JuJu Watkins (in 38 games) is 4th fastest to 1,000 points. Took Caitlin 40 games
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
Juju is really, really good.
She doesn't have the ability to take over a game the way Caitlin did/does.
A lot of that comes back to Caitlin's passing ability. You can try to shut Juju down, and she won't burn you with her passing. Caitlin will make you pay with every defensive misstep.
She doesn't have the ability to take over a game the way Caitlin did/does.
A lot of that comes back to Caitlin's passing ability. You can try to shut Juju down, and she won't burn you with her passing. Caitlin will make you pay with every defensive misstep.
To me, the numbers to focus on are CC’s senior numbers where she averaged 32 ppg over 39 games. That single-season output is just absolutely insane. So either you hope you have a similar year production-wise (unlikely), or else you’d better be getting way out in front of it. Simply keeping pace or even being slightly ahead at any point pre-year four just isn’t going to cut it.
Bingo. Said this in the offseason and the way she goes for garbage time buckets (rolled an ankle this year in one such game up.... 40!!!! POINTS) makes it almost a certainty.
Ju ju only had 14 points against Wisconsin. USC only has 6 games left before the Big Ten Tourney. If they play 3 games in the Big Ten Tourny and make it to the final 4, that’s only 36 games. Let’s say USC does that her final two years also. That gives her 86 games left. She’s sitting at 1452. To tie CC’s 3951 she would have to average 29.0 over those 86 games. That’s not happening, it’s over Rocky.
I’ll say it yet again. Caitlin averaged 32 freaking points over 39 freaking games her senior season. That’s like running neck and neck for the lead at the Boston Marathon, getting to Heartbreak Hill, and then watching your competition take off and finish with 6 consecutive sub-four minute miles.
Yeah but that was Caitlin's 9th year in college and she was 43 playing against 6 year olds.
I thought Iowa defended her well. She lives at the line, is an excellent free throw shooter and unfortunately is not an efficient shooter.
Iowa had the scout on her. They always tried to hedge to force her left. She isn't as comfortable doing that. I am sure she will improve on that in the future. Her super power is on the break going downhill. She is exceptional at that.
Iowa had the scout on her. They always tried to hedge to force her left. She isn't as comfortable doing that. I am sure she will improve on that in the future. Her super power is on the break going downhill. She is exceptional at that.
JuJu Watkins is a wonderful person and one of the best womens basketball player ever. It's likely that she'll be better in the WNBA than in college.
I don't think it's fair to compare her to Caitlin or anyone else. She's got her own thing going.
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If USC makes up the NW game and makes the championship games of both of the BTT and the NCAA, I think they will be at 38 games played this year. If they do the same in JJW's junior and senior years, that would be a likely max of 150 games total in her career. With 11 extra games compared to CC, her career average to break the scoring record would only have to be 26.34 in that best case for her scenario. I don't think she gets there, but the potential extra games could make it close.
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and she took like 62 shots a game. she wasn't that good.
It will be interesting to see where JuJu's career points total is after 2 seasons. She's currently at 1,452 points (56 games played; 25.93 ppg).
And good luck to JuJu (or anyone) in trying to do anything close to what CC did in her final 2 years at IOWA (77 games; 2,289 points; 29.73 ppg)
Caitlin's Career Numbers:
Year: Points Scored
2021: 799 (30 games).........26.6 ppg
2022: 863 (32 games)........27.0 ppg
2023: 1,055 (38 games).....27.8 ppg
2024: 1,234 (39 games)......31.6 ppg
................................................................................................
3,951 Total Career Points...28.424 ppg (139 GP)
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And good luck to JuJu (or anyone) in trying to do anything close to what CC did in her final 2 years at IOWA (77 games; 2,289 points; 29.73 ppg)
Caitlin's Career Numbers:
Year: Points Scored
2021: 799 (30 games).........26.6 ppg
2022: 863 (32 games)........27.0 ppg
2023: 1,055 (38 games).....27.8 ppg
2024: 1,234 (39 games)......31.6 ppg
................................................................................................
