Entering the WNBA as a young point guard is quite the challenge. On top of having to make the quick transition from college or overseas basketball to the WNBA and getting used to a new environment, young point guards are also expected to run their team’s offense right away.
Nevertheless, Paige Bueckers is expected to be the Wings’ point guard in her rookie season. She has been playing the position in training camp, giving Arike Ogunbowale a chance to play off the ball. Ogunbowale is one of the most talented scorers in the WNBA. Having someone else to set up the offense and get her the ball should make her an even bigger threat, even if that person is a rookie.
Handling the ball is nothing new for Paige Bueckers. She can play both on and off the ball and spent plenty of time at UConn handling the ball and facilitating. Over four seasons with the Huskies, Bueckers averaged 4.5 assists per game. In her final season, she was the team’s leading playmaker.
Playing the point guard for the Wings should still be a new experience for Bueckers, though.
Paige Bueckers will have a lot of freedom in the Wings’ offense
As the top draft pick and a potential franchise cornerstone, Paige Bueckers will get plenty of opportunities to showcase her talent in her rookie season. She will immediately be a huge part of the Wings’ offense. Bueckers already said at her introductory press conference that she was excited to set up Ogunbowale and run the team’s offense.
That is not all she will do, however. Bueckers may be the team’s point guard and bring the ball up the floor a lot, but that does not mean that she will be on the ball and responsible for creating offense all the time.
Arike Ogunbowale is still at her best with the ball in her hands, and while the Wings want to develop Bueckers, they also want to give their established All-Star a chance to thrive. So, Bueckers will also spend plenty of time off the ball and should get an opportunity to explore every single aspect of her offense.
Bueckers is expected to excel as a pick-and-roll ball handler in the WNBA, but she was also a great 3-point shooter in college, averaging 42.3 percent for her career. If she can bring that same shot to the WNBA, she could be lethal on and off the ball alike. Combining that with Ogunbowale’s scoring ability should give the Wings a dangerous backcourt and allow Bueckers to look even better than she did in college.