Official 2015-16 Brooklyn Nets Season Watch Thread (21-59, 3rd slot as of 4/12)

[crimson_stallion]

The Nets will hopefully use that room to take on a bad contract or two.

What are some albatross contracts they could take on?

I could see them overpaying for Bazemore. Or giving certain guys $5 million more than they're worth.

The good news is that Billy King is gone and won't give out overpaying deals to save his job.
Marks will probably try and build this thing from the ground up.

Sounds good on paper, but does that really help us?

The Nets could overpay for 2-3 guys (like Fournier, Lin, Sully - just as examples) which might get them stuck in borderline-play-off land for the next 5 years.  That might make for a nice opportunity to point fingers at their owners and laugh...but it doesn't help our draft pick, which would then drop back to late lottery at best.

Yep, the Nets overpaying for mediocre talent could well hurt our Nets picks...and hurt them a lot.

In fact I think there is VERY little chance of the Nets falling bottom 5 in 2017 and 2018.  I think if they are a bottom 8-12 team we'll be lucky.

Which is why I am ALL FOR trading those 2017 and 2018 picks if there is a chance for it to bring us back a significant upgrade at shooting guard, power forward or center (e.g. Horford, Dwight, Butler, etc).

[Rondo9]

You guys DO realise that the Nets have space to sign a max free agent next year, right?

Yup. So do the Warriors. The Celtics and Blazers can both sign two next summer. They're playoff teams that might be a dude away. Much more desirable situations. Houston will have room. Almost the entire NBA will. Nearly impossible a max dude is going to Brooklyn when they can get the same amount of money from highly competitive teams with all star caliber players.

That might seem true on paper, but lets not forget that Carmelo forced his way to New York at a time when the franchise was a laughing stock. 

Deron Williams and Chris Paul signed with the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) and LA Clippers, respectively, when both teams were considered a borderline laughing stock.

Dwight Howard signed with Houston at a time when they looked like nothing close to a contender.

Al Jefferson signed with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Brook Lopez and Thad Young both signed with the Nets, even when it seemed pretty obvious the team had no hope of contending.

For many players, especially older vets, winning is the biggest lure of all.  But a lot of younger players are drawn to things like money, bright lights, and an opportunity to be the face of a franchise.  Brooklyn has a star (Lopez), a fringe star (Young), a position in the spotlight, and an owner who has no fear of spending money.  It's the type of location that could very easily surprise people and draw in a big name player.

I don't think Portland is any more appealing a destination then Brooklyn.  Lillard is clearly the #1 guy there, and anybody who joins that team (short of Durant) will instantly become second fiddle. 

Signing with the Warriors is a bad move if you are a young player who wants to build up your individual portfolio and make a name for yourself - anybody who wins a ring there will be seen as an afterthought and a 4th "tag along" guy.

Boston is a legitimately appealing place for young guys who want to make their mark in the league, but beyond that I could honestly see Brooklyn competing with a lot of destinations out there.  They aren't the ultimate spot for EVERY free agent, but I think they definitely have enough appeal to swing one or two key ones.

They don't really need to pull a huge name in order to screw up our draft pick either.  Lets say they sign Jeremy Lin, Evan Fournier and Jared Sullinger, for argument's sake.  Neither of those is a max contract guy, so they could probably sign all three pretty easily.  Fournier is exactly the type of guy who I feel would sign in Brooklyn - guy who has shown lots of promise, buried in a deep roster in Orlando, begging for the opportunity to get a consistent role and make a name for himself.  Likewise I could see Lin signing there too - looking at the team's he's played for recently, he doesn't seem to have a problem signing for mediocre teams.  Sully might love the opportunity to get a stating role where he's not competing with 2 or 3 other bigs for playing time.  That gives them a starting 5 of:

Lin
Fournier
Young
Sully
Lopez

That roster would fight hard for a playoff spot in the East...and it's not at all out of the realm of possibility that the Nets could get guys like that.

Lets say the Nets offer Sully $12M - $15M a year for 4 years.  Would Ainge match that?  I'm not sure, but it would be a pretty tough call.  I like Sully, but that's a LOT of money to pay for a guy who is that inconsistent and who has been questioned for years about his work ethic / health.  Nets don't seem like they'd have a problem with it, considering that they were happy to spend a fortune to tie up Lopez.

