Is it Time to Trade Sue Bird?
by Bruce Baskin
November 22, 2006 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Seattle Storm
She's one of the most popular players in women's pro basketball, a marketing linchpin for her team whose replica jersey is worn by a lot of girls who show up at her games while her prettiness draws attention from male fans who otherwise wouldn't bother paying attention to the WNBA. She is annually voted by fans to the All-Star Game, and was the starting point guard for the 2004 WNBA champions. At first glance, the Seattle Storm and Sue Bird appear to be a match made in heaven. Yet, it may be time to send Bird packing in a trade for a player who might do more to help the Storm win games.
When people think of the Seattle Storm, they automatically think of Bird and teammate Lauren Jackson, and rightly so. Both have been very good players for Seattle over the past few seasons, and have established themselves as the faces of the Storm franchise. Yet, it could be argued that Bird is not even the best guard on her own team, and Seattle's first-round exits over the past two postseasons would indicate that a change may be in order.
I admit to not having intimate knowledge of the Seattle Storm and their inner workings, and I have only attended one of their games, but that one game was enough to convince me that trading Sue Bird might be the right move for the Storm to return to the elites among WNBA teams. It was Seattle's final regular season contest against Charlotte last summer, and I had the privilege of sitting at the courtside press table for an up close view of the game. What I saw from Sue Bird was a player more interested in arguing calls with referees and taking ill-advised shots than helping her team beat a Charlotte club that clearly did not have the talent Seattle had. If it weren't for the early hot hand of Storm shooting guard Betty Lennox, Charlotte probably would have won. After the game, I spoke with a fan who lives and breathes Storm basketball, and she said that, yes, Bird does usually spend an inordinate amount of time squawking with the refs. She ended up scoring four points on 1-for-5 shooting, while turning over the ball four times to offset the three assists she did get. Defensively, she didn't do a whole lot out there, either, although Charlotte's point guards didn't give her much to do.
It's true that one game doesn't give a clear picture of any player, but there were a lot of games in which Bird's boxscore lines were little different from the Charlotte encounter. There were the two losses in late July in which Bird shot a combined 4-for-25 from the field (including 1-for-13 on three-pointers) with nine turnovers, a 1-for-8 night against Sacramento in which she had four turnovers and just two assists, and a two-point game in her native Connecticut on June 9 where she only connected on one of nine hoists from the field before fouling out. In Bird's defense, she did collect 10 assists that game, one of two nights she reached double figures in dishes.
So what the Seattle Storm have in Sue Bird is a truly talented and popular player, but also one whose overall offensive statistics have declined since that magic 2004 season, one who doesn't seem to know when to stop pulling the trigger when her shooting is off, and one who spends too time complaining to refs. These are not the kinds of things a team needs to win championships, which, after all, is a goal in the WNBA as much as any other sports league. But what are the Storm to do? Who do you trade Sure Bird for while she still has great market value? I've thought of two players.
One of them is Lindsay Whalen of Connecticut. While Whalen doesn't have the scoring ability of Bird, she is every bit as good a passer, can handle herself decently on defense, makes far less money and is two years younger. At this stage in their respective careers, Bird is the better player, so the Sun may have to add another player or some cash to the deal, but they would likely do it in order to bring Bird back to the state in which she starred collegiately.
The other is Becky Hammon of the New York Liberty. In head-to-head comparisons, Bird is the superior passer and defensive player, but Hammon (who is three inches shorter and three years older) is by far the better shooter and generally understands that it's time to stop shooting when the shots aren't dropping. This is a riskier deal for Seattle which would require Betty Lennox to handle the ball more than head coach Anne Donovan wants to see, but the Storm would also have two good outside shooting guards to prevent opposing defenses from collapsing inside on Lauren Jackson and Janell Burse. In terms of public persona, Bird for Hammon would end up being a straight-across deal. As popular as Bird is in Seattle, the articulate and attractive Hammon is equally well thought of among Liberty fans.
I realize this is the kind of "Hot Stove League" stuff most sports fans indulge themselves with while waiting for next season, but like those sports fans, I like to see my teams win. Sue Bird has been a tremendous presence with the Storm, and any trade involving her will bring howls of protest among Seattle fans that rank among the WNBA's most passionate. However, at some time, deals have to be made to improve your team's chances of winning games.
It may be time to make this one.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from November 22, 2006
- Wyckoff Jersey To Be Retired - Chicago Sky
- Thanksgiving, Liberty Style - New York Liberty
- Is it Time to Trade Sue Bird? - OSC Original by Bruce Baskin
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
