Maggette needs to go.

peteb24 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:12:22 -0000

With Crawford on board, this Warriors squad has a chance to put some wins together...and Corey Maggette is not part of that equation. Obviously V.3 of the We believe Warriors is looking for an identity. They have found one nice piece in Beidrins scoring and rebounding. They have found another nice piece with Crawford as a scoring 1. Once Monta gets back, the Warriors 1-2 punch will be the fastest in the NBA, bar none. Wright should be playing about 30 minutes a game at 4 and Turiaff can spell Beidrins and Wright depending on the situation. Jackson holds down the 3 with Kelenna and Morrow in the rotation at 2 and 3.

Maggette in my opinion is the one piece that doesn't fit. We simply can't trade BD's heart for Maggette's 20 per game for a terrible Clippers team. Here's what Maggette brings to the table:

1) No passing: 46 minutes played on Monday against the heat. Zero assists. The reason he gets to the free throw line is because he gives up easy buckets for his teammates (on passes) for difficult shots in which he looks to draw the foul.

2) Iso on every possession: I as soon as the ball finds Maggette in an offensive set, it stops. He either has to wait a second before delivering a dump down pass into the post, or he's going to shoot, take it to the rim or dribble into traffic hoping for a foul.

3) No killer instinct. The Warriors are losing the close games they won last year. This could be attributed to the bad inbounds passes, the inability to get a defensive stop or Nelson's coaching. I believe it's terrible clock management by Maggette. He simply does not recognize when he should keep the ball moving, instead hoisting up ill-advised jumpers or going to the rack. It's probably worth keeping track of how many times he hoists up a jumper or three pointer with 10 seconds left on the shot clock while the Warriors have the lead.

On top of that, has anyone seen that look of determination in Maggette's eye when the game is on the line. Not me. And he hasn't hit the shots to prove that he has it (and goodness, he's gotten the chances in the fourth quarter)

4) Whiner. Against Miami, Maggette was whining to the refs virtually every possession. When you are D-Wade, you have the right to talk to the ref about every call. You are the best player on the floor. When you are Maggette, you don't get that priveledge.

5) No urge to rebound. Corey's not the quickest guy on defense, but with his size, he should be grabbing rebounds at a much higher rate. 46 minutes against Miami, 5 rebounds. If Corey is going to play 4, he needs to at least try to rebound like a 4. I don't see it.

6) No 3's. Wondering why the Warriors three point shooting is so far down this year? Maggette can't shoot the triple! Last season we had Al taking the shots that Maggette takes. Al would get hot from deep and sink 2 or three in a row. Maggette's shot is a turnaround fade-away jumper from the baseline - he shoots a flat three-pointer that hardly has a chance (Notice the back-iron bricks- lots of them).

7) He's hit the ceiling: It's not getting any better than what he's showing us right now. To me, he deserves to be a sixth or seventh man in the rotation. Then maybe he could learn that every minute he plays counts.

So to sum it up, Corey is not a winner. He doesn't do the little things and he thinks he is a top-notch scorer, when in fact he is average to above average. Yes, he has nice biceps, but that don't mean squat in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. I would rather see Anthony Morrow taking his shots. Morrow has shown a knack for rebounding and with some regular playing time could become a great spot up shooter.

What would a Hornets vs. Dubs series look like?

peteb24 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:49:35 -0000

I hate to jinx us by predicting that we will finish in the eight seed and match up with the Hornets in the first round, but the more I stare at Denver's remaining schedule and the Dub's remaining games it seems likely.

We obviously have split the last two meetings with the Hornets, but how do we actually match up with them? Last season we upset Dallas, the No. 1 seed because we stymied Dirk and ran Dallas ragged. Can we do the same to the Hornets or will they like the pace we run at?

I do not want to make a prediction for the outcome of the series, but I believe the Warriors are a scary team for the Hornets, and surprisingly, we are the more experienced playoff team. Here are three advantages I see the Dubs having over the Hornets:

No. 1 EXPERIENCE
The Hornets have Peja and Bonzi Wells who have both seen playoff action. Other than that, the Hornets are without a closer who is proven in the playoffs. (Look what happened to CDR in the NCAA Championship game on Monday night!)
For the Dubs, the starting five have all seen significant time in the playoffs. It's hard to say how much of an advantage playoff experience is, but at least we know we can win a high pressure series!

No 2 GUARD PLAY
In a seven game series, a healthy Baron Davis will wear down Chris Paul (and vice versa, unfortunately). However, Monta will run wild against the Hornets as evidenced by Sunday's game. If the Dubs can manage Pargo and Peja on the offensive end, I give the advantage to the Warriors.

No. 3 UNDERDOG
Having the best record in the west is a huge accomplishment. The Hornets have had to play at a high level the entire year and they are being talked about as a possible title contender. Simply put, the Warriors are not. The Warriors have proven they can beat any team in the west (except Utah. That makes me sick) but they are still squeeking into the playoffs. If they indeed make the playoffs they will likely be on a winning streak and ready to battle with any team they face, including the Hornets. As an 8 seed they are the obvious underdog, but they will be either a 49, 50 or 51 win team. Dangerous.

How do you all see it?

SB Nation User Blog: peteb24

Maggette needs to go.

What would a Hornets vs. Dubs series look like?