Of course this might not happen and the Nets might get nobody significant, and they might still fall bottom 6 next year.  But fact is that they definitely have the means to make a big turnaround next year if things fall their way.

The point is so do other teams who are more appealing then Brooklyn.

[crimson_stallion]

You guys DO realise that the Nets have space to sign a max free agent next year, right?

Yup. So do the Warriors. The Celtics and Blazers can both sign two next summer. They're playoff teams that might be a dude away. Much more desirable situations. Houston will have room. Almost the entire NBA will. Nearly impossible a max dude is going to Brooklyn when they can get the same amount of money from highly competitive teams with all star caliber players.

That might seem true on paper, but lets not forget that Carmelo forced his way to New York at a time when the franchise was a laughing stock. 

Deron Williams and Chris Paul signed with the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) and LA Clippers, respectively, when both teams were considered a borderline laughing stock.

Dwight Howard signed with Houston at a time when they looked like nothing close to a contender.

Al Jefferson signed with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Brook Lopez and Thad Young both signed with the Nets, even when it seemed pretty obvious the team had no hope of contending.

For many players, especially older vets, winning is the biggest lure of all.  But a lot of younger players are drawn to things like money, bright lights, and an opportunity to be the face of a franchise.  Brooklyn has a star (Lopez), a fringe star (Young), a position in the spotlight, and an owner who has no fear of spending money.  It's the type of location that could very easily surprise people and draw in a big name player.

I don't think Portland is any more appealing a destination then Brooklyn.  Lillard is clearly the #1 guy there, and anybody who joins that team (short of Durant) will instantly become second fiddle. 

Signing with the Warriors is a bad move if you are a young player who wants to build up your individual portfolio and make a name for yourself - anybody who wins a ring there will be seen as an afterthought and a 4th "tag along" guy.

Boston is a legitimately appealing place for young guys who want to make their mark in the league, but beyond that I could honestly see Brooklyn competing with a lot of destinations out there.  They aren't the ultimate spot for EVERY free agent, but I think they definitely have enough appeal to swing one or two key ones.

They don't really need to pull a huge name in order to screw up our draft pick either.  Lets say they sign Jeremy Lin, Evan Fournier and Jared Sullinger, for argument's sake.  Neither of those is a max contract guy, so they could probably sign all three pretty easily.  Fournier is exactly the type of guy who I feel would sign in Brooklyn - guy who has shown lots of promise, buried in a deep roster in Orlando, begging for the opportunity to get a consistent role and make a name for himself.  Likewise I could see Lin signing there too - looking at the team's he's played for recently, he doesn't seem to have a problem signing for mediocre teams.  Sully might love the opportunity to get a stating role where he's not competing with 2 or 3 other bigs for playing time.  That gives them a starting 5 of:

Lin
Fournier
Young
Sully
Lopez

That roster would fight hard for a playoff spot in the East...and it's not at all out of the realm of possibility that the Nets could get guys like that.

Lets say the Nets offer Sully $12M - $15M a year for 4 years.  Would Ainge match that?  I'm not sure, but it would be a pretty tough call.  I like Sully, but that's a LOT of money to pay for a guy who is that inconsistent and who has been questioned for years about his work ethic / health.  Nets don't seem like they'd have a problem with it, considering that they were happy to spend a fortune to tie up Lopez.

Of course this might not happen and the Nets might get nobody significant, and they might still fall bottom 6 next year.  But fact is that they definitely have the means to make a big turnaround next year if things fall their way.

The point is so do other teams who are more appealing then Brooklyn.

The point is that the other teams don't matter - they don't directly impact our future.  Brooklyn does. 

We own the rights to two future Brooklyn picks that:

a - currently have major value (due to Brooklyn's current)

b - could potentially massively decrease in value come draft day (due to Brooklyn's potential to significantly improve by that time)

It was different with the 2016 pick because Brooklyn had their salary cap maxed out, had no especially great prospects and had no particularly valuable assets to potentially trade out.

That means that they didn't only suck royally, they also had zero capability to improve their roster as the season went on...which in turn pretty much guaranteed that this pick was going to remain as valuable as gold, because there was really no potential for Brooklyn to actually get any better as the season went on. 

