Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 at 11:27 am  |  7 responses

Chicago Sky 2010 Season Preview

Has Chi Town found the missing piece?

We continue previewing the 2010 WNBA Season with the Chicago Sky. You can read past previews here.

by Stephen Litel / @stephenlitel

Over the off-season, one of the biggest stories involved the three-way trade between New York, Phoenix and Chicago. Yet, as the media focused on Candice Dupree joining the reigning champions and Cappie Pondexter making her way to New York, Chicago’s additions went under the radar. Everywhere WNBA fans discuss their favorite league, you found links to every article written on Pondexter’s arrival in New York or a link to every photoshopped picture of Dupree in her new Phoenix uniform. It is understandable, but it was interesting that Chicago’s overnight improvement went unnoticed as a whole.

Although it was difficult to let Dupree go to Phoenix, the Sky became a much better team by simple math. Adding both Shameka Christon and Catherine Kraayeveld was a stroke of genius for Steven Keys team and, on paper, made the Sky a Playoff team. Christon, a fan favorite in New York and an All-Star is one of the WNBA players who most flies under the radar. That won’t be the case in Chicago. Kraayeveld is a fine player and her value to her new team is immeasurable, as she goes about her job quietly, not looking for media attention. Now, as is the case with all WNBA teams, health becomes one of the biggest issues.

Any discussion of health on the Chicago Sky begins and ends with Sylvia Fowles, who has only played 41 games through her first two years in the league. If Fowles is able to remain on the court, there are not many in the league–let alone the Eastern Conference–who can match up with her in the post. Although those who follow the WNBA know Fowles well, it is time for the Sky to find a way to keep her on the floor sShameka Christono her level of dominance can catapult the team into a Playoff berth. Only when that happens will casual fans truly notice the dominance and greatness of “Big Syl.” If the injury bug attacks Fowles again, the Chicago post rotation gets sketchy, but after a fine season overseas, this just may be the year for her to shine all season.

Another issue that may plague the Sky throughout the season is whether or not second year player, Kristi Toliver, will accept her role on the team. At this point, Toliver remains a backup point guard, but has stated in the past she should be a starter. Unless she dramatically improved while overseas, she must accept her spot and become an asset off the pine for Chicago. If she is able to do so, the Sky have another fine weapon at their disposal. As a great player in college, one can only hope she is able to complete the transition to a team player, willing to accept a smaller role for the greater good of the team.

This team has always had talented pieces, but also missing a piece or two. The team had little leadership on and off the court throughout their history, but addressed that glaring issue by bringing in Christon and Kraayeveld. Both players are under-appreciated around the league, but are also consummate professionals and, quite simply, what this team has lacked in the past. Although Chicago may not have the pieces to compete with the Indiana Fever, the reigning Eastern Conference champions, or the beasts out West, this season should be the first step in the turnaround of the team’s fortunes.

The summer of 2010 is a big season for head coach Steven Key. Fans have seemingly been on his case since taking over in Chicago as the team failed to make the Playoffs. In a somewhat weak Eastern Conference, the Sky have all the pieces to grab a Playoff spot. If they do not find the right chemistry and falter again, he just may be on his way out of town.

Quite simply, there are no more excuses. This team must take the next step this summer.

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  • Wade

    Very good article Stephen. You hit the nail on the head – there are no more excuses, especially for Coach Key not to know what to do with Big Syl. Granted she’s been injured a lot in her first two seasons in the W, but last season she took 172 shots in the 24 games she played, which means she averaged 7 shots per game. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She’s got size, strength, athleticism. If he doesn’t know what to do with her, he needs to ask Pokey Chatman and Anne Donovan. They seem to know. To me its rather simple – GET HER THE FRIGGIN’ BALL.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Ben York

    @Wade: Well said. Big Syl will carry this team.

  • Clay Kallam

    A couple issues with Fowles: She does not catch the ball well at all (think Kwame Brown), and she does not yet know how to consistently get good position so the guards can get her the ball.

    Obviously, the latter might come with experience, but bad hands can be a lifetime affliction. Fowles is also a terrible ballhandler once she gets the ball in the post, and when she’s doubleteamed, she doesn’t have the moves to get off a shot, or the ability to find an open teammate.

    But if she can play 34 games, and everyone, including her, figures out how to maximize her talent, the Sky could be very, very good.

  • RP

    Agree with Clay on all counts.

    It’s actually amazing that Candice Dupree — a 6’2″, undersized power forward — can establish position extremely well, and yet Fowles, at 6’6″, can’t establish position in the post well at all.

    And Fowles does have terrible hands. Need not look further than her staggering turnover numbers. And she doesn’t pass out of the post. Once again, just look at the numbers.

    I hope she can stay healthy first and foremost, because the Sky will need her. Any improvement offensively — and there is a ton of room for it — would be great, obviously.

    As for the rest, I can’t help but point out the over saturated praise for Kraayeveld. She’s not “a fine player” whose “value to her new team is immeasurable.” On any other team, she’s not a starter, and instead is just a solid bench option.

    As for Toliver, she should be seeing more minutes. Last year, she was highly productive in the minutes she recieved, yet Key kept her minutes low, and at times, didn’t even play her. Makes no sense.

  • http://www.chicagoskyblog.wordpress.com hoopla

    Nice job Stephen, this season preview is spot-on. I think we’ll see a huuuge difference in Toliver this year, both with regards to attitude and game. She’s poised for a breakout year. Big Syl definitely has to stay healthy for the Sky to be legit. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of talent on this team…but our post game gets a little sketchy w/o Fowles. As Clay says, Fowles’ impact isn’t on the offensive end so it’s OK that she only gets 7-10 shots per game. We have plenty of scorers, but defensively we are lost w/o Big Syl. Other than that, Sky are extremely balanced and have depth at every position. It’s gonna be a great year!

  • WADE

    Clay, yes I agree with you on her weaknesses, and she must improve in those areas. However, when she’s playing in the Euroleague, she seems to have more than a few 20 point games and she’s won championships. I’m not saying she should get 20 shots a game, but I think at least 12 is appropriate. Who in the women’s game is strong enough to stop her in the paint? To me she’s the female version of Artis Gilmore/Moses Malone. Those guys weren’t Kareem offensively just like Fowles isn’t Lisa Leslie. Gilmore and Malone didn’t have the best hands either and I don’t remember either of them being great passers out of the post either. But when they established position on the inside where they could catch the ball and shoot, they were very effective. Fowles seems to do that in the Euroleague playing for Chatman and she certainly did that for the 2008 Olympic team playing for Donovan. She established position. Why can’t she seem to do that for the Sky? A lot of times Key has had her at the high post. Why? The only time she should be there is to receive a pass from a teammate who’s picked up her dribble and needs an outlet to pass to. To me, that part is coaching, or a lack of it.

  • Clay Kallam

    I would agree that Fowles in the high post would be a waste …

    But Sylvia’s inability to catch the ball blunts her effectiveness — and remember, every WNBA player can score in Europe, and a lot of non-WNBA players put up big numbers over there. The defense isn’t as focused either, and at this point in her career, doubleteams on Fowles seem to just disorient her.

    To me, the turnovers are the big issue. If you throw the ball to Fowles 15 times, and five result in turnovers, and she misses five of her 10 shots, that’s just 33% effectiveness. Even if she can’t get off a shot but passes back out to the guard, not the open shooter where the doubleteam came from, it’s almost a turnover because the shot clock is all but gone.

    Let her rebound, block shots, be a presence. Every once in a while, throw her the ball on the block to keep her happy. But running an offense through Fowles in 2010 is slow suicide.

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