Emely Rodriguez

[Hawkfnntn]

To add on...it was classic "run the shot-clock down" time, but after EmRod came up with a loose ball, she tried to run a one-woman fastbreak, going one on two (or maybe 3?). She ended up doing a spin move, straight into another spin move, and either traveled or threw up a terrible shot.

I would hate to think that one play would have nailed her to the bench for the season, so I am sure there is more too it. It was definitely a head-scratching play, though!

Yes it was a pretty out of control type of play to try. All I can say to that is was anyone watching some of the stuff Caitlin did over the yrs? She got a little better about some of the boneheaded passes she'd try but even her senior yr she would turn it over in head scratching ways more then most would like.

So I would hope the coaches didn't go overboard on roasting Emely over that. Sure coach her up about it but come on. She was being aggressive and playing fast. Things we as fans love to see and encourage. Those are the kind of mistakes you can live with watching players learn from.

It's the hesitating and not shooting when open or not making the pass that's right there cause you're making a selfish play that irks fans and coaches like no other. Basketball is a situational sport in a lot of ways and learning those nuances is a thing too. But you can't expect a young player early in their first yr with a coach and program to have it all down.

 

[CP87]

Yes it was a pretty out of control type of play to try. All I can say to that is was anyone watching some of the stuff Caitlin did over the yrs? She got a little better about some of the boneheaded passes she'd try but even her senior yr she would turn it over in head scratching ways more then most would like.

Still her biggest weakness...preference for the highlight over the winning play. Don't get me wrong, she makes a ton of winning plays, too. But she needs a bit more Sabrina Ionescu in her game to truly become one of the greats. She is a better passer and shooter than Ionescu, but a worse decision maker.

 

[guffus]

Still her biggest weakness...preference for the highlight over the winning play. Don't get me wrong, she makes a ton of winning plays, too. But she needs a bit more Sabrina Ionescu in her game to truly become one of the greats. She is a better passer and shooter than Ionescu, but a worse decision maker.

If Caitlin makes 10 successful passes and 5 unsuccessful passes that a normal player would never ever attempt, is that still boneheaded? It all depends on the ratio of the good to the bad.

And besides all that, Caitlin passes were great entertainment. The fans love those highlights.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Still her biggest weakness...preference for the highlight over the winning play. Don't get me wrong, she makes a ton of winning plays, too. But she needs a bit more Sabrina Ionescu in her game to truly become one of the greats. She is a better passer and shooter than Ionescu, but a worse decision maker.

Yes and that's all it is. It's not like CC doesn't see the floor. She just sometimes wants to try stuff it seems like. Coaches just kinda learned to tolerate it cause their was only so much roping her in they could do. Not every staff woulda been up for that and that's what made Bluder and Iowa her perfect fit.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

Caitlin has made her fair share of "passes that shouldn't have been attempted" over the years, but there are a couple of important nuances that fans might not pick up in the moment.

A good share of her passing turnovers have resulted from the teammate being surprised at the sudden arrival of the ball and not being able to complete the play. The other nuance is that she often sees the play developing while her teammate either doesn't see it at all or sees it late, so the pass ends up going to an empty spot.

She's certainly not alone in that regard. Players known for their elite court vision, such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and John Stockton all had their share of smh moments - until you realized what they were seeing.

James Worthy once stated that it took him close to a full season of having balls repeatedly bounce off of his head before he learned to be prepared for any pass at any time from Magic.

 

[judzeehawk]

I don't ever remember CC making a boneheaded mistake in the last 10 seconds of a game against a highly ranked team. Especially when winning. What Emely did should've been learned at least in her freshman year.

 

[CP87]

If Caitlin makes 10 successful passes and 5 unsuccessful passes that a normal player would never ever attempt, is that still boneheaded? It all depends on the ratio of the good to the bad.

And besides all that, Caitlin passes were great entertainment. The fans love those highlights.

Yeah, I have said many times she is the most compelling BB player I have ever watched. And a smarter CC might be less entertaining. But would maybe win more?

