<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LOS ANGELES ? Clippers forward Corey Maggette, who has missed five weeks because of a left-foot injury, said Monday the soonest he could return is six weeks. "If I can get a miracle, maybe even sooner," Maggette said. But Maggette still has a cast on the foot and said it would be at least two weeks before it is removed. For the first time, Maggette said there is a possibility he might need surgery. "If that happens, I'd miss the rest of the season," he said. "I'm not looking forward to that." Maggette has not played since injuring his foot while taking an off-balanced jump shot Dec.5 against Miami. Maggette landed on teammate Chris Wilcox's foot. "Initially, it was thought that I only had a sprain," Maggette said. "But as it turned out, I tore a ligament in my foot. It's a lot more major than we originally thought." The Clippers are 5-9 in the games Maggette has missed. The offense misses his 21.7 points per game and the absence of his ability to get to the free-throw line 9.9 times per game hurts, too. Maggette said he is feeling pain outside of his foot, too. "I miss my teammates," he said. "It hurts for me to sit and watch practice and games, knowing there are situations in which I can help out. But I can't get down. I have to stay positive because my teammates need my encouragement. We can't give up now."</div> Source
Honestly they need this cat on the basketball court, I dont know if they can make the playoffs without him. The Pacific division is getting stronger by the day...The Suns are strong and Amare isnt even back yet, the Lakers are going to hang around because they have the most talented player in the division. And if the Warriors are able to acquire Ron Artest they are a playoff lock....that is already three teams in the Pacific with strong playoff hope and chances. No way the Pacific gets 4 teams from the division in, that means somebody going to be on the outside looking in come April....Without a healthy Maggette, I think that maybe the Clippers. Not only because of the loss of Maggette, but the fact that its hard to get consistency out of Sam now that Livingston has returned. It seems like some nights he will go for 20 & 8...and then come back and not even give you double digits. That hurts becuse Cassell's ablity to make plays in the 4th quarter was a big key coming into this season for this team. And you having seen it consistently because with Livingston in the rotation it takes the ball out of his hands. And that is why you see the Clippers losing alot of close games recently.
I'm starting to think the Clippers have a curse. every season there seems to be some reason or another as to the why Clippers have minimal contention in the west.
Actually from what I've heard, that story is bogus, Indiana did not turn down the deal because of Corey's foot.
Indiana never turned the deal down, Clippers turned the deal down. Indy then panicked and said in fact they turned it down, so teams wouldn't offer less then Maggette in an attempt to get much more.
I want the Clippers to do well. They said they may sign Sprewell and I think that he would really help. Now that no one wants him they can get him fairly cheap and he still has a lot of talent. He would really help the Clippers while Maggette is out and when Maggette returns Sprewell would be a great bench player to have.
