Sometimes you make smart, frugal moves in free agency, and sometimes you're the Golden State Warriors. Last night, Golden State committed to a 5-year $50 million deal with Corey Maggette.
I'm a little shocked at the desperation this move reeks of; I don't know of anyone (outside the Warriors and Mrs. Maggette) who values Maggette at $10 million per. But not only am I disappointed in the Warriors for signing Maggette, but I'm a little bugged by our buddy Corey's decision to opt for the biggest deal. Although, as Matt Watson at Fanhouse reminds us, playing time could also have been a deciding factor, and the Warriors had more of it to offer than any other team bidding for his services. Still, I would've enjoyed Maggette's shot at subordination and in turn, (hopefully) sustained success. I think he would've fit in nicely with the Spurs, or the Celtics, or a few other teams, and I think he's a good enough player to warrant that kind of hope. He's been labeled as selfish and a shoot-first player, and to some extent those things are true (the latter moreso than the former). I don't think he should've stayed with the Clippers, for the record, but those other teams provided him the opportunity to get the kind of respect that's undeniable (if you catch my drift), a chance to prove that he's not just in this business for the money and the PPG, and a chance to be part of a team with a shot. Yeah, I guess the 2006 Clippers had a shot, but even in the short time when he wasn't injured I wouldn't say Maggette was a part of that team. He looked extraneous and independent on a team that had made it without him.
Now we'll get to see what Mr. Maggette can really do as "the man" on a team. The only problem is, we kind of already saw that. There are apparently a lot of short memories out there, because if you'll recall: that Elton Brand guy was out for 74 games in 2007-2008. Maggette played 70 games and averaged the most shot attempts on the team (14.3, the same amount as Rip Hamilton and more than both Rashard Lewis and Kevin Garnett, among others). His usage was higher than Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. He logged about 36 minutes per game, good for second most on the team behind Chris Kaman. How does this not sound like a team's primary option? And if he wasn't, could you please explain to me who was the A-1 for the Clippers?
Plus, the more I think about this Warriors team, I'm not so convinced that Maggette will be the number one option. He's going to get his shots, but if anything, wouldn't Captain Jack be the top banana? I think a much more compelling argument is to be made for Stephen Jackson than Maggette, especially when you consider that Jax is the living embodiment of the chaos that is the Warriors on-court approach. And if not Jackson, maybe Monta Ellis. He's an incredible scorer and PG-to-be -- he could jump right into Baron's shoes, team leader and all. I don't necessarily think he's ready for that role, but stranger things have happened.
Nellieball is going to make him look good: he's going to get a bump in threes and points, and he's going to be on SportsCenter. What it's not going to do is unveil Maggette as a legitimate number one. Still, the Warriors could've done much worse. Look at this roster:
PG - Monta Ellis*
SG - Corey Maggette
SF - Stephen Jackson
PF - Al Harrington
C - Andris Biedrins*
Significant Bench: Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph, Marco Belinelli, Kelenna Azubuike*
This is, of course, banking on the Warriors retaining the players with asterisks. Could this team somehow forge it's way into the postseason? I wouldn't say it's likely, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. This team will not have a problem scoring, and Maggette should be solid at playing that nerve-wrecking, frantic Warriors style of swarming defense.But the important thing to grasp is that this team is young and has a lot of potential. Whether or not that potential is actualized is entirely up to the players, the coaching staff, and fate (let's not forget how fate can neutralize your potential, children).
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