Is This Just a Phase Leslie Can Get Past?

It’s time to ask some tough questions about Lisa Leslie.

The All-Star center has been the league’s best player for several years and leads the Sparks in scoring, which she has done every year since joining the team in 1997.

However, that average is only 14.8 points a game and Leslie has never averaged less than 15.6.

This season, Leslie has only one 20-point game -- in the opener against Seattle. She has scored 15 points or fewer in eight of the 16 games. Twice she has scored fewer than 10.

Defenses surround her with two or three defenders every time she gets the ball in the lane. But they’ve always done that, and Leslie has still managed to dominate.

The widening of the lane from 12 feet to 16 feet this season may be having an effect. It takes Leslie a little longer to get to her favorite shooting spots, and it has made it easier for opponents to keep her from establishing optimum low-post position.

But that seems like something Leslie should be able to overcome.

Is she being phased out as the Sparks’ first option on offense in favor of Mwadi Mabika? Is she sacrificing her offense to make sure her teammates are involved?

Is something missing?

Nothing is missing, Leslie said, except for consistency in her game.

“I don’t think I’ve been shooting the ball as well as I’m capable of. That’s No. 1,” Leslie said. “No. 2, most defenses are designed to shut me down, which is why my assists are up higher than they’ve ever been.”

That’s true. Leslie is averaging 2.9 assists, which would be a career best. And she is not allowing other parts of her game to suffer. She is second in the league in rebounding (10.0), leads the league in blocked shots (2.75) and ranks seventh in steals (1.88).

But there are other signs of a slowdown, such as a .450 field-goal percentage, which ranks 15th in the WNBA and would be the third lowest of her career. She is also averaging 3.25 turnovers, third highest in the league and a jump from last year’s turnover rate of 2.83.

“[Opposing teams] have been consistent in the type of defense they play against me,” Leslie said. “But that’s the adjustment they’ve made to try and beat us.

“I try to go out there and be aggressive, and sometimes I need to be more aggressive instead of letting the defense dictate what kind of offensive game I have.

“I haven’t been that focused on my scoring, but I know I can do better. I’m probably playing my most inconsistent basketball in my career, but it’s not over.”

Coach Michael Cooper said the dip in Leslie’s production is not an issue.

“She’s still the go-to person. But we have a lot of people on this team who can score,” Cooper said. “Lisa’s minutes aren’t 38-40 per night now. That’s by design because we want to have her strong at the end of the year.

“And Smooth’s always been a team player. It’s not who’s getting it done, but if it’s getting done. So she shouldn’t have to get 20 every night for us to win. But we also know if we have to go to her to get two points we can count on her.”

Last season, Leslie suffered her first serious injury when Swin Cash fell on her left knee during the All-Star game.

Leslie sat out the first 11 games of the second half of the season. She played in the last five games and averaged 16.8 points, with a high of 31 against San Antonio and a low of eight against Houston.

In nine playoff games, Leslie averaged 20.8 points even though she was often playing on one leg. It truly appeared that way in the deciding WNBA championship game against Detroit, when Ruth Riley outscored Leslie, 27-16.

There was little doubt that Leslie would work vigorously in the off-season to regain the strength in her knee. She looked very fit when training camp opened in April. Now she is running hard and showing no limp or fatigue.

“The knee is fine; I don’t have a problem with it,” Leslie said.

She said she expects some improvement during the next few games, which will be played in familiar surroundings. The Sparks played 11 of their first 15 games on the road and are in the midst of a four-game homestand continuing Friday against San Antonio.

They will play seven of their next eight games at home.

And if you want to turn Leslie’s brown eyes into a laser stare, ask if she no longer feels like the WNBA’s best player.

“I still am,” Leslie said. “That’s not over yet, either.”