THIS is a big reason why that 2016 pick was so valuable all season.

The 2017 and 2018 picks bring no such certainty.  They are just as likely to land 12-14 as they are to land 3-5, because the Nets actually DO have the means to improve significantly by the time we reach the 2018 (or even 2017) draft.

This adds a certain element of risk to the idea of holding on to those picks...which is why if we have the opportunity to trade either (or both) of those picks and bring back a player who can make a major impact, we should do it.  Draft picks are risky enough when you KNOW they are falling top 5.  If you have no idea where they are going to fall, it's like playing Russian Roulette. 

At least that's my perspective on it.  If we had a chance to get a guy like Butler, Cousins, Horford or Love (or even somebody like Dwight or Harrison Barnes) in the offseason and it required us to give up a future Nets pick, then I would do it in a heartbeat.

If it's the 2016 pick we're talking about, then I would be far more hesitant.  For anyone less than Cousins/Butler/Griffin calibre I probably wouldn't consider it.   

I'm also not so sure that Brooklyn is so much less appealing then all those other teams.  Which teams out there have the same amount of cap space as Brooklyn? 

- Can they also offer an opportunity to be a #1 / #2 guy and one of the faces of the franchise?
- Do they also have two quality young players to form a core around?
- Do they also have an owner with unlimited depth to their pockets, and a huge desire to win?
- Do they also offer the attention of a New York spotlight?

I don't think Brooklyn is unappealing as you might think.

[TheSundanceKid]

Brooklyn will be better next year. They'll manage to sign someone to a 0-6 year max that will be an overpay. The reason is they will need someone to become their scorer if they do indeed sell off Young and Lopez.

I'm slightly more positive about the pick now than I was before the news that Young and Lopez are shut down. It is a completely legitimate strategy to overpay for young RFAs and cash in on them in a few years, then combine that haul with their own picks post-Celtics. However it looks like Marks might want to expediate that a little by getting some value out of Lopez and Young now. Next year I can see them around the 25-27 win mark which would still be awesome

[greece66]

Thad Young and Lopez will rest for the remaining 6 games of the season

https://twitter.com/sarahkustok/status/716646231578132480

[jmen788]

Will the Suns win another game this year? They are tanking with no effort to be discrete, and even though Brooklyn will likely win 0 or 1 more game this year without Young and Lopez, can we really count on the Suns to win even just 1 more? Their next 3 are tough, and they finish with a few easier ones, but I don't think they're dumb enough to lose another game?

[trickybilly]

You guys DO realise that the Nets have space to sign a max free agent next year, right?

Yup. So do the Warriors. The Celtics and Blazers can both sign two next summer. They're playoff teams that might be a dude away. Much more desirable situations. Houston will have room. Almost the entire NBA will. Nearly impossible a max dude is going to Brooklyn when they can get the same amount of money from highly competitive teams with all star caliber players.

That might seem true on paper, but lets not forget that Carmelo forced his way to New York at a time when the franchise was a laughing stock. 

Deron Williams and Chris Paul signed with the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) and LA Clippers, respectively, when both teams were considered a borderline laughing stock.

Dwight Howard signed with Houston at a time when they looked like nothing close to a contender.

Al Jefferson signed with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Brook Lopez and Thad Young both signed with the Nets, even when it seemed pretty obvious the team had no hope of contending.

For many players, especially older vets, winning is the biggest lure of all.  But a lot of younger players are drawn to things like money, bright lights, and an opportunity to be the face of a franchise.  Brooklyn has a star (Lopez), a fringe star (Young), a position in the spotlight, and an owner who has no fear of spending money.  It's the type of location that could very easily surprise people and draw in a big name player.

I don't think Portland is any more appealing a destination then Brooklyn.  Lillard is clearly the #1 guy there, and anybody who joins that team (short of Durant) will instantly become second fiddle. 

Signing with the Warriors is a bad move if you are a young player who wants to build up your individual portfolio and make a name for yourself - anybody who wins a ring there will be seen as an afterthought and a 4th "tag along" guy.

Boston is a legitimately appealing place for young guys who want to make their mark in the league, but beyond that I could honestly see Brooklyn competing with a lot of destinations out there.  They aren't the ultimate spot for EVERY free agent, but I think they definitely have enough appeal to swing one or two key ones.

