What is needed for game 2?

[6th]

Okay, first, do you think the Monarchs have a chance in this series? Then, if so, second would be, what do the Monarchs need to do to beat San Antonio?

Several things come to mind for me. In no particular order:

1. They have to find a way to get Kara more shots.

2. They have to convert some 3's.

3. Defensive adjustments must be made. One example is something that Mr Slim pointed out in chat. Get Franklin off of Hammon. Either Newton or Robinson should be guarding her when Ticha is off the court.

4. Cut down on turnovers.

There is plenty more, but I'd like to hear what you all think.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

I'll be back with more later, but I had sorta the opposite reaction about defending Hammon. If Scho and Newton are on the floor with her, I'd leave Franklin on Hammon or which ever of their smaller guards are out there. The best you can do is make Hammon miserable but even that wasn't working.

If VJ is on the floor, put your best defender on her if Franklin is your only other option. If nobody gets Hammon the ball then Hammon can't shoot...sorta like was the case with Lawson. Johnson was the distributor last night and she was killing them that way when she wasn't scoring herself.

If VJ wasn't on the floor when Franklin was in, I still might have wanted the better defender denying the ball handler most likely initiating the offense. The defense did its job forcing Hammon to take outside shots - that she was hitting them at an 80% clip wasn't cool but I'll tip my cap to her for that. That they also let her and others get loose in the lane for layups was much worse tho...that they might want to stop in game 2 or its going to be another long night at the office even if Hammon shoots like a normal human being on Saturday.

 

[Purple Reign]

The mental approach that you can not win two games in one possession. In other words no pressure, yet at the same time play quick with urgency. Pull the trigger. One thing I saw in the fourth quarter of Game One was that they tried to get easy safe baskets, when it was time to play with reckless abandonment. If the three is there, TAKE IT DOG GONE IT!!! Don't try to force inside what is not there.

 

[creative one]

What's needed for Game 2? Prayer.

Franklin couldn't even guard Bobbitt this season, so why would anyone expect her to be able to guard Becky Hammon...even for five minutes? She got caught up high on so many screen-and-rolls that eventually Jenny saw enough and had no other choice than to yank her. If she plays more than five minutes tonight, congratulate San Antonio on its second straight conference finals appearance.

I think it's quite sad when players can't even guard others their own size, but I digress. The only way to beat Hammon is to force her to shoot contested jump shots. You can't turn her into a passer because she doesn't mind passing (actually likes to pass). You have to make her try to be the "hero". That means that you put a long defender on her and just D-up everyone else. If the others aren't hitting, she'll feel compelled to force the issue and will miss.

Kara's got to learn how to create space to get her own shot. That comes from actually working on your game during the offseason. Whalen and Hammon can do it despite not being great athletes, so why can't Kara? Makes you wonder...

 

[uncommonclay]

same as game 1 ... except it didn't happen in game 1 ...

the key is Becky Hammon, and the 40:00 minute, 94' x 47', D that gets played against her ... no mental lapses, no losing her intransition, no letting her get 2 or 3 threes in a row ... ball denial, dribble denial, tower over her short self, D * ... if Becky is shut down, SASS will be shut down ... the M's can do that ... D will lead to O for the M's ...

* ... i'm talking Scho, Chelsea, Ticha, Kara, Aqua ... whoever ... everybody ... well, maybe not Aqua ... still, put her on the floor at least 3 times ... three times, on the floor ... hard ...

p.s -- best play from game 1 --- DeMya not letting Young get the easy lay up ...

the lack of tv, espn2, is a bummer ... so many games unwatched ... ; (