As you say, the first aspect of this problem is figuring out what Ezi wants. She may not want to be a part of a rebuild. I would LOVE to see the Storm build around twin tower attack of Dom and Ezi. I love Nneka, and it’s clear all the players do as well - and if the Storm brought her back, I wouldn’t be sad, but I do think she stunts Ezi’s offensive growth and production. Both as a roller and a playmaker.
And finally, just my own little tidbit I can’t let go - can someone teach Ezi a jump hook? The amount of her post ups that get blocked drives me CRAZY.
I think you're right to ask what Ezi wants. I think that's a huge driver here. The fact she's playing Unrivaled makes me think that she at least wants to be in conversations about who to team up with and where - WNBA free agency is going to run through Miami (assuming a CBA gets signed, of course). I'd love to see the Storm bring back both Ezi and also Nneka, but that only works if the new coach and Nneka both think Nneka can play the 3, or if all 3 are willing to share the post minutes (which is probably not in Ezi's numbers' best interests, as we saw last year, but if she loves being here/around Nneka, then great!).
Along with "Where does Ezi want to play?" I think another just as important question is "Who does Ezi want to be in this league?"
Yes, she has a ton of talent and physical potential, but so does almost every other starting 4 or 5 in the WNBA. What's going to separate her? Where is the competitive fire and mental toughness? Occasional flashes of brilliance are not enough.
I rewatched the bronze medal game from Paris where she got 30 points, 13 boards, and 3 blocks. What struck me is how much less physical Olympic ball is, especially when the US isn't playing.
Again, Jeff thank you for the excellent reporting! It gives us a lot to consider. Here’s my take- I think the Storm should build around the twin towers of Ezi and Dom. I believe with wise coaching they have potential to be an unstoppable powerhouse together! I have a strong feeling that Ezi’s lower numbers could be due to a couple of issues. First there was a comment made well into the season by staff stating, “Now that Ezi is healthy again she is playing better.” So that makes me wonder how that affected her performance. Second, I highly suspect that Ezi may have had issues with coaching staff similar to Jewell. Ezi was called out by coach Quinn in a press conference several times with harsh comments and finger pointing. Ezi is such a gentle soul ai can’t imagine that landed well. Perhaps Neka (besides being an amazing person) stepped in to build Ezi up. So my point is that I believe she has so much more potential to be an elite player. So my hope is that she stays!!
I really want Ezi back. I feel like she has so much more potential. Something seemed off mentally with her this last season.
I believe she said this is the first off-season that she’s not going to play for another league and I really hope it helps her return rejuvenated and excited.
I sooooo hope that trade to the Chicago Sky doesn’t happen. She (and all the players) deserve better than that dysfunctional organization.
Nneka is the heart of our team. Also our best player. Keep her. Storm fans love Ezi Ezi Ezi. Let's give her one more year to see if she can up her production.
Only if they're losing Ezi and/or Nneka. In my view, the preference would be to re-sign Ezi and then add one of the guards (Fudd, Miles, or Flau'jae). I was working on the draft article and elaborated more there.
This is a hard question to answer. I don't see Nneka as a wing at all. Her strength is her footwork in the post and rebounding. Also,Jordan will be the wing starter. I remember reading that the Storm need a big bodied forward/center who can defend Boston, Aja, and Jones in the playoffs. Ezi also seems passive a lot during crunch time. Although her youth and skills are great assets, I say keep Nneka. Let her finish her career in Seattle and mentor Dom. Don't resign Skylar. Focus on younger athletic guards who can shoot and defend and are team players. We need a point guard who can create, score and defend ( we never should have traded Jordan Canada!) and a shooting guard who can shoot threes and play off the ball. The off ball movement, cutting and three point shooting has to be addressed.
Isn’t the whole league basically dealing with variations of this? A lot of players didn’t sign past this season hoping for a bigger deal with the salary cap. A bunch may be returning, but I’d guess there will be a decent bit of movement in general
As you say, the first aspect of this problem is figuring out what Ezi wants. She may not want to be a part of a rebuild. I would LOVE to see the Storm build around twin tower attack of Dom and Ezi. I love Nneka, and it’s clear all the players do as well - and if the Storm brought her back, I wouldn’t be sad, but I do think she stunts Ezi’s offensive growth and production. Both as a roller and a playmaker.
