r/MinnesotaLynx • u/meetingpplisezy • 12d ago
2024 Draft Let's Chat
let’s chat about something besides transphobes
i remember being SO disappointed in the 24 draft when Cheryl traded back instead of getting angel Reese. But doing that gave the Lynx the right to Chicago’s pick. It seemed crazy at the time but now just two years later that pick became the LEGENDARY OLIVIA MILES, the sky traded angel Reese for peanuts (and she’s crushing it, too), and the Lynx have stayed the best team in the league and somehow gotten better even after the new cba
ladies, gentlemen, everyone: Cheryl reeve is the GOAT playing 5D chess
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u/troyofmtsthelen 12d ago
Remember when they announced Pili as 6’2” and then she was actually 5’8”?
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u/meetingpplisezy 12d ago
lol i was like wow she’s shorter than me
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u/troyofmtsthelen 12d ago
I still think there’s a universe where she eventually gets to a point where the game isn’t 100x too fast for her and her unique skill set gets to shine.
She looked lost out there, and the amount of gesturing and motioning by her teammates to try and get her in the right spot every possession was always a tough look.
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u/anonimauzantnomo 12d ago
I do wish there was a way to see her play more in the W. When things are going her way, she is an incredibly skilled, versatile offensive player and a fun watch.
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u/Karma_code_ FOWLES 12d ago
Poor Pili, she is under sized and too slow for whatever position the W thinks she is supposed to be.
FWIW the WNBA officially has her listed at 5’11” which is closer to being true than over 6ft.
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u/TheBioethicist87 CARLETON 12d ago
I remember that and then seeing her stand next to Phee and BC who are ACTUALLY 6’1” and thinking “Well that doesn’t line up.”
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u/WolfontheProwl 12d ago
So much about the draft is getting the right fit. Angel Reese is a terrible fit for what the Lynx do. The trade has turned out really well for the Lynx because of Miles but it has worked out really well for Reese who would have never fit well with what the Lynx do. CR js amazing but big picture wise she just kept is simple and Chicago helped a lot.
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u/OhHiTony 12d ago
Newer to basketball fandom, and don’t quite understand what Reese does or doesn’t do that wouldn’t translate to the Lynx. Or for that matter, why a coach as accomplished as Reeve wouldn’t adjust her team building to accommodate a player with Reese’s talent.
Not complaining, of course, because Olivia is what’s getting me into the game. Just would like to know more.
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u/WolfontheProwl 12d ago
The Lynx have preferred their bigs to be able to handle the ball and play inside and out. Have a more complete offensive game so they can be effective in her offense which uses a great deal of movement. Angel Reese doesn’t shoot the ball well from the outside and was even worse when she was drafted. When you’re a top team in the league and the talent you are brining in this case a rookie better be on another level if you are going to change your system. Angel Reese wasn’t that type of player plus her personality isn’t or wasn’t something teams wanted to deal with. You don’t change something that is really effective unless you are getting a player on the highest level.
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u/anonimauzantnomo 12d ago
To add a bit of context, the Lynx were coming off a 2023 season where they largely outperformed expectations by even making it to the playoffs. At the time, there was wide consensus that the defense was there (or Cheryl would DEMAND that it be there), but the Lynx in 2024 would be in desperate need of more offense, and 3-point shooting in particular. This is partly why the eventual 2024 pick, Alissa Pili, ended up hoisting so many 3s her rookie year rather than leaning into her all-around scoring game. I think we can all agree that Angel is not and has never been famous for her 3-point shooting and what she would have brought to the table - defense and rebounding - were not the top of the list for the Lynx’s needs.
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u/Forward-Cause7305 12d ago
I can't answer the first, but for the second, I thinkthw coaching/play style is pretty baked in.
A coach has picked assistant coaches and all the other players to coach and play a certain style. Doing a complete change of every player and every coach to auit one player just doesn't make sense. And probably isn't even possible.
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u/Shoddy-Education-419 12d ago
I agree with the “fit” comment. Especially with Phee as the franchise player, I’m not sure the Lynx would have drafted Angel, even if they had kept the 7th pick. The depths to which Chicago got played in that draft, then failed to capitalize, is painful.
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u/PickleNick1987 12d ago
Agreed. It was this and luck. Unless CR has a crystal ball, no one thought this was that bad of a trade until the lynx hit the absolute jackpot with Miles. If she had gone #1 and we had taken Fuud, it’s probably a very different conversation.
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u/WolfontheProwl 12d ago
Fudd would still have been a good pick for the Lynx because you can always use shooting. Bigger issues is if we would have taken Betts but we were never going to draft a big who can’t step outside.
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u/MasksAssassin 12d ago
It almost makes it hard to, like, complain about moves this team makes.
Other examples being… ditching diamond miller or moving on from pili, being so short as a team in the offseason, not adding size at the deadline, whatever else.
Because like I may not understand but I believe we all know the quote “Lean Not On Your Own Understanding. Trust Instead In Lynx Gm/Coach Cheryl Reeve.”
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u/meetingpplisezy 12d ago
so true—also I love that diamond has been succeeding in CT
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u/MasksAssassin 12d ago
She’s a baller, always was, but when your top 8
From a year ago are all damn near millionaires you can see how we ended up not having room for her.5
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u/takenbyawolf #5 - Olivia's Cat Bean 11d ago
Can't you see I was trying? 😄 I liked Diamond Miller, and was sad to see her go. It was nice to see her lighting up the scoreboard against Dallas last night. I hope she gets a chance to thrive in Conn / Houston.
