Seeking a Cure for the Turnover Curse
While Katie's out of town, Post reporter Steve Yanda filed this report from the Mystics' practice on Monday:
Much like George Harrison (the solo-artist version, not the lead-guitarist-of-The-Beatles version), Mystics coach Tree Rollins can't get a certain something off his mind these days. As Harrison once sang:
"Can't stop thinking about you.
Can't stop thinking about you.
It's no good living without you.
I can't stop thinking about you."
The only difference for Rollins is that he would very much prefer to be living without the ailment that currently plagues his squad -- turnovers. They're seemingly everywhere these days for the District's WNBA bunch. The Mystics recorded 22 during Friday's road win over Chicago. Then they turned in 17 at Monday's practice (They're keeping track of such things now). At several points during the workout, Rollins and his assistants implored the players to stop being careless with the ball, to make better decisions, to know where they want the ball to go before they release it from their possessions, to stop giving the other team opportunities ... you get the point.
After the workout ended, Rollins and a few players philosophized as to why they can't seem to hold onto the ball.
"It comes down to being focused," Alana Beard said. Very true.
"We have to be more careful with our passes and more conscious of who we're passing it to," Nikki Blue stated. Another valid point.
"I don't know what's causing it," Rollins concluded. Also a good ... wait, what? Rollins said the key will be to keep drilling. Over and over and over and over again. He couldn't put a finger on why his team is struggling to recognize opportune moments to pass and why it can't seem to refrain from passing otherwise. Part of it may be a group of young point guards not yet mature enough to understand how to milk the shot clock for all its worth. Part of it may just be a string of bad luck. We may get a glimpse at how much that drilling has helped out tomorrow night at Houston.
In other news ... Blue and Rollins concurred that her ankle is doing much better and that she will continue to start and see a rise in her minutes so long as she suffers no setbacks ... Expect to see a lot of pick-and-rolls tomorrow night. Rollins said he believes the Comets are susceptible to such ploys because they don't show well off of screens ... The Mystics' forwards were practicing an over-the-top entry pass into the post Monday. It didn't go so well ... Monday was Rollins' 53rd birthday.
By
Margaret McElligott
|
June 17, 2008; 3:07 PM ET
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Posted by: 11 Years Of Excuses | June 17, 2008 4:52 PM
"Expect to see a lot of pick-and-rolls tomorrow night. Rollins said he believes the Rockets are susceptible to such ploys because they don't show well off of screens."
If Tree thinks the Mystics are playing the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, no wonder the team is in so much trouble.
Posted by: Judith | June 17, 2008 4:53 PM
Eek! Thanks!
Posted by: Margaret | June 17, 2008 5:14 PM
Although the Mystics have struggled with turnovers, so have the Comets. The Mystics are averaging 18.70 per game and the Comets are averaging 17.40 per game.
For Houston's point guards, Shannon Johnson is averaging 1.70 per game and Matee Ajavon is averaging 2.40 per game.
For the Mystics, Nikki Blue is averaging 1.40 per game while Crystal Smith is averaging 2.00 per game.
Instead of turnovers, the outcome of this game is more likely to be determined by rebounding and executing on offense. The Comets are a great rebounding team while the Mystics have the second highest field goal percentage in the league, as well as the third highest three point percentage.
It should be a very close game, but I think the Mystics will pull it out.
Posted by: northernsoulfan | June 17, 2008 8:25 PM
"For the Mystics, Nikki Blue is averaging 1.40 per game while Crystal Smith is averaging 2.00 per game."
and Alana Beard is averaging 4.11 per game and the other 3 starters (MC, NS & TMcWF) are each averaging about 2 and a half.
Posted by: Eileen | June 18, 2008 3:10 AM
The Mystics are a team with no direction from top to bottom!!! Turnovers are just a product of poor coaching. This team has accepted to be average.
Posted by: Robert | June 18, 2008 7:41 AM
Point Blank,
Alana is ONE of the best players in the WNBA...She has to DO everything though...She has to play the 1,2, AND 3...She is well equipped to do such but guess what IF we had a point guard that could score AND take care of the ball and SET other players up then AB would be an MVP candidate, a First Team All Defensive Player, an Olympian, and an All-Star starter...but because she has the ball in her hands 95 percent of the time she has to make decisions, score, stop the opposing teams best perimeter player, and rebound....You see Tina Thompson she has NO help like when she had Cynthia and Sherryl and could just play the game! Get A POINT GUARD!!! But wait til the draft and get Toliver....OK LINDA???? GET Kristi Toliver and make Nikki Blue your backup...She is a WNBA starting point guard immidiately....and Nikki Blue could play 15 solid minutes off the bench and provide a change of pace...
Posted by: MystikFan83 | June 18, 2008 9:50 AM
Also....getting another 3 that can score off the bench and/ or another 5 player wouldn't hurt! If we could get a Chante Black and/or Abby Waner for duke that would help...abby had a rouch year but she is to good of a shooter to stay in that slump....good way to spread the floor and allow our rebounders to aggressively do their jobs....THAT MEANS EVERYONE CRASHING THE BOARDS! Cough Cough..Nakia Snaford... I know its out of reach but an Angel McCoughtry or Marissa Coleman with Kristi Toliver using our first round picks would be a serious upgrade....
Posted by: MystikFan83 | June 18, 2008 9:58 AM
It would be especially nice if the Mystics players would actually go for rebounds instead of just watching them hit the floor or allowing the other team's players to get them.
Posted by: Mystix4evr | June 18, 2008 1:21 PM
"and Alana Beard is averaging 4.11 per game and the other 3 starters (MC, NS & TMcWF) are each averaging about 2 and a half."
Yes, as I acknowledged in my post, the team as a whole is struggling with turnovers. I was just trying to call attention to the fact that people shouldn't blame it all on the point guards. Some folks have a tendency to blame everything that goes wrong on Blue and Smith.
The truth of the matter is that the point guards' play is rapidly improving. Smith has had to learn our offense on the fly. Blue has had to make major adjustments because McWilliams-Franklin's offensive game is very different from Milton-Jones'.
Hargrove made good decisions promoting Blue to starter and signing Smith to be the backup. Those decision are starting to yield dividends now.
Posted by: northernsoulfan | June 19, 2008 7:41 PM
You GOT to be smokin' something to think Toliver's gonna turn the ball over LESS than the current PG's. She's a double-digit TO machine just waiting to happen!
Toliver has a great shot but ball handling is average at best. Having great offensive targets in Lang and Coleman made her look better than she is. But her TO stats stand by themselves.
And lest you think I'm just ragging on a Terp, I was appalled at AB's 8 TO's. She said it best: lack of focus. And that is something Alana has rarely been guilty of as her intensity - even at practice - is usually off the charts.
Posted by: MoFanClub | June 19, 2008 8:07 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
It's time for the Mystics players to take responsibility for their mistakes (turnovers). The Mystics players should have a locker room Kangaroo Court (like Major League Baseball teams), when a Mystics player makes an unforced error money should come out of that players' pocket. The money from the Mystics Kangaroo Court should go to a worthy charity at the end of the season.