Chris Pendley of SB Nation's Rocky Top Talk put together a piece looking at Tennessee Lady Vols guard Meighan Simmons' career performances in big games and wondered, "How do they mitigate the bad shooting nights from Simmons?"
For Lady Vols fans, there's plenty of food for thought there. For WNBA fans looking ahead to the 2014 draft, this thought might be interesting:
Simmons is at her most effective with help among the guards and a strong interior game. Well, that second point can get checked with a fierceness on this team, so what about the guard play? That looks like a combination of Andraya Carter and Ariel Massengale, basically...Relax, accept and let the talent around Simmons dominate, and the points - and, more importantly - efficiency will come.
Pendley indirectly highlights an important point about draft prospects, though it's hard to quantify: if a player like Simmons can find a situation where she's able to play off teammates rather than being expected to create herself, she could be a valuable contributor. And if she maintains the pace she had in non-conference play, she'll actually be an efficient draft prospect despite her reputation as an inefficient volume shooter: as of right now, she has a 2-point percentage (50.7%) and free throw rate (25.85%) that make her a prospect worth watching.
Simmons passes Glory Johnson (2008-12), who had 1,643 points. Simmons is 27 points away from the #12 spot, Shyra Ely (2001-05).
— Lady Vol Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) December 29, 2013
Of course, as Pendley points out, the challenge has been performing in big games, which the 2014 SEC schedule will provide plenty of.
For more on potential draft prospects, check out our 2014 WNBA Draft prospects storystream.
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