[BillBradley]

Those were highlights so they will show the offense at its best, but I do agree I miss that Stanford offense.  I will be honest here and say my biggest disappointment this season and I think a key reason the offense has been more of a struggle than we expected is that our two star players have not been close to what they have done shooting threes.  

Brink wasn't a great three point shooter before this season but she was competent and made some key ones.  She has not taken threes as much or made as many, and has been used way more on the low block than earlier this season.  If she was back to hitting a three or two now and again not only do we get more threes made from non-Jump players but she pulls defenders out to open things up for Betts or Iriafen, or Jones to cut to the basket.  Brink is not a one dimensional player, but that's how she has mostly been used after January.

The bigger problem is Jones has no three ball this season at all, no longer even looks to take them.  Without a three, Jones is still a star and a tough guard, but she is much more guardable when teams can play off her and cut off her driving lanes, make her passing harder as they lurk in passing lanes.  If Jones had a decent three she would be unguardable, the whole offense would look different, and her pro prospects would be improved.  

My biggest wish for the season was for someone to take over the point and be good enough at it so that Jones did not have to play there too much, and we got that.  Even if you don't think Lepolo is an ideal answer at the point, she is certainly a competent point guard who can cope with pressing teams.  My second biggest wish, and it was a very close second, maybe even first, was that Jones got her three point shooting to 30% or better and could average hitting two or three a game maybe.  I felt that would be a key given who else we had coming back and that it would open up the offense for her and by extension the whole team, because she is such a big part of the offense.

That a three would be a massive help for Jones in the pros is obvious.  Doubtful she is a 4 at the next level.  She will be a 3, and they usually can shoot threes.  I was hoping we would see her taking threes a lot in the early easier games and build on that, whether they went in or not, just work it.  I don't know why she hasn't been able to shoot threes even as well as past seasons.  I am not blaming her.  Gotta assume she has tried her best and is trying her best.  But that lack to me is one key reason the offense has been a struggle.  Everything looks a lot different if opposing defenses have to be out on her.  She is just one player but she is a key player, the straw that stirs the drink, if you will, for Stanford.  

That more open offense got stopped in its tracks when teams just said nah, we can just sit in and wait for you to miss outside shots, good luck driving or passing into double and triple teamed posts.  I think the offense went the wrong way.  Pounding the ball in to Brink doesn't make life easier for Jones.  Where are her driving lanes?  Where are anyone's driving lanes?  We bemoan the lack of driving perimeter players, but with teams packed in, where can they go?  Right now the offense seems to be try to get Jump a shot or hit Brink down low, and it is just too tough to do either of those things well against some defenses.  We need to open things up for other players.  Don't ask me how.  With all the changes in line-ups and schemes this season I am not really clear on how capable let's say Nivar would be if we tried to find her driving lanes more, or how Demetre would do if we got her those sweet mid-range shots she has shown she can hit well.  Emma-Nnopu and Lepolo have shown they can hit threes.  Maybe run plays for them every now and again, just to mix things up, make the defense think and work harder to anticipate what the offense will do?  I think I am running on so I will stop here.  Talking out my butt again but I am serious about this.

Spot on. It's too bunched up. I don't think it's rocket science to create more space though. It starts with removing a player from the lane and spreading out more. But that creates a big personnel problem for Tara, because you can't play Belibi, Kiki, or Betts on the perimeter. So those three would end up sharing the minutes from when Cam needs a rest or gets in foul trouble. If you buy into the point that Haley needs rest, maybe there's another 10 minutes there to go to another big. But I think we've ended up in a place where Tara is trying to find a role for too many people, and it's leading to these big, slow, bunched up lineups that also have trouble defending the perimeter and stopping dribble penetration.

[BillBradley]

Those were highlights so they will show the offense at its best, but I do agree I miss that Stanford offense.  I will be honest here and say my biggest disappointment this season and I think a key reason the offense has been more of a struggle than we expected is that our two star players have not been close to what they have done shooting threes.  

Brink wasn't a great three point shooter before this season but she was competent and made some key ones.  She has not taken threes as much or made as many, and has been used way more on the low block than earlier this season.  If she was back to hitting a three or two now and again not only do we get more threes made from non-Jump players but she pulls defenders out to open things up for Betts or Iriafen, or Jones to cut to the basket.  Brink is not a one dimensional player, but that's how she has mostly been used after January.

The bigger problem is Jones has no three ball this season at all, no longer even looks to take them.  Without a three, Jones is still a star and a tough guard, but she is much more guardable when teams can play off her and cut off her driving lanes, make her passing harder as they lurk in passing lanes.  If Jones had a decent three she would be unguardable, the whole offense would look different, and her pro prospects would be improved.  

My biggest wish for the season was for someone to take over the point and be good enough at it so that Jones did not have to play there too much, and we got that.  Even if you don't think Lepolo is an ideal answer at the point, she is certainly a competent point guard who can cope with pressing teams.  My second biggest wish, and it was a very close second, maybe even first, was that Jones got her three point shooting to 30% or better and could average hitting two or three a game maybe.  I felt that would be a key given who else we had coming back and that it would open up the offense for her and by extension the whole team, because she is such a big part of the offense.

That a three would be a massive help for Jones in the pros is obvious.  Doubtful she is a 4 at the next level.  She will be a 3, and they usually can shoot threes.  I was hoping we would see her taking threes a lot in the early easier games and build on that, whether they went in or not, just work it.  I don't know why she hasn't been able to shoot threes even as well as past seasons.  I am not blaming her.  Gotta assume she has tried her best and is trying her best.  But that lack to me is one key reason the offense has been a struggle.  Everything looks a lot different if opposing defenses have to be out on her.  She is just one player but she is a key player, the straw that stirs the drink, if you will, for Stanford.  

That more open offense got stopped in its tracks when teams just said nah, we can just sit in and wait for you to miss outside shots, good luck driving or passing into double and triple teamed posts.  I think the offense went the wrong way.  Pounding the ball in to Brink doesn't make life easier for Jones.  Where are her driving lanes?  Where are anyone's driving lanes?  We bemoan the lack of driving perimeter players, but with teams packed in, where can they go?  Right now the offense seems to be try to get Jump a shot or hit Brink down low, and it is just too tough to do either of those things well against some defenses.  We need to open things up for other players.  Don't ask me how.  With all the changes in line-ups and schemes this season I am not really clear on how capable let's say Nivar would be if we tried to find her driving lanes more, or how Demetre would do if we got her those sweet mid-range shots she has shown she can hit well.  Emma-Nnopu and Lepolo have shown they can hit threes.  Maybe run plays for them every now and again, just to mix things up, make the defense think and work harder to anticipate what the offense will do?  I think I am running on so I will stop here.  Talking out my butt again but I am serious about this.

Spot on. It's too bunched up. I don't think it's rocket science to create more space though. It starts with removing a player from the lane and spreading out more. But that creates a big personnel problem for Tara, because you can't play Belibi, Kiki, or Betts on the perimeter. So those three would end up sharing the minutes from when Cam needs a rest or gets in foul trouble. If you buy into the point that Haley needs rest, maybe there's another 10 minutes there to go to another big. But I think we've ended up in a place where Tara is trying to find a role for too many people, and it's leading to these big, slow, bunched up lineups that also have trouble defending the perimeter and stopping dribble penetration.