Dallas Wings Problem: Arike (first post)
Hear me out. You can agree or disagree: there is an Arike problem in Dallas. She’s not the most efficient (due to her being a volume scorer) and at her best she can probably shoot at 40% from the field. She's a 38-39% shooter from the field from what I can see. If Dallas needs her to score 20+ PPG, she can do that, but it’ll take her many attempts to do so (usually 17-19+ shots) and that takes away from everyone else. Paige can do so on 13-15 shots per game making the same or if not more shots. Arike's current slump requires her to shoot herself out of it, but I don’t think Dallas can afford for her to take that many shots. She’s no longer the 1st option, especially when you have someone as efficient as Paige who can score the same amount on way fewer shots. Arike also doesn’t offer much defensively. She’s very talented and I definitely think she could be a better fit on another team who needs someone like her. But her style doesn’t really fit alongside Paige or Azzi. Her style worked previously because she was the engine to the team, but now that isn't the case.
Potential trades can be with the Connecticut Suns– a team who needs someone like Arike. They need someone taking 15-18+ shots, as their leading scorer is currently averaging 10.5 ppg. They can benefit from someone like Arike deeply. The Suns can give Dallas Kennedy Burke (a defensive guard/foward) and maybe Saniya Rivers or some
draft capital. Kennedy Burke will be a win-win for the Wings as she requires low usage to be effective. So it's a win for both franchises.