation, and he said that it wasn't. And then, when Pierson comes to the podium for questions, the same reporter asks her the same question, anyway... And, by "love," I mean, why are reporters so ****ing obnoxious?
 
StevenHW

StevenHW

Starter
#27
#27
Kstat said:
It's a black mark for the WNBA that their MVP [Lauren Jackson] might refuse to play next year...

I do wonder if money might talk, though. I'm sure some owners would be tempted to pay big money for the chance to get their ticket sales up. She could be looking at a huge payday if the Storm folds.
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...only that I don't think the Seattle Storm will fold. However, there is a very good chance that the team will relocate to Oklahoma City. They won't fold. There's a big difference.

Lauren has said in past interviews, in the event the Storm franchise leave Seattle, she will not be with the relocated team in the '08 WNBA season.

Not that I'm a fan of Seattle, but I would hate to see Lauren leave the WNBA, and that's mainly why I hope the Storm do not leave town.
 
NothinButHoops

NothinButHoops

Starter
#29
#29
I beleive The Mercury better get tough & play the Shock's physical style or see ya next year. With that being said they still need to run.

My apologies up front...but can somebody please body check K.Smith into next week, her slick way of leveling folks & then getting the benefit of a foul, really gets me fired up. I don't take anything away from the Shock & protecting the home court. I do know if Taurasi fades out of this series, the Shock will repeat. I gotta agree she & Cappie have to be smart. Loved watching P.Taylor be agressive , she has such a smooth jumper & can go right to the basket as well.

A good series so far , I hope the Mercury show up on Sat. Steal game 2...anyway you can!
 
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#30
#30
if Cheryl Ford can go Saturday, it's going to be very tough envisioning a Phoenix victory. Phoenix can't rebound the ball as it is.
 
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