High Post Hoops
Fansided

All that matters for the Seattle Storm, Gary Kloppenburg: winning

By Brendon Kleen

TULSA, OK - AUGUST 23: Head coach Gary Kloppenburg of the Tulsa Shock eyes the clock in the final moments against the San Antonio Silver Stars during the WNBA game on August 23, 2013 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images)
TULSA, OK - AUGUST 23: Head coach Gary Kloppenburg of the Tulsa Shock eyes the clock in the final moments against the San Antonio Silver Stars during the WNBA game on August 23, 2013 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

PHOENIX– Most WNBA seasons last 34 games, but for the Seattle Storm under interim coach Gary Kloppenburg, this one will feel extremely abbreviated.

After a 98-89 victory for his Storm in Phoenix on Saturday, Kloppenburg took a measured approach. He told The Summitt, “We had a lot of stuff happen, and only one good practice, and then there we are. Like an eight-game season.” Kloppenburg was an assistant for Jenny Boucek until last Thursday, when she was let go by Seattle after leading the team to only 10 wins in 26 games and an outsider’s view of the playoffs. Now he is the head coach of a team with problems all over and pressure mounting.

This Seattle team is one with the past two WNBA Rookies of the Year in Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd, as well as a basketball legend running the point in Sue Bird. Despite getting disappointing production from the rest of the roster, the Storm have intriguing talent across the roster. Outside of that big three, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Carolyn Swords ought to be producing at a higher level than they currently are.

More from High Post Hoops

That is the challenge facing Kloppenburg over the remainder of the season. Not so much a reinvention of the wheel, but at the very least coaxing more sturdiness out of each spoke. No bench player has averaged over five points per game this season. One way that Kloppenburg hopes to change that is by getting better shots for his team: “We are a good shooting team. So if we can move the ball and not turn it over, we can get good shots. We can make shots, so we were happy to see that.”

Only four WNBA teams have shot more than 500 threes this season. Of those four, only Seattle is above 34 percent efficiency. Sitting high atop the leaderboard at a sparkling 37 percent, Seattle is proving Kloppenburg correct. On Saturday night in his debut, the Storm used their floor spacing and passing to generate and make those open shots that Kloppenburg wants. The team assisted on 28 shots, soaring past their season mark of 19.2 per game.

“I thought we did a really good job and I think we had four players with five assists; we were just very happy,” Kloppenburg told assembled media following the victory.

TULSA, OK – AUGUST 2: Head coach Gary Kloppenburg of the Tulsa Shock talks to his team during the WNBA game against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 2, 2013 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images)
TULSA, OK – AUGUST 2: Head coach Gary Kloppenburg of the Tulsa Shock talks to his team during the WNBA game against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 2, 2013 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Of course, any coaching change made this late in the season requires a microscope. Kloppenburg was intentionally vague about the inner turmoil that forced this change, and nothing has since been reported other than the disappointing 36-58 record that Boucek coached the Storm to during her tenure. Eight games won’t be enough to flip that script in any monumental way, so Kloppenburg will instead be judged more on the minutia of victory rather than simply in Ws or Ls (though more Ws than Ls would be nice).

Getting the ball moving, creating a spaced floor where Stewart can face up and drive, Loyd can launch bombs and Langhorne can make use of physicality, will be a start. If the Storm can tally 20-plus assists consistently, they will win games. They have too much offensive talent not to. But then come the playoffs, where expectations should still be high based on the talent in Seattle.

Kloppenburg says he’s taking things one night at a time: “ I’m not worried about anything beyond our next game. We have some good young talent, so we just want to try to get our team playing well on both ends of the floor. That will be our focus going forward.”

Next: Ranking Seattle's options for its next head coach

As it did Boucek, time will judge Kloppenburg more harshly than his players or fans. Seattle is happy to have its team, but the clock is ticking for 37-year-old Bird and Stewart is already playing like a superstar. The Storm are built to win. Kloppenburg has to prove he can get them to do it.

Home/Seattle Storm