3,951 Total Career Points...28.424 ppg (139 GP)
===================================
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This is a fair statement sir. Every player is unique, and brings different skills to the table.
Here’s another relevant set of numbers to take in.
CC’s senior season, she averaged 13.6 three point shot attempts per game, making 5.2 of them. That’s absolutely insane. By comparison, over her career, JuJu has averaged per game just about 6 attempts. How can you average 13.6 three point shots per game? Well, when over half of them are from 30-35 feet, those are all pretty much going to be open looks. Conversely , there’s just no way you’re going to get thirteen and a half open looks from three per game when you’re shooting them from 22 feet. Caitlin simply created points that for any other player would not have existed.
Now you could say that JuJu creates more points than CC did through her ability to drive and finish. That’s fair. But she needs those in at least a 3:2 ratio. The numbers just aren’t in her favor.
After this season you will be more accurately able to evaluate Juju's career scoring versus Caitlin's. I see very little chance of Juju reaching Caitlin's final numbers given her current pace. This year her ppg numbers are down significantly from last year. In fact this year's ppg recently dropped below 24.
I have said it before. It will all come down to 2 numbers: career games x career ppg.
(1) Caitlin averaged 35 games/year x 4 years. JuJu played 34 games in YEAR ONE and 23 games so far in YEAR 2.
(2) Right now there's quite the gap in career ppg.
And simply compare JuJu's freshman year to this year; as you can see, her points/game are trending downward (Caitlin's ppg increased EVERY year).
....................Games
Season.....Played...........PPG.......Points
FRESH..........34................27.06........920
SOPH............23...............23.87.........549
Current Career Numbers:
Games......Career.......Career
Played...........PPG.......Points
.......57.........25.77........1,469.........JuJu Watkins
.....139........28.42.......3,951..........Caitlin Clark
(1) Caitlin averaged 35 games/year x 4 years. JuJu played 34 games in YEAR ONE and 23 games so far in YEAR 2.
(2) Right now there's quite the gap in career ppg.
And simply compare JuJu's freshman year to this year; as you can see, her points/game are trending downward (Caitlin's ppg increased EVERY year).
....................Games
Season.....Played...........PPG.......Points
FRESH..........34................27.06........920
SOPH............23...............23.87.........549
Current Career Numbers:
Games......Career.......Career
Played...........PPG.......Points
.......57.........25.77........1,469.........JuJu Watkins
.....139........28.42.......3,951..........Caitlin Clark
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Its also that she has way more talent around her then last year. Said this earlier. USC will be a better team in the future, but its unlikely she'll be have the same kind of freedom to take over games. Like last season where she had that 51 point game and USC scored 65 points total as the other players basically just stood around and watched her. Thats not happening anymore. Even when Clark had really monster games like her 45-49 point onslaughts, the hawks would be at 95-105 points because CC22 was also a facilitator and created offense for her team mates. Thats not Juju's game.
what are you? Some kind of statistician?!
I think we may be writing JuJu's chances off too early. I totally agree with others that it is a tall task for her to stay healthy for all four years and also keep her scoring average up for the next 2+ years with a talented roster around her. She also has recently been trending downward, but I don't know what she will do her last two years. The big thing is that JuJu could get 150 games to CC's 139. That would allow her to average around two points less per game over her career than CC and still get to 3952 points. If she averages 27 points a game for the next 2.5 years, stays healthy, and makes the finals of tournaments, she would be there. She doesn't have to match CC's unbelievable senior season scoring pace (31.6 ppg), or even CC's junior year scoring (27.8) to get there. Do I think she will? Probably not, but the covid games taken away from Iowa could be the difference.
Your stats are right on. Depending on how many games USC plays throughout the remainder of Juju's career, her ppg will determine if she catches Caitlin. Right now she trails Caitlin by 2,482. At the most she has 89 games left assuming USC advances quite far in the NCAA tournament. Points needed (2,482) divided by remaing games (89) equals 27.9 ppg. With that required ppg average there's no way Juju catches Caitlin.
The likelihood of JuJu passing CC's scoring record gets smaller and smaller with each passing game. I have a really hard time seeing JuJu go off like CC did her last 2 years. I think almost everybody else is seeing the same thing.