They don't really need to pull a huge name in order to screw up our draft pick either.  Lets say they sign Jeremy Lin, Evan Fournier and Jared Sullinger, for argument's sake.  Neither of those is a max contract guy, so they could probably sign all three pretty easily.  Fournier is exactly the type of guy who I feel would sign in Brooklyn - guy who has shown lots of promise, buried in a deep roster in Orlando, begging for the opportunity to get a consistent role and make a name for himself.  Likewise I could see Lin signing there too - looking at the team's he's played for recently, he doesn't seem to have a problem signing for mediocre teams.  Sully might love the opportunity to get a stating role where he's not competing with 2 or 3 other bigs for playing time.  That gives them a starting 5 of:

Lin
Fournier
Young
Sully
Lopez

That roster would fight hard for a playoff spot in the East...and it's not at all out of the realm of possibility that the Nets could get guys like that.

Lets say the Nets offer Sully $12M - $15M a year for 4 years.  Would Ainge match that?  I'm not sure, but it would be a pretty tough call.  I like Sully, but that's a LOT of money to pay for a guy who is that inconsistent and who has been questioned for years about his work ethic / health.  Nets don't seem like they'd have a problem with it, considering that they were happy to spend a fortune to tie up Lopez.

Of course this might not happen and the Nets might get nobody significant, and they might still fall bottom 6 next year.  But fact is that they definitely have the means to make a big turnaround next year if things fall their way.

The point is so do other teams who are more appealing then Brooklyn.

The point is that the other teams don't matter - they don't directly impact our future.  Brooklyn does. 

We own the rights to two future Brooklyn picks that:

a - currently have major value (due to Brooklyn's current)

b - could potentially massively decrease in value come draft day (due to Brooklyn's potential to significantly improve by that time)

It was different with the 2016 pick because Brooklyn had their salary cap maxed out, had no especially great prospects and had no particularly valuable assets to potentially trade out.

That means that they didn't only suck royally, they also had zero capability to improve their roster as the season went on...which in turn pretty much guaranteed that this pick was going to remain as valuable as gold, because there was really no potential for Brooklyn to actually get any better as the season went on. 

THIS is a big reason why that 2016 pick was so valuable all season.

The 2017 and 2018 picks bring no such certainty.  They are just as likely to land 12-14 as they are to land 3-5, because the Nets actually DO have the means to improve significantly by the time we reach the 2018 (or even 2017) draft.

This adds a certain element of risk to the idea of holding on to those picks...which is why if we have the opportunity to trade either (or both) of those picks and bring back a player who can make a major impact, we should do it.  Draft picks are risky enough when you KNOW they are falling top 5.  If you have no idea where they are going to fall, it's like playing Russian Roulette. 

At least that's my perspective on it.  If we had a chance to get a guy like Butler, Cousins, Horford or Love (or even somebody like Dwight or Harrison Barnes) in the offseason and it required us to give up a future Nets pick, then I would do it in a heartbeat.

If it's the 2016 pick we're talking about, then I would be far more hesitant.  For anyone less than Cousins/Butler/Griffin calibre I probably wouldn't consider it.   

I'm also not so sure that Brooklyn is so much less appealing then all those other teams.  Which teams out there have the same amount of cap space as Brooklyn? 

- Can they also offer an opportunity to be a #1 / #2 guy and one of the faces of the franchise?
- Do they also have two quality young players to form a core around?
- Do they also have an owner with unlimited depth to their pockets, and a huge desire to win?
- Do they also offer the attention of a New York spotlight?

I don't think Brooklyn is unappealing as you might think.

I think potential trading partners are aware that the 2017-2018 picks are not as valuable too though..

[Granath]

That might seem true on paper, but lets not forget that Carmelo forced his way to New York at a time when the franchise was a laughing stock. 

Deron Williams and Chris Paul signed with the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) and LA Clippers, respectively, when both teams were considered a borderline laughing stock.

Dwight Howard signed with Houston at a time when they looked like nothing close to a contender.

Al Jefferson signed with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Brook Lopez and Thad Young both signed with the Nets, even when it seemed pretty obvious the team had no hope of contending.

Let's correct/provide perspective to some of this.

Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Knicks. As far as the team being a laughingstock, they had a winning record when Anthony was traded. There were high expectations for a front line of Amare and 'Melo.

Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers after the Lakers trade was rejected. He didn't sign with them. It was widely rumored that he was unhappy about being sent there but couldn't do much since it was a league-engineered trade after the Lakers fiasco.

Deron Williams re-signed with the Nets. It's much easier to retain guys than to sign them away, ?The Nets offered him more money, an opt-out after 4 years and they signed his good buddy Joe Johnson (which was the final kicker).

Howard signed with Houston as the missing piece to a 45 win team after Harden's break out year(s), the chance to be coached by McHale and work with Hakeem. That turned out to true since they won 58 games the next year. He also wasn't in incredible demand after the Lakers fiasco.

Al Jefferson was seen as being on the downside of his injury-riddled career when he caught on in Charlotte. It's not like he was in high demand. His 3 year deal was worth only $41m and that was nowhere near the max amount.

Lopez signed an extension with the Nets. Given his injury history the chance to sign a 3 yr/ $50m extension outweighed the chance for him to opt out after another year. Young signed a deal that was far above what he would have received on the open market (4 years, $50m).

In short, the situations you painted were either outright incorrect or far more nuanced than you indicated. There were exceptionally logical reasons why these guys landed where they did. Melo might be the only one that meets your definition of someone who wanted to be the face of a franchise in a particular city.

There is no doubt that the Nets have an opportunity in FA to improve their team. But again you seem to exaggerate things. Fournier is lacking a role? The guy is playing 32 minutes a game in Orlando. He's not buried in the roster. The reason why Lin signs for mediocre teams is because he's a pretty poor player. Some FA will go to the Nets. But there's a lot of competition out there and a lot of money out there bidding against them. They're going to have to overpay and/or try to catch guys who have major questions about them (ex. Al Jefferson signing with Charlotte).

Simply put, I'm not too concerned. We'll see how it plays out in a couple of months but I think there's an odds-on chance the Nets are in the lottery again next year.

[nickagneta]

If the Nets trade off Lopez and Young for picks to jump start the rebuild and give some young talent time to develop, I think there is a really good chance that the Nets are worse next year than they are this year.

[saltlover]

That might seem true on paper, but lets not forget that Carmelo forced his way to New York at a time when the franchise was a laughing stock. 

Deron Williams and Chris Paul signed with the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) and LA Clippers, respectively, when both teams were considered a borderline laughing stock.

Dwight Howard signed with Houston at a time when they looked like nothing close to a contender.

Al Jefferson signed with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Brook Lopez and Thad Young both signed with the Nets, even when it seemed pretty obvious the team had no hope of contending.

Let's correct/provide perspective to some of this.

Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Knicks. As far as the team being a laughingstock, they had a winning record when Anthony was traded. There were high expectations for a front line of Amare and 'Melo.

Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers after the Lakers trade was rejected. He didn't sign with them. It was widely rumored that he was unhappy about being sent there but couldn't do much since it was a league-engineered trade after the Lakers fiasco.

Deron Williams re-signed with the Nets. It's much easier to retain guys than to sign them away, ?The Nets offered him more money, an opt-out after 4 years and they signed his good buddy Joe Johnson (which was the final kicker).

Howard signed with Houston as the missing piece to a 45 win team after Harden's break out year(s), the chance to be coached by McHale and work with Hakeem. That turned out to true since they won 58 games the next year. He also wasn't in incredible demand after the Lakers fiasco.

Al Jefferson was seen as being on the downside of his injury-riddled career when he caught on in Charlotte. It's not like he was in high demand. His 3 year deal was worth only $41m and that was nowhere near the max amount.

Lopez signed an extension with the Nets. Given his injury history the chance to sign a 3 yr/ $50m extension outweighed the chance for him to opt out after another year. Young signed a deal that was far above what he would have received on the open market (4 years, $50m).

In short, the situations you painted were either outright incorrect or far more nuanced than you indicated. There were exceptionally logical reasons why these guys landed where they did. Melo might be the only one that meets your definition of someone who wanted to be the face of a franchise in a particular city.

