Got home and watched the game on tape. I really don't know what to say. Two games in a row where we get down big and have to claw our way back into it. If we can't score, we have to at least play defense!!!! Granted, Diana and Cappie aren't your average players, but still, the team just looked tired, borderline lazy. I don't know if I can take this inconsistency. Blow out Seattle by 21 and then get into a deep hole two games in a row. I don't know what it is, but something needs to happen, since the road ahead isn't getting any easier...
We looked pitiful tonight!
- Thread starter RDub21
- Start date
GeorgeofSacramento
Bench
Remember, as the Champions, there's no sneaking up on any opponent. As stated above, every team is throwing their best at us. I hope we can put together a string of wins to give us momentum.
That being said, it was a tough game to watch tonight.
That being said, it was a tough game to watch tonight.
Luv13fan
Bench
That is a cop-out
I am sorry I do not buy that.
I am not convinced that Coach Whiz's aling mother is causing this type of distraction. The fact of the matter is that the Monarchs have always had issues with consistant scoring.
Last year we were fortunate enough to create enough turnovers and have enough scoring to win games. In theroy we should have gotten better offensively and we haven't. We are putting undue burden on our defense.
Is it true that we have had defensive lapses? Absolutely! But I am very concerned about our inability to take and make open shots. We pass on open shots, we over pass when we penatrate, and we miss point blank shots. Not to mention we are tanking Free-Throws.
This is causing us to make ill-advised passes and take ill-advised chances on defense. If you look at our losses there was a point when we were in the game and we missed a scoring opportunity. And Obvious and easy scoring opportunity, then we breakdown defensively. These are things we did to other teams.
So one has to ask... Are these mental Breakdowns or, are we really this bad? By the way the season is going I think Whiz needs to make some sort of move. I haven't figured out which move yet, but if we do not get some more productivity we are gonna need to sign or trade for an outside shoooter. I know we hang our hat on Defense, but as I shared with Mama B, your defense breaks down if you don't follow good defensive with points.
What can we do to improve right now?
1) Get DeMya on the fastest thing smoking out of Texas. We need her energy, even if it is just in practice. We need to get our swagger back in a big way.
2) Everybody has to pick up their effort. EVERYBODY... I know Yo thinks the Offense should run thru her. And to some degree it should. But Kara and Nicole need to establish themselves on the Wings.
3) Someone else needs to do some scoring. Look to shoot first pass second.
4) Stop looking for and making excuses for sorry *** play. (Not that they have) I have watched an ailing parent die, and I sympathize with Whiz and what he is going thru. But if he can't keep his mind on and in the game, then he needs to stay with his family til the issue resolves itself.
No-one would think less of him. And the Team needs to play thru whatever distractions are going on.
This Team was energized but new blood last year. Hungry players that had something to prove. If things do not improve it may need to happen again.
Sirius said:
I am sorry I do not buy that.
I am not convinced that Coach Whiz's aling mother is causing this type of distraction. The fact of the matter is that the Monarchs have always had issues with consistant scoring.
Last year we were fortunate enough to create enough turnovers and have enough scoring to win games. In theroy we should have gotten better offensively and we haven't. We are putting undue burden on our defense.
Is it true that we have had defensive lapses? Absolutely! But I am very concerned about our inability to take and make open shots. We pass on open shots, we over pass when we penatrate, and we miss point blank shots. Not to mention we are tanking Free-Throws.
This is causing us to make ill-advised passes and take ill-advised chances on defense. If you look at our losses there was a point when we were in the game and we missed a scoring opportunity. And Obvious and easy scoring opportunity, then we breakdown defensively. These are things we did to other teams.
So one has to ask... Are these mental Breakdowns or, are we really this bad? By the way the season is going I think Whiz needs to make some sort of move. I haven't figured out which move yet, but if we do not get some more productivity we are gonna need to sign or trade for an outside shoooter. I know we hang our hat on Defense, but as I shared with Mama B, your defense breaks down if you don't follow good defensive with points.
What can we do to improve right now?
1) Get DeMya on the fastest thing smoking out of Texas. We need her energy, even if it is just in practice. We need to get our swagger back in a big way.
2) Everybody has to pick up their effort. EVERYBODY... I know Yo thinks the Offense should run thru her. And to some degree it should. But Kara and Nicole need to establish themselves on the Wings.
3) Someone else needs to do some scoring. Look to shoot first pass second.
4) Stop looking for and making excuses for sorry *** play. (Not that they have) I have watched an ailing parent die, and I sympathize with Whiz and what he is going thru. But if he can't keep his mind on and in the game, then he needs to stay with his family til the issue resolves itself.