I get that, and I don't think she's likely to catch CC's record. The point is, she doesn't have to go off to the extent CC did her last two years IF JuJu gets 11 extra games. She only has to do around where she was her freshman year for the next 2+ years--that and USC has to win a lot to get those 11 extra games.
Nah ... I wouldn't say that. Juju plays on a squad that doesn't really execute an up-tempo O. Furthermore, Juju has more blocks, more steals, and fewer turnovers than Caitlin. They're both tremendous players ... but also, they're very different players.
I think that the most prudent thing is to place less emphasis on comparing them ... and more emphasis on appreciating both of them.
The tempo is an excellent point. Iowa averaged around 92-94 points a game last year. I imagine USC is around 75-80 points per game.
Yes, and she averaged more points last year in that stacked Pac12 than she is now in the Big10.
Yeah, she’s taking fewer shots on average, but her FG% is up for the year. She attempted like 40% of her team’s FGs last year. Compare that to about 28% this year.
Juju finishes with 30 points tonight.
Through 62 career games she’s at 1,604 points.
Clark through 62 games has 1,662.
So currently Clark is +58
Why is tonight significant? 62 games was the end of Clark’s Sophomore season.
Juju will have at least 3(not getting beat by a 16 seed in round 1) and at most 9 more games to catch up to Clark. After that Clark played basically the max amount of games in her Junior and Senior seasons.
Through 62 career games she’s at 1,604 points.
Clark through 62 games has 1,662.
So currently Clark is +58
Why is tonight significant? 62 games was the end of Clark’s Sophomore season.
Juju will have at least 3(not getting beat by a 16 seed in round 1) and at most 9 more games to catch up to Clark. After that Clark played basically the max amount of games in her Junior and Senior seasons.
It will be interesting to see where JuJu's career points stand at the end of this season.
Like I have said before:
* JuJu's ppg have gone down dramatically this year whereas CC's ppg went up every year
* Good luck to JuJu in scoring anywhere near the 2,289 points (in 77 games, 29.7 ppg) in her last 2 years, which is what Caitlin did.
JuJu's ppg:
27.1 ppg: FRESHMAN YEAR
24.2 ppg: SOPHOMORE YEAR
Caitlin's Career Numbers:
Year: Points Scored
2021: 799 (30 games).........26.6 ppg
2022: 863 (32 games)........27.0 ppg
2023: 1,055 (38 games).....27.8 ppg
2024: 1,234 (39 games)......31.6 ppg
................................................................................................
3,951 Total Career Points...28.424 ppg (139 GP)
===================================
Of course, and I think those who attempt to be reasonable and basketball savvy would get that, but seriously who wants to compare them. You’re certainly aware of the component out there desperate to replace CC with any player that comes along .
And yes, they are honestly wildly different players who both have a ton of respect for each other.
But they never should’ve been compared Jujus a 6-2 combo 2/3 and Caitlin is point guard. Hell she’s a damn visionary and since we are comparing….
Juju has more blocks…. I’d hope so, Caitlin didn’t even start trying to play defense until she got to the WNBA and she is 6-2 and she has marginally more steals again because of where she plays, in the passing lanes
After that, absolutely nothing she does is even in the same realm, including rebounding. I’m not gonna give her Kudos for less turnovers when she averages 3.5 assists per game to 3.0 TOs .
She takes way more shots inside the paint than Caitlin does and shoots a significantly less 2pt % & worse three point % & her EFG% isn’t even close.
And if you head over to Twitter, you’ll be able to find all kinds of posts saying juju is better or Paige is better or Hannah will be better or this girl or that girl I mean there’s some obsessive levels of desperation out there for C Clark, not to be good, it’s the most bizarre shit I’ve ever seen…
No wonder there are so many people running around saying shit about these other girls…
Now for what it’s worth CC doesn’t need defended, quite frankly it’s ridiculous to say “never ever” but it is gonna be quite a while before we see girls throwing 94 foot passes and shooting 32 foot bombs consistently. I’m not sure why they’re trying to compare anyone to her.
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