Cooper maintained he didn’t have a set starting lineup, though he acknowledged the combination of Noelle Quinn, Betty Lennox, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie “is a very good lineup for us.” That unit often played together in Friday’s practice, but players at Wednesday’s media day said Cooper has fielded between five and seven different combinations.
And:
Cooper on Wisdom-Hylton: “Active rebounder, real good passer for a big, has that diversity that we like in our bigs in being able to play multiple positions. She showed she can move around to the 3. Five might be out of her realm, but against certain teams she may be able to play the 5 spot.”
Cooper on Paris: “Ashley is a better ball handler than expected. She’s another one that can move out and play multiple positions. I know in college she was mainly just a 4 most of the time. But here she’s probably going to have to put in a little work at the 3. So that’s always a good thing because again the more positions you can play, the more minutes you can spend out on the court.”
Link: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/05/michael-cooper-on-sparks-training-camp-were-ahead-of-everybody-.html
I have some scoop myself from a reliable source: Lennox has been on fire in practices; Bobbitt’s hard work in the off-season is showing up in quick cuts and very good court vision; everyone has been doing a lot of communicating on the court during scrimmages; and Noelle Quinn is making an excellent case for a starting spot.
I can’t believe they’re going to have to cut three from this roster. Anyway you go, it will be painful.