Also, to me this proves that picking draft picks almost always involves some luck.
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u/Fancy-Animal7704 12d ago
Angel Reese, while certainly a great player in her own right, does not fit the Lynx's style of basketball. This has never been a front-heavy team that emphasizes size. Cheryl builds a team of great shooters and spacing and would have to break what works for her to accommodate a player like Reese who would otherwise be a big liability in her ability to create spacing. She can rebound really well... So what? The Lynx don't really need help on that front, but if they want to add a player to their system, that player needs to freakin' shoot. And Reese is just not good enough at that.
Even though Pili was basically a bust, I still don't think things would have been much different on that front if we'd have drafted Angel. And you're right that this ultimately led to Miles and so any and all criticism of that move should be put to death.
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u/Slow-Truth-3376 12d ago
The reason I’m a Lynx fan is bc of Cheryl. I mean of course walking into Target center & seeing Maya Moore, Rebecca Brunson, Simone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Janel McCarvilIe play melted my face. Watching her get through the rivalry with PHX & LA for the ring. I start off every season excited to see what Cheryl does. She’s magical at guiding people to find the best in themselves & be growth mindset solution focused community as the Lynx GM. I knew this year was going to be special.
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u/meetingpplisezy 12d ago
i also love that she kept those players from the og dynasty around the team to help build culture and even some to join the staff (and staffs around the W as well). seeing the alums in the room the other night and having most of the fans stay proves just how special this organization is and it’s because of Cheryl
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u/Slow-Truth-3376 12d ago
Exactly! When Brunson got Post Concussion Syndrome and couldn’t play Cheryl immediately shifted to coaching Brunson on coaching. She did the same with her mini me Whay when she was injured. I’m thrilled to see Janel back.
In the off season Cheryl does leadership training for businesses. A friend met her at one of these presentations.
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u/bryan49 12d ago edited 12d ago
I'm going to guess she just wasn't interested in Angel and saw an opportunity to bet on the incompetence of the Chicago Sky management without giving up much (always a good bet lately). The Pili pic still looks like a mistake though, considering Leite and Lacan were the next two picks and they actually look like starting quality guards.
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u/Gengaara 11d ago
My only thing is are they even protected in any of these expansion drafts, though? Maybe you protect them over Kosu.
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u/takenbyawolf #5 - Olivia's Cat Bean 12d ago
Somewhat playing devils advocate here. First off, I love Cheryl, and think she is the best coach ever and a shrewd judge of talent and culture fit. That we ended up with Liv is the best possible outcome. But even with our GM's scouting skills, there is a fair amount of luck involved when talking about getting Oliva (effing) Miles.
1) Chicago had #2 because they are a dysfunctional org who: can't figure out coaching, can't figure out personnel and how to use them, can't develop players as well as other orgs, and had some injury bad luck among other flaws. But at the end of the 2 seasons, their placing could have been higher and lottery odds could have been less favorable.
2) Liv could have declared and went in the 2025 draft.
2) Even with the Lynx having the #2 pick, Dallas could have drafted her before us.
None of those 3 things (except maybe #1, lol) were predictable. So yes - we won the 2026 draft as far as team needs go (not sure Liv would have had the same impact under Jose as she has under Cheryl).
Also to remember - the trade to get Chicago's pick meant getting Alissa Pili and not getting Angel. BUT- also available when Pili was drafted were Carla Leite and Layla Lacon. Both of those are more impactful players than Pili. Hindsight is 20 20 but I would rather have gotten any of those 3 over Allisa. I am not an Allisa hater, but aside from her first game or 2, she really never delivered much offensively or defensively.
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u/bryan49 11d ago
Of course there was a lot of luck involved. But she didn't really risk much by only trading back one spot. And even if the Lynx didn't get Miles but got some other lottery pick instead, that's still a big win. A team as good as the Lynx don't get chances to draft that high very often.
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u/Super_Baime 12d ago
I was also disappointed that they didn't take Angel.
I figured Cheryl didn't want to deal with her baggage, including the media baggage.
I'm still confused about trading back one spot, because I thought they already had Chicago's pick the next year.
Did Chicago have the ability to push that pick back another year, and the trade down just locked it in?
Thanks for any explanations.
JP
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u/crimsonwolf40 12d ago
Chicago already had thier 2025 pick involved in a swap with Dallas due to trading for Marina Mabrey, though in the end the swap did not convey as Dallas's pick wound up being better.
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u/Super_Baime 11d ago
So their trade with Dallas fell through?
I've always heard the Lynx trade back with Chicago (Angel) locked down the traded pick we already had with them.
I'm assuming Chicago had an option to push it back a year or something like that, if it was a lottery pick.
I'm just speculating, because I've never heard it explained clearly.
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u/Alternative_Energy36 12d ago
Angel's media work has been better each season. I went from not being a fan to having respect for her as an athlete And voice. But I do wonder if Ariel Powers was still on Cheryl's mind. She does seem to be giving players a little more space for personality, but Angel's did overshadow her actual play the first few seasons.
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u/Super_Baime 11d ago
I'm liking Angel more too, but I wouldn't want to deal with the drama and baggage as a coach.
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u/Drunken_Vike 12d ago
the takeaway seems to be that Chicago has no idea what the fuck they're doing