So, the Indiana Fever are almost certainly going to have a very tough decision on their hands, and it’s about Justine Pissott. It’s a really tough decision they’re going to have to make because when it’s all said and done, the Fever are going to have to make a choice for the team because, let’s be real, teams aren’t going out of their way to try pull in a Jessica Timson. They’re not fully going out of their way to try bring in a small guard. There’s too many of them.
A 6’4 shooter is tough. It’s really, really tough. Especially a 6’4 shooter who doesn’t see contests. Legitimately does not see contests. It’s scary how quick the trigger is. That trigger is kind of crazy.
And obviously this one here, she doesn’t even see the contest. That could have been an and-one. That was an impressive shot.
But the problem is, Chatori Walker-Kimbrough, KK Timson, and Justine Pissott have one spot on the team for them.
The Fever have basically made their decision already. We heard from Chloe Peterson they picked their 12 already. And all it means is that a Portland Fire, a Washington Mystics, any of these teams that are tanking and swinging for upside, they would be idiots not to bring in Justine Pissott.
These teams are already swinging for upside. They would be dumb not to do it.
For example, if you’re the Washington Mystics, when your full team is there, you don’t need to bring all your second and third-round picks because obviously Justine Pissott was gone.
And there are teams like the New York Liberty and the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury realistically did not have a draft pick to take Pissott, but they probably would have taken Pissott for the end of their bench roster, and they might find a way of signing her.
The problem isn’t just the three-point shooting. If you look at some of these possessions here, she’s on the three-point line. Unfortunately, I can’t show it because of League Pass restrictions, but I’ll do the play-by-play.
The ball is handed off to Walker-Kimbrough. She screens down and fakes the screen, and then as soon as she sees an opening, cuts into the open space, gets the ball in the high post, throws a pass over the top for Walker-Kimbrough and-one.
She literally went to set a down screen for Jessica Timson. KK Timson was in no man’s land and she darts across to the elbow, gets the ball, and throws a scoop pass over the top for Walker-Kimbrough for an and-one.
Not only that, later on in the fourth quarter, the ball gets inbounded to Kiana Traylor. They run a soft trap on the inbound. The ball gets thrown back to her to take the ball up. She dribbles the ball up, sees Han Xu guarding her, goes into an in-and-out dribble, gets a step on her going left, and instead of setting it up for Han Xu for the block, gets her body low, goes inside on the right so Han Xu can’t block it, and she just missed the layup.
You’re looking at that and thinking, okay, there’s something here.
It could very well be random. Maybe it was luck. Maybe she didn’t fully know what was going on and just said forget it, I’m going to be aggressive. But you kind of want somebody to be aggressive. That’s what you want from a basketball player, especially a rookie coming in.
You don’t want them to be passive.
You want Raven Johnson to be the defensive coordinator type, and you want your 6’4 sharpshooter to be aggressive.
We saw the three-point shot and she missed it, by the way. She just caught it on the wing and fired it up from deep. She has no conscience shooting that three ball.
And you want your spot-up shooting four to have no conscience shooting that three ball.
All she had to do was make that one post pass at the free throw line and you’re thinking, okay, there’s enough there that one of the 15 WNBA teams is going to cut a 5’8 guard at the end of their bench to bring her in.
Let’s be real here. The Phoenix Mercury have to play on the margins.
If you look at the Mercury roster, who’s going to make the squad? Copper, Mavunga, McCowan, Westbeld, Ayayi, Bonner, AT, Wickham. They have four spots left.
And all these players are undrafted rookies.
People were saying all these teams passed on her. The Mercury didn’t. All the Mercury have to do is deem her better than Yarden Garzon, who was undrafted and plays the same position.
Deem her better than Maggie Doogan, which she is.
I assume Kitija Laksa makes the team. Allen isn’t great. Kiana Williams probably makes the team. Lauren Jensen isn’t good enough. Caron was undrafted for a reason. Prezelj, she’s better than her.
The Phoenix Mercury will offer her a contract.
I think there’s a near zero percent chance the Phoenix Mercury aren’t waiting to offer multiple players contracts.
The reason why the Mercury haven’t signed developmental players yet is because they’re probably waiting to see what good players on other teams get signed to developmental deals and then immediately sign them away.
That’s how teams play on the margins.
And I don’t think there’s a player with higher upside that’s going to be in a developmental slot.
There are going to be better players than Justine Pissott right now. I think you can argue Jessica Timson is a better player currently than Justine Pissott.
But there’s not going to be a player in a developmental slot with the upside of Pissott.
The Phoenix Mercury have the cap space. There are eight players guaranteed on that roster.
If you look at the Connecticut Sun roster, who’s guaranteed to make it? Jacy Sheldon, Diamond Miller, Shay Peddy, Aliyah Edwards, Burton, Rivers, Mabrey, Morrow, and then a few more. There’s one spot left.
It’s between Harmony Turner, Taylor Bigby, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Nelly Angloma, and Reagan Beers.
The Sun could take her.
The Tempo could very well say to Chloe Bibby, “We’ve got a younger version of you who’s longer. We’ll let Bibby go. Justine Pissott, we’ll take you in. We’re trying to lose anyway.”
I don’t think Fever fans realize the Indiana Fever are almost certainly going to have to choose two of three between Justine Pissott, KK Timson, and Chatori Walker-Kimbrough.
And it doesn’t look like they’re going to move on from KK Timson. I think they believe in her upside.
Walker-Kimbrough they’re not cutting. She’s on an unguaranteed deal.
And now Justine Pissott has shown enough upside that you have to give her a contract.
People say that’s what developmental slots are for. Another team is going to give her a contract.
You can steal players from developmental slots.
That’s why the Mercury very clearly have left room on the roster. They’re going to steal developmental players.
If you’re Phoenix and you’re thinking, “We don’t have a backup point guard. Wait, the Liberty have Marine Fauthoux on a developmental slot? Let’s force their hand.”
Then whoever gets cut, Phoenix signs them.
That’s how you play on the margins.
Unfortunately, the Fever don’t play on the margins, and it almost certainly is going to be a choice between Pissott and KK Timson.
For me, both of them have similar weaknesses.
KK is stronger. She’s a much better rebounder. She’s more athletic.
Pissott is much longer, a better ball handler, a much better passer, shoots the ball better, and is a year and a half younger.
I’m looking at it thinking Pissott probably has the higher upside, but I’m not sure the Fever can make that decision.
I don’t think there’s necessarily a wrong decision because KK still has starter upside, and so does Pissott.
What they’re not going to do is cut Chatori Walker-Kimbrough.
Anyone saying Maisha Hines-Allen should be cut doesn’t understand the rules. They literally cannot cut Maisha Hines-Allen. She’s on a guaranteed contract.
If they cut her, they would have 11 players because they can’t afford another player.
There are teams that can cut guaranteed contracts. Indiana is not one of them.
But it is really interesting looking at Justine Pissott, seeing what we’re seeing, and knowing the likelihood of another team stealing her is extremely high. Extremely high.
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