No-one would think less of him. And the Team needs to play thru whatever distractions are going on.
This Team was energized but new blood last year. Hungry players that had something to prove. If things do not improve it may need to happen again.
NothinButHoops
Starter
Very wel put Luv13. I'm at a loss. They made fools out of us. The points in the paint from other teams are done with such ease...White Line Defense...hum, is it missing in action?
We went over to Joey B's and had a good time considering the loss. They had a private section set up & some really nice TV's the food was off the hook. They will be having more away games there, a great set up. You can also sit outside. As for the game,and the way we played...we need to regroup!
We went over to Joey B's and had a good time considering the loss. They had a private section set up & some really nice TV's the food was off the hook. They will be having more away games there, a great set up. You can also sit outside. As for the game,and the way we played...we need to regroup!
Purple Reign
Starter
Here is my two cent...Luv13fan said:
COACH WHISNANT
I do believe that there has been a number of small distractions that have led up to one big ole distraction that is surrounding the coach. Between his son getting married, the Kings courting him and his mother's illness, yes i do think that it has distracted this team particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Defensively, it is up to Whisnant to turn up the heat. And if the voice that commands energy, effort is not up to par, it is human nature to relax on the defensive side. That is what I am seeing here.
DeMYA WALKER
If and that is a BIG IF DeMya comes back ready to play, i believe she will take care of a lot of the offensive woes the Monarchs are experiencing.
KARA LAWSON/SCHOLANDA DORRELL
Kara Lawson is not a starter. Not on this team. Defensively she can be a liability. Her role is to come off of the bench and light it up, bring some energy (aka Vinnie "The microwave" Johnson). I am ready to permantently hand the two guard spot to Scholanda Dorrell. She is as talented and athletic as Augustus and Poindexter. She needs to be on the floor.
REBEKKAH BRUNSON
Lastly, I am very disappointed with Rebekkah Brunson's play. I was hoping that this was going to be an All Star season. That she was going to raise the level of her play to make the transition of Griffith's retirement very easy. So far, none of that has happened.
Monty'sBiggestFan
Starter
I'll join this discussion later tonight when I get back home. I have some thoughts...no answers particularly...just thoughts.
I do agree that this team has always had scoring problems so this isn't anything new. Moderately agree about Kara...something else about her is that even she is not looking to shoot either. They did put in a new offense this year and that might be playing into this as well.
I do agree that this team has always had scoring problems so this isn't anything new. Moderately agree about Kara...something else about her is that even she is not looking to shoot either. They did put in a new offense this year and that might be playing into this as well.
nancgo
Bench
yes yes yes, what everyone else said......
I hate that they have to pass a thousand times before shooting, and that it HAS to go to the middle. Why? I understand the high percentage shot thing, but please.....if Kara or Nicole are open, take the freaking shot instead of turning it over while trying to penetrate for goodness sakes! The other teams are figuring this out! Also, the shooters need to learn to make a little room for their shots or learn to make shots with a hand in their faces. Other players do that all the time. I understand players get hot and find their groove. But geez, two games in a row and this team can't shoot for sh*t. C'mon. Something's gotta give. I agree with PR on Kara/Sholanda...Kara can't defend that well, and she did much better coming off the bench. And Brunson....where the heck is the girl that took over last year when DeMya was out!!!! I want her back!!!
Other teams are getting our number. Make adjustments please......not sure what else to say.....Chicago's coming up on Saturday, and they're not bad for an expansion team. So this team needs to focus and do what they need to do to win.
I hate that they have to pass a thousand times before shooting, and that it HAS to go to the middle. Why? I understand the high percentage shot thing, but please.....if Kara or Nicole are open, take the freaking shot instead of turning it over while trying to penetrate for goodness sakes! The other teams are figuring this out! Also, the shooters need to learn to make a little room for their shots or learn to make shots with a hand in their faces. Other players do that all the time. I understand players get hot and find their groove. But geez, two games in a row and this team can't shoot for sh*t. C'mon. Something's gotta give. I agree with PR on Kara/Sholanda...Kara can't defend that well, and she did much better coming off the bench. And Brunson....where the heck is the girl that took over last year when DeMya was out!!!! I want her back!!!
Other teams are getting our number. Make adjustments please......not sure what else to say.....Chicago's coming up on Saturday, and they're not bad for an expansion team. So this team needs to focus and do what they need to do to win.
Monty'sBiggestFan
Starter
I think what has been going on with Whiz is playing into what has gone on with the team to some extent. His mother passing yesterday probably did affect the team to some extent - I just don't buy that all of a sudden they forgot how to play all of a sudden.