There is no doubt that the Nets have an opportunity in FA to improve their team. But again you seem to exaggerate things. Fournier is lacking a role? The guy is playing 32 minutes a game in Orlando. He's not buried in the roster. The reason why Lin signs for mediocre teams is because he's a pretty poor player. Some FA will go to the Nets. But there's a lot of competition out there and a lot of money out there bidding against them. They're going to have to overpay and/or try to catch guys who have major questions about them (ex. Al Jefferson signing with Charlotte).

Simply put, I'm not too concerned. We'll see how it plays out in a couple of months but I think there's an odds-on chance the Nets are in the lottery again next year.

Lopez did not sign an extension with the Nets.  He was an unrestricted free agent after having exercised his early termination option.  The Nets used their Bird rights to re-sign him, but he could have gone anywhere with cap room.  He also signed for 3 years and $60 million, not $50 million.

That said, I'm also not worried.  The Nets don't have nearly as much cap room as other teams, and clearly a worse starting canvass than almost all of them.  The Nets will have to pay top dollar for any free agent who signs there, and it's tough to see a player choosing them with equal offers from other teams.  The way the Nets take a big step forward is if they hit on 2-3 lower-tier free agents who emerge into good values.  If they're able to find a couple Bazemores and Thomases, they could take a step or two forward.  But it's hard to find multiple of those players in a single free agency class, especially given that a lot of teams will be looking for them.

[Boris Badenov]

If the Nets trade off Lopez and Young for picks to jump start the rebuild and give some young talent time to develop, I think there is a really good chance that the Nets are worse next year than they are this year.

I'm starting to run through possibilities in my mind. Can we construct a three-way that sends Lopez somewhere else, the 2018 pick back to BKN, and gives us the scoring wing we desperately desire?

I guess I am struggling to think of who would want Lopez. Young seems easier to move but has less value. We could of course send picks or other assets along with Lopez.

I think this would be a worthy goal because it would send BKN into full-blown tank mode - while we still retained the 2017 swap rights. They'd have no incentive to be good until after 2018 so that their pick remained valuable.

[Humble G]

If the Nets trade off Lopez and Young for picks to jump start the rebuild and give some young talent time to develop, I think there is a really good chance that the Nets are worse next year than they are this year.

I'm starting to run through possibilities in my mind. Can we construct a three-way that sends Lopez somewhere else, the 2018 pick back to BKN, and gives us the scoring wing we desperately desire?

I guess I am struggling to think of who would want Lopez. Young seems easier to move but has less value. We could of course send picks or other assets along with Lopez.

I think this would be a worthy goal because it would send BKN into full-blown tank mode - while we still retained the 2017 swap rights. They'd have no incentive to be good until after 2018 so that their pick remained valuable.

Interesting idea....what about for melo or Boogie?

[Denis998]

The only seemingly logical conclusion is that their GM sees the nets rebuild taking more than 3-5 years. In that case, considering the ages of Young and Lopez, those players do not factor into the future of the team. In that case, it doesn't make sense to drag those players along a rebuild and watch their value drop year by year. I see them trading for young players and draft picks. This strategy makes sense for the Nets, as well as does wonders for our remaining draft picks. #tatumtoboston

[SHAQATTACK]

The only seemingly logical conclusion is that their GM sees the nets rebuild taking more than 3-5 years. In that case, considering the ages of Young and Lopez, those players do not factor into the future of the team. In that case, it doesn't make sense to drag those players along a rebuild and watch their value drop year by year. I see them trading for young players and draft picks. This strategy makes sense for the Nets, as well as does wonders for our remaining draft picks. #tatumtoboston

All True .  this is logical normal thinking .   It does not apply to,the NETs Owner ......I ll have to see it with my own eyes the selling off,of Lopez before I believe it will happen .

I don't believe a GM position in the Nets franchise has much clout .  He is scape goat for WHAT ever the owner is having him do. 

I just don 't see the Nets current owner being patient enough to develop or grow a solid team from acquiring assets , drafts and trades.

He finds it easier to,write checks for ALL ready over rated and paid players . 

I be shocked if he actually lets a GM build a club the correct way with good coaches and young players.

[mef730]

Another night, another Suns loss.

Tonight would have been much more competitive if Atlanta had played UConn and Phoenix had played Syracuse. I would have taken the Orange women and given the points. 

Mike