u/QuickAlternative1678

Anyone have thoughts /opinions on whether Dallas is done for? Portland is catching up but they have a tough schedule to end. Even then, i am worried about even making the playoffs. We have been in dog fights all season with some of the worse teams by record and Jose can put together (and use) a solid rotation to save his life. The team is struggling to close out. Paige will be tripled more with Azzi out. I predict Maddy will start to see more minutes which should help her with contract negotiations in the off season but you just never know. There is still no update on Zaza

Anyone who knows anything about knees (w/ past surgery) and soreness ... is there a reason to be concerned about 35? Just wondering if anyone who has dealt with this before has more knowledge about what the issue could be given how vague Dallas has been. She has been healthy for 2 seasons now but IDK if she has ever carried a defensive load at 35 MPG like she has the past two months. I am really hoping it isn't anything serious because I could see Dallas slipping out of playoff contention (or barely getting in the top 8) if she is not back soon. Jose's comments on Friday made it clear that she was likely not playing until at least Thursday, but that is based on whatever the medical team says when they return to Dallas

Seeing what Awak and Lan are able to do together on defense and knowing Dallas still has Azzi missing is very promising ….. if Jose sees what we all see, Dallas is going to be scary in the post-season. Dallas has plenty of offensive power but good defense on the perimeter and in the paint makes Dallas a real threat

How far they go will be on Jose

Who would be your ideal matchup for the Wings to take on in first round of the playoffs to have a chance at advancing? Dallas has beaten the Aces and Liberty the most. The Aces are built for the playoffs, so they worry me as a matchup but it is looking like a possibility. If we continue to hover around the 6-8 spots, we will likely get Lynx, Aces, or GSV.

SN: I know everyone thinks Dallas is a first round exit but walk with me.

What are the keys to Dallas beating Indiana on Friday that may not be as obvious? I know Dallas won 1 game against them but every team is so different from earlier in the season. I don’t watch every single Indiana game but my understanding is that they lack defense but are an offensive powerhouse. I would say the keys for Dallas are to avoid poor shot selection (of course, but even more important against Indiana). Dallas needs to put up as many points possible and stay consistent through all 4 quarters. Defense is always important. Azzi may get assigned Kelsey (who is pretty unguardable imo), which leaves CC with better scoring opportunities

Jose would never do it but after watching these last few games and seeing what is missing and what works, my starting lineup would be:

1. Paige
2. Azzi
   3.Awak
3. Jess
4. Lan

Jose loves a 3 guard lineup, but Awak has said she prefers the 3 spot. Arike leading the second unit as a spark off the bench (what I believe she did in unrivaled) would be great but I know Jose would never bench her and it’s a pride thing. At the very least, I hope Jose works on his rotations so we can see what a lineup like this looks like offensively and defensively.

I think the ball moves better without Jess’s playmaking but she is still an offensive threat and good rebounder. The paint/rim protection looks great with Lan + Awak.

The Dallas  Wings could be the Dark Horse of the playoffs. Dallas is the only team in the top 8 with no real offensive identity or hierarchy. Jose has tried so many different things this season, and it’s obvious to viewers what works and what doesn’t but you never know what Jose will go with to finish out this season and into the playoffs. Plus, the rim defense is automatically beefed up with Lan back healthy and in the starting lineup (see recent  Mystics game despite loss). I also thought the paint defense looked really good in the Lynx game with Jess out. The perimeter defense was horrendous without Azzi. Anyway, I think a fully healthy Wings + Jose sticking to what works could be dangerous. I also think teams learn a lot from losses. All of those clutch wins from early in the season hid things that really needed work, so these past few losses were needed honestly. The real issue is that Jose can easily be out coached in clutch moments by more experienced coaches.

Jose has lost all support from the fan base it seems. Initially I think Azzi fans disliked him based on the season start, but I’ve seen more and more people calling for him to be fired, critiquing his coaching, and just overall disliking him. I’ve even seen it from other fan bases especially on Threads. Does Dallas’ front office have a problem or is this normal/ par for the course? I’m pretty new to being on social media during the sports season or even following discourse online while watching sports, so if this question is stupid, please forgive me but I have not seen one positive thing about Jose since June.

That was a very very hard watch…. Jose looked like Chris Koclanes without the bun

My biggest gripe with Dallas this year isn’t the close wins or the close losses in very winnable games, it’s that they did not fully commit to the rebuild when this organization desperately needed one. I truly believe Paige and Azzi’s development has been stunted this year (especially Azzi). I know Paige is having a great year but still something is off. The team has no identity. I truly believe that a lot of these losses would sting a lot less if we saw that our rookie and sophomore were at the helm and learning much needed lessons from them and developing (kind of like the Mystics early this season). I thought the Seattle game showed Jose who to put his faith in but things have changed as of recently

When do you think they will announce who is doing the 3 point contest and Shooting Stars event? I would love to see Azzi and Marina do the 3-point contest. I haven’t seen Azzi shoot from the rack before, but she is automatic when knocking down catch and shoot 3s back to back.