Something definitely going on with this offense - I saw the same thing or at least similar things in that first preseason game at ARCO. They struggled doing anything within the offense and were doing a lot of over passing - which was causing them to have shot clock violations, now instead of turning the ball over on a penalty they are turning it over by taking poor shots or tossing the ball into the hands of another player.
If I also remember correctly, they perfected the art of getting jumped early in a game during the preseason as well. Two of those games I'm sure about - I didn't hear the game in New Mexico but I assumed because they had been down by double digits at some point in that game that it was a similar M.O.
They definitely miss DeMya, but somebody's gotta realize much like they realized last year that they aren't going to have her for a specified period or perhaps at all this season. Brunson took the opportunity she was given last year and ran with it, and to start the season she looked poised to pick up where she left off. But since the Chicago game, she's been non exisitent as an offensive option. Kara and Kim are barely options in the offense and Ticha turns hers on and off. Even when people called for the ball last night in the half of the game I saw, nobody gave it to them. I thought to myself, golly everybody has been overpassing the ball trying to force things instead of taking shots and when somebody does want to take one nobody wants to pass it to them.
The Monarchs have 4 players who weren't here last year, that's pretty much new blood that should be hungry or at least as hungry as the newbies were last year. The bigger question probably is, are the other 8 players wearing bling as hungry as they were last year to repeat? I remember a lot of the talk and focus last year being on how tired the veterans were of coming 1 game shy of getting to the Finals and wanting to finally get over that WCF hump. Now they've won it all, is that same fire stoking them to repeat - at least for me the question boils down not in a laziness slant, but rather an comparison of how high relatively speaking that intensity is for them now. I'm sure they all want to repeat the feeling, and certainly have talked the talk about wanting to repeat but the desire to taste the champagne in the first place has to rate higher. Right?
They still have time to turn it around, but they have to start turning it around. In the San Antonio game, they at least woke up and started playing with some focus and some energy. I never felt that last night in the 2nd half. I know they made some runs, but those runs were followed by longer lapses that let the game get back out of control.
Something definitely going on with this offense - I saw the same thing or at least similar things in that first preseason game at ARCO. They struggled doing anything within the offense and were doing a lot of over passing - which was causing them to have shot clock violations, now instead of turning the ball over on a penalty they are turning it over by taking poor shots or tossing the ball into the hands of another player.
If I also remember correctly, they perfected the art of getting jumped early in a game during the preseason as well. Two of those games I'm sure about - I didn't hear the game in New Mexico but I assumed because they had been down by double digits at some point in that game that it was a similar M.O.
They definitely miss DeMya, but somebody's gotta realize much like they realized last year that they aren't going to have her for a specified period or perhaps at all this season. Brunson took the opportunity she was given last year and ran with it, and to start the season she looked poised to pick up where she left off. But since the Chicago game, she's been non exisitent as an offensive option. Kara and Kim are barely options in the offense and Ticha turns hers on and off. Even when people called for the ball last night in the half of the game I saw, nobody gave it to them. I thought to myself, golly everybody has been overpassing the ball trying to force things instead of taking shots and when somebody does want to take one nobody wants to pass it to them.
The Monarchs have 4 players who weren't here last year, that's pretty much new blood that should be hungry or at least as hungry as the newbies were last year. The bigger question probably is, are the other 8 players wearing bling as hungry as they were last year to repeat? I remember a lot of the talk and focus last year being on how tired the veterans were of coming 1 game shy of getting to the Finals and wanting to finally get over that WCF hump. Now they've won it all, is that same fire stoking them to repeat - at least for me the question boils down not in a laziness slant, but rather an comparison of how high relatively speaking that intensity is for them now. I'm sure they all want to repeat the feeling, and certainly have talked the talk about wanting to repeat but the desire to taste the champagne in the first place has to rate higher. Right?
They still have time to turn it around, but they have to start turning it around. In the San Antonio game, they at least woke up and started playing with some focus and some energy. I never felt that last night in the 2nd half. I know they made some runs, but those runs were followed by longer lapses that let the game get back out of control.
kennadog
Dog On It!
I'm pretty baffled, but I have to thnk it is a combination of everything mentioned here. There have been a lot of distractions for Coach Whisenant; Kara doesn't look fully recovered from her mystery ailment to me; Bekkah??????; we miss DeMya big-time; and, let's face it, Yo is playing on bad knees. Not sure any one tweak is going to help. When Coach gets back to the game, he's got some work to do. I hope he can focus, its hard after losing a parent, no matter how expected.