SacBee: Plan in place if Penicheiro can't play

[StevenHW]

From today's SacBee:
http://www.sacbee.com/sports/story/1933818.html

...Penicheiro is listed as day-to-day with a sprained right thumb suffered in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 80-70 loss in Seattle. A strained right biceps already was bothering the Monarchs' starting point guard last week.

 

[RDub21]

Powell, yes I can see her running point for back-up minutes if Ticha is out, but Newton...at point? That's scary.

 

[mdme]

Powell, yes I can see her running point for back-up minutes if Ticha is out, but Newton...at point? That's scary.

Newton at point? Now I get Whiz/Boucek's grand plan all along why they kept Chelsea....(sarcasm)

 

[6th]

We still need a back-up pg. Kara and her knee cannot take all the minutes.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

Newton ran more point @ Rutgers than she'll be asked to here, so I'm not all that worried. I actually prefer her doing that over Powell. Even with healthy knee for Lawson, they'd still need a 3rd string backup.

 

[samq]

Wasn't Cappie the point at Rutgers?

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

yep, but Newton ran some too - she might have shared it while Cappie was gone for personal reasons. Can't remember if Ajavon was there or not the year/part of a season Pondexter was gone from the team.

 

[creative one]

If Newton can't even play shooting guard well, what makes anyone think she'll be able to play the point?

Welcome to the 2010 WNBA Draft Lottery, Monarchs.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

There is a reason why she is 4th on the depth chart there. That we're even pondering the need to use a 4th stringer at that spot is enough of an indictment on the start this season.

That being said, I'd prefer her as a backup point than Powell.


Though I was chastised for this on Sunday after I heard about Ticha's injury, I'm going to say it here anyway since the door was opened...

Prince 2010...the marketing opportunities are endless for her being in purple. (and I'm designing the t-shirts etc right now just in case so I'm ready) gallows humor is a good thing....

 

[creative one]

Tanking for Epiphanny Prince has got to be the most bogus idea proposed on this board. Seriously.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

To each their own...

 

[samq]

Prince will be good, but I don't think she's the best guard in the draft. In fact, she's probably the 4th best player...but that can change next year.

 

[RDub21]

If we don't get the 1st or 2nd pick, I'm all about Prince. I'll take anyone who is willing to and can score (a lot). Maybe the Rutgers pedigree actually would put her on the Monarch's radar screen.

On a side note, are we really talking about next year's draft? Yes we're 0-2, but watching both games, I am still optimistic about this team and their chances to make the playoffs and make some noise. The offense can only get better (right?) and the defense is looking good. The season is young Monarchs' fans!!!

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

I noted that my comment about the draft was gallows humor...

 

[Luv13fan]

If we don't get the 1st or 2nd pick, I'm all about Prince. I'll take anyone who is willing to and can score (a lot). Maybe the Rutgers pedigree actually would put her on the Monarch's radar screen.

On a side note, are we really talking about next year's draft? Yes we're 0-2, but watching both games, I am still optimistic about this team and their chances to make the playoffs and make some noise. The offense can only get better (right?) and the defense is looking good. The season is young Monarchs' fans!!!

Well if you walk on a tight rope long enough eventually you are gonna fall. I certainly hope we aren't lottery bound. Gallows humor aside... It is a very glaring testiment. The fact that somewhere in the back of most of our minds this is a real possibility.

Again I sincerly hope this is not the case, but if it is... we really shouldn't be surprised. This has been coming for some time.
Think about it... The drafts... 2005-2008.
2005 picks 1st rd.. Gone 2nd rd Should have been,
2006 First rounders 1 gone the other probably should have been,
2007 1st rd... Surrendered for the 2005 2nd rounder that should be gone.
2nd rounder traded
2008- 1st rounder so far so good. There is hope.

Based on the Draft, poor personnel decisions (won't even get into that) and Bad luck it wasn't a matter of IF it was a matter of When.

But the season doesn't have to be lost. I still think there is more than enough time to make some changes and get some people healthy.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

I'm not going to get into a conversation about the previous drafts, I'm played out on that.

I will say however, that you can't draft health and that's what this team needs right now. And perhaps needed the last 2 seasons as well. The last time they visited the lottery, it was due to a season that started much much worse than this one did, even with that they still nearly made the playoffs with everybody healthy for half a season.

It's always a possibility that the injury bug will finally catch up with them.

 

[creative one]

The "injury bug" is not the sole reason why we are 0-2. We are 0-2 because, once again, we cannot put the ball in the hole. Next year's pick, whether it be Appel, Charles, Wright, or Prince, needs to be able to do just that--score against WNBA defenders.

 

[creative one]

I agree with Luv13fan. Scholanda and Chelsea should've been gone long ago. They're on the team this year because management didn't really give us any viable options given this 11-man roster restriction. If rosters are at full-strength next season, I expect to see at least two new guards on this team next season.

 

[Luv13fan]

Snake-Bitten????


Well I don't mean to rehash an old theme, but One thing has everything to do with the other.

I guess one could argue that we have been snake-bitten by the injury bug and just had a rash of bad luck. A wise woman once told me that "YOU MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK". A good GM certainly does. INJURIES are a part of the sport. Unless a team is Very lucky, Injuries are unavoidable.

We had injury issues in 2005, Demya was injured, Kara was Injured for quite a bit of the season, Yo was nursing a ailing knee, and Ticha had a late season injury.


And yet we managed to win the title in 2005. Why???
Depth...

We had depth at every position, and we had close to starter quality depth at every position.

We don't have that type of depth anymore. So we are far more susceptible to injury. That is why The Draft choices are relevant. And why the personnel decisions are relevant.
Such as... assuming AWS's BIG and guaranteed contract for 2 year. Tying up roster and cap space. That is money you spend on STARTER material. Not someone you don't expect to start.
I could go on... but we have rehashed most of this at nausea.

The point is... we allowed alot of our depth and talent to walk out the door and got little to nothing in return. And before we argue that no deal could be made lets consider that LA got a first round draft pick for Sidney Spencer. Just something to consider.

At the end of the day, if we had the type of quality depth on our roster now that we had in 05-06 these injures wouldn't be that significant. And just because players were on the roster doesn't mean they are the same quality as they were during our Championship runs.