Should Walker Be Reinserted into the Starting Lineup

[Purple Reign]

Let's see if we can generate some playoff buzz here for the Monarchs. For whatever reason I have noticed a deadness on this board during what I feel is going to be the greatest season in the history of Monarchs basketball.

One of the questions of the night on last night's Monarchs Talk was should DeMya Walker be placed back into the starting lineup in place of Rebecca Brunson.

My answer to that is an absolutely NO!!

If Brunson was playing ordinary basketball, and Walker was playing ordinary basketball I would say yes. But since Walker has been back here are the numbers:

COMBINED
23-37 FG, 23 rbs, 55 pts

Points off the Bench: 22 against Phoenix, 33 against LA

Most importantly, I think that Brunson would shrink back to a reserve mentality if she is moved back to the bench, where I think that DeMya is mentally strong enough to handle the change and still be as effective and maybe even better. The difference between women's and men's ball is ego. And I think that if this was Brad Miller and Chris Webber......well...you saw how that went. I like how Whisnant shrunk the bench on Tuesday night. And a bench rotation of Walker, Lawson, Maiga and Haynie when she returns, gives the Monarchs a tight solid rotation that can score and defend enough to win a WNBA Championship.

 

[NothinButHoops]

I'd like to see DeWalk, continue to come off the bench also. Brunson has been such a spark & we all know our rebounding needs to continue to grow. Walker can give us the scoring we need & keep getting her knee stronger. She & Brunson looked awesome vs. L.A....so lets keep the chemistry clicking!

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

I think it all depends on whether or not DeMya is ready to handle the minutes she was logging before. To me it doesn't matter which one of them starts or finishes the game or which one of them comes off the bench, they both have been putting up fantastic numbers regardless of the number of minutes they played. I really don't see Brunson shrinking back to a reserve mentality - if she wants to keep her minutes up she won't, because Whiz certainly had shown during the time that she was a "starter" that she still had to earn the minutes that went along with that, and she still gets yanked from the floor to sit next to Abetamarco and Ambers to explain why she missed her defensive assignment or whatever it is she does that makes Whiz summon Buescher in for Brunson in the first couple of minutes of games during that last long homestand. Unless she wants OSR or Buescher splitting her minutes in the future, she will continue to stay focused and produce. My presumption is that she should however now be a much stronger bench player than she was before she was asked to start in Walker's absence. They should be virtually interchangeable. I also believe as we saw on Tuesday that Whiz will finish the game with the best group of five he has available to him and he'll still reach back to the bench when need be to get some offense or defense. I thought for a minute Ticha was not going to return to the game on Tuesday - he looked like he was content with how Brunson, Walker, Newton, Lawson and Powell were handling their business. He subbed Ticha back in very late as I recall. Coach T made it sound like Whiz was really trying to give Ticha as much rest as possible because he does not have Haynie available and without her Ticha's had to play more minutes than he'd like to have her playing the last few games. So I really don't think it matters who plays when or where, unless someone forces the issue in the lockerroom, and I don't see that happening, or at least I hope it doesn't. It should be a single solitary focus for every single player on this team right now, and it aint about "me" and "mine".

 

[RoyalDiva]

just a friendly note from your moderator here-folks, please allow this thread to be the civil discussion it is meant to be and don't take any criticism that might be leveled at your favorite player personally and get upset about it here. Earlier this season we had a problem with this happening on the forum, so that is why I am bringing it up.

 

[Still JD]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I say you make a decision when DeMya is 100%. With that huge brace on her knee she is not 100%. Why risk re-injury by rushing her back to starter, or risk chemistry or momentum with an abrupt change you don't need to make. Especially under Whiz where you earn your minutes, whether you are a starter or bench player. This team is so focused on winning that I agree with MBF that the labels of "starter" and "bench" are irrelevant.

 

[RDub21]

I listened to this discussion yesterday on MonarchsTalk. At first I would have said put back Walker in the starting 5, but as Purple said, I think starting Brunson will keep her confidence sky high and Walker is strong enough mentally to not let the "bench" label hinder her performance on the floor. Our starting 5 of Ticha, Newton, Powell, Brunson, and Yo can hold their own on the floor, but a bench of Walker, Maiga, Lawson, Haynie and OSR will be hard to stop.

 

[6th]

I love what Rebekkah is doing, however, even she would be the 1st to come off the bench once DeMya is 100%. Dang, did you see DeMya's stats the other night against L.A. She was 7 for 10 (17 pts) with that big ole brace.

I don't think it really matters once you get down to it, but I would not penalize DeMya for having been injured. She earned the starting spot and is having a fantastic All-Star season. She is our top scorer. You just don't bring your top scorer of the bench, in my mind.

 

[6th]

I love what Rebekkah is doing, however, even she would be the 1st to come off the bench once DeMya is 100%. Dang, did you see DeMya's stats the other night against L.A. She was 7 for 10 (17 pts) with that big ole brace.

I don't think it really matters once you get down to it, but I would not penalize DeMya for having been injured. She earned the starting spot and is having a fantastic All-Star season. She is our top scorer. You just don't bring your top scorer of the bench, in my mind.

Bekkah is a rebounding machine. If we are having trouble snagging boards, then get her in there pronto.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

I guess we may not have to worry about this question for a bit....

 

[GeorgeofSacramento]

DeMya crashed right in front of where I was taking pictures. She keep telling the trainer how much it hurt and how she'd "heard it crack". That was the most frightening thing I've heard in a long time.

On the other hand, it was really something to see her in the second half asking one of the helpers to assist her up so she could hobble over to the team in a time-out huddle. Now that's a team player!

Oh yes, the official "Monarchs Injury Update" given to the press at half-time was "DeMya Walker - Right knee sprain, will not return to game."

I don't think, for her own benefit, she'll be back this season.

 

[DWalkfan22]

She keep telling the trainer how much it hurt and how she'd "heard it crack". That was the most frightening thing I've heard in a long time.

Wow. I must be PMS'ing cuz I can't stop crying!! I'm so emotional rite now. I'm crying a river over here. Thanx for filling me/us in George I appreciate it.

 

[MamaBristow]

Local news just said that they THINK DeMya may have torn the ACL tonight.

That just makes me sick. Just when things were going good.

 

[GeorgeofSacramento]

One of the gutsy things tonight was how DeMya sat on that stool, alternating crying in pain and rooting for her teammates during the second half. I think most of us would have been in the training room, in a spa, or covered with ice. Nope, she was there for her team and that says a lot about her.

 

[MamaBristow]

From WNBA.com:

Walker Out Due To Right Knee Sprain
The Sacramento Monarchs today have announced that forward DeMya Walker will be on the injured list from two to four weeks due to a right knee sprain that she suffered late in the first half of the game against the San Antonio Silver Stars on Thursday. Walker missed eight games earlier in the season after she previously injured the same knee. The 2005 All-Star forward will look on from the sidelines as her teammates finish out the last four games of the regular season and then head into the first round of the WNBA Playoffs later this month.

Thank goodness it's not the ACL!!! Just a sprain. Rest up DeMya!! Also, Haynie and Buescher have been re-activated. Feifei goes on the IR with DeMya.

 

[6th]

Thanks for the news, Mama.

Okay, so now I have lots of questions about the playoffs and which players make the active playoff roster. If, at the end of the regular season, it appears that DeMya will be able to play in later playoff rounds, then they have to put her back on the active roster even if she cannot play in the 1st round. Will they? I am guessing yes.