Doctor MJ wrote:Well, my general philosophy is that Rookie of the Year isn't just about the Most Valuable Rookie, but is also about the future of the league. With this in mind, Clark seems as this point to be a pretty clear choice. "potential best rebounder in WNBA history" sounds like a really big deal, but if it's still not leading you to efficient shooting, you're not a facilitator, and you're not a defensive anchor, that makes you a role player rather than a star. Maybe she'll add enough to her game to be a full-on star, but I think every single team would choose Clark over Reese without hesitation even if popularity wasn't a thing.
With that said, Reese has been ROY worthy. She just has tough competition.
i'm flip-flopping here and i'll probably do it again but the more i watch caitlin clark and the more i watch the WNBA, i'm not entirely convinced of her current campaign as the ROY (i think it should be closer than people think) and her future as a potential best player in the league. she has a lot more work to do than people realize imo
i think she's atrocious on defense and i think being good on defense is so much more valuable in the WNBA in comparison to the NBA. i think in the NBA, it is somewhat acceptable for one of your star players to be a bit lackadaisical on defense, giving up an open 3 on a bad rotation or the occasional backdoor cut because NBA offenses are pretty good at generating these types of looks anyway. in the WNBA, i don't think teams are generating good halfcourt offense at nearly the same rate, so it's extremely punishing in the WNBA to carry a poor defensive player that is constantly giving up these types of looks. also for as many rebounds as she gets, i don't think i've ever seen her box anyone out. she just stands in front of the rim hoping the ball ricochets in her direction.
i also think she's overrated on offense at the moment because though she looks generational in transition, i don't think her halfcourt offense generation is even that great (no stats, all vibes and feel). i think when she runs into a good disciplined defense that knows how to get back in transition and also defend in the half-court, she isn't generating great offense. i imagine when she gets into the playoffs and teams scout her out and buckle down on defense, she will struggle mightily. on top of that, her extremely careless turnovers lead to easier points for opposing teams which i'd think is also more punishing in the WNBA because of the scoring difficulties.