And finally, just my own little tidbit I can’t let go - can someone teach Ezi a jump hook? The amount of her post ups that get blocked drives me CRAZY.
I think you're right to ask what Ezi wants. I think that's a huge driver here. The fact she's playing Unrivaled makes me think that she at least wants to be in conversations about who to team up with and where - WNBA free agency is going to run through Miami (assuming a CBA gets signed, of course). I'd love to see the Storm bring back both Ezi and also Nneka, but that only works if the new coach and Nneka both think Nneka can play the 3, or if all 3 are willing to share the post minutes (which is probably not in Ezi's numbers' best interests, as we saw last year, but if she loves being here/around Nneka, then great!).
Along with "Where does Ezi want to play?" I think another just as important question is "Who does Ezi want to be in this league?"
Yes, she has a ton of talent and physical potential, but so does almost every other starting 4 or 5 in the WNBA. What's going to separate her? Where is the competitive fire and mental toughness? Occasional flashes of brilliance are not enough.
I rewatched the bronze medal game from Paris where she got 30 points, 13 boards, and 3 blocks. What struck me is how much less physical Olympic ball is, especially when the US isn't playing.
Again, Jeff thank you for the excellent reporting! It gives us a lot to consider. Here’s my take- I think the Storm should build around the twin towers of Ezi and Dom. I believe with wise coaching they have potential to be an unstoppable powerhouse together! I have a strong feeling that Ezi’s lower numbers could be due to a couple of issues. First there was a comment made well into the season by staff stating, “Now that Ezi is healthy again she is playing better.” So that makes me wonder how that affected her performance. Second, I highly suspect that Ezi may have had issues with coaching staff similar to Jewell. Ezi was called out by coach Quinn in a press conference several times with harsh comments and finger pointing. Ezi is such a gentle soul ai can’t imagine that landed well. Perhaps Neka (besides being an amazing person) stepped in to build Ezi up. So my point is that I believe she has so much more potential to be an elite player. So my hope is that she stays!!
I really want Ezi back. I feel like she has so much more potential. Something seemed off mentally with her this last season.
I believe she said this is the first off-season that she’s not going to play for another league and I really hope it helps her return rejuvenated and excited.
I sooooo hope that trade to the Chicago Sky doesn’t happen. She (and all the players) deserve better than that dysfunctional organization.
Nneka is the heart of our team. Also our best player. Keep her. Storm fans love Ezi Ezi Ezi. Let's give her one more year to see if she can up her production.
@Jeff If Seattle decides to start Dominique, does it make sense to draft Fam or Betts?
Only if they're losing Ezi and/or Nneka. In my view, the preference would be to re-sign Ezi and then add one of the guards (Fudd, Miles, or Flau'jae). I was working on the draft article and elaborated more there.
Thanks. To me Fam/Betts are redundant to Dom.
No, we should get Fudd, Miles, or Johnson.
This is a hard question to answer. I don't see Nneka as a wing at all. Her strength is her footwork in the post and rebounding. Also,Jordan will be the wing starter. I remember reading that the Storm need a big bodied forward/center who can defend Boston, Aja, and Jones in the playoffs. Ezi also seems passive a lot during crunch time. Although her youth and skills are great assets, I say keep Nneka. Let her finish her career in Seattle and mentor Dom. Don't resign Skylar. Focus on younger athletic guards who can shoot and defend and are team players. We need a point guard who can create, score and defend ( we never should have traded Jordan Canada!) and a shooting guard who can shoot threes and play off the ball. The off ball movement, cutting and three point shooting has to be addressed.
Isn’t the whole league basically dealing with variations of this? A lot of players didn’t sign past this season hoping for a bigger deal with the salary cap. A bunch may be returning, but I’d guess there will be a decent bit of movement in general