Her risk-taking with passing does have a benefit besides highlights...it gets her teammates to cut harder, run the floor harder, and to always have their head up. That unlocks things on offense. There is a reason that her teams are always elite with regard to offensive efficiency, and it isn't just CC's shooting.

Many great PGs through the years have had high TO numbers that their teams were willing to tolerate.

Magic Johnson 3.9/gm for his career, with a high of 4.6 TO/gam during a 1st team All-NBA season.

Steve Nash's run of 4 straight All-NBA seasons with the Suns: 3.3, 3.5, 3.8, 3.6

Isiah Thomas 3.8/gm for career.

Jason Kidd averaged around 3.5/gm for his All-NBA seasons.

But CC's 5+ TO/gm is pretty extreme, and she needs to clean that up.

 

[CP87]

Caitlin has made her fair share of "passes that shouldn't have been attempted" over the years, but there are a couple of important nuances that fans might not pick up in the moment.

A good share of her passing turnovers have resulted from the teammate being surprised at the sudden arrival of the ball and not being able to complete the play. The other nuance is that she often sees the play developing while her teammate either doesn't see it at all or sees it late, so the pass ends up going to an empty spot.

She's certainly not alone in that regard. Players known for their elite court vision, such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and John Stockton all had their share of smh moments - until you realized what they were seeing.

James Worthy once stated that it took him close to a full season of having balls repeatedly bounce off of his head before he learned to be prepared for any pass at any time from Magic.

You could see that with Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston during CC's first WNBA year, and it was also evident during the Team USA games.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

You could see that with Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston during CC's first WNBA year, and it was also evident during the Team USA games.

Those kinds of players are very rare talents. You have to take the good with the bad.

 

[CP87]

Those kinds of players are very rare talents. You have to take the good with the bad.

I don't think the job Bluder did in managing that gets enough credit.

 

[CP87]

We have seats right behind the Iowa bench. Bluder gave CC a lot of rein, but I also saw CC get kicked out of a huddle during a game multiple times by Bluder. Usually it was because CC was going off on some perceived officiating injustice that she wouldn't let go. Jensen was always the coach responsible for following her and talking her down to get her head back in the game.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

We have seats right behind the Iowa bench. Bluder gave CC a lot of rein, but I also saw CC get kicked out of a huddle during a game multiple times by Bluder. Usually it was because CC was going off on some perceived officiating injustice that she wouldn't let go. Jensen was always the coach responsible for following her and talking her down to get her head back in the game.

To me, that is Caitlin's biggest area for growth. When she starts making faces and spreading her hands in disgust, she comes off as whiny and immature.

Does she have a case? Almost always, but she needs to learn that expressing disgust in that manner ultimately only hurts her.

 

[judzeehawk]

Emely is gone. Yet to have a new team but no longer a Hawkeye. Per Jan.

 

[thedukeofearl]

Emely is gone. Yet to have a new team but no longer a Hawkeye. Per Jan.

Might have had difficulty breaking into the starting lineup

 

[Gander Hawk]

Might have had difficulty breaking into the starting lineup

Sounds like Iowa only has nine players on scholarship, that's not even enough to scrimmage if everyone is healthy.

 

[CP87]

Emely is gone. Yet to have a new team but no longer a Hawkeye. Per Jan.

Thanks for the update. I would have loved to have seen her healthy and playing for the Hawks next year, but I guess this match just wasn't meant to be.

 

[guffus]

Sounds like Iowa only has nine players on scholarship, that's not even enough to scrimmage if everyone is healthy.

Don't they have a men's practice squad that they can scrimmage against?

 

[NorthKCHawk]

There are still a lot of unsigned kids in the portal. Its a tough sell. The starting rotation is likely intact with what we have, and the money is mostly spent. So, you are looking for developmental kids or practice squad gals that are looking mostly for a free education and be part of the team. Jan needs at least a couple more women for depth and to just have a full roster.

 

[guffus]

It will be interesting to see how much playing time Deal, Mallegni, Levin, Rodriguez and Johnson end up getting at their new schools vs how much they would have got at Iowa.

 

[judzeehawk]

Jan said this weekend might be adding some players. Also twelve is the most Jan wants on the roster. It seems this is what most teams are going to.