Does anyone still want to dispute my Morrow > Maggette argument? The kid should definitely be ahead of Mags in the rotation. 29 points on only 11 shots. He's a much better all-around player. He's a future Ray Allen. And his hustle and skill make his teammates better. GS lost, but damn they look so much better without Mags getting in there to mess things up.
Morrow still has a lot to improve and his shot will not always be there; I don't think his "skill" makes his teammates better - his mindset does. Would I rather keep him than Maggette long-term, yes. He brings a totally different element to the team than Maggette does. What Maggette brings isn't necessarily needed, it's more of a luxury. Morrow has proven to be a team-minded player, always looking to get other involved and to make the right play. That being said, I still don't see how you can compare the two or see how the two conflict with each other. They're totally different players who play different positions. Morrow is not a SF, he's a SG. It's obvious you have a dislike for Maggette (rightfully so) but to somehow make a connection that Maggette is hindering Morrow's progress is somewhat moot. Let's hope the Warriors sign Morrow for a couple years. Let's hope Crawford doesn't return. Let's hope we can somehow make room for both Morrow AND Belinelli to be contributors next season.
I think both of you are right, Oop's statement comparing the 2 is what makes the discussion a little confusing. I think the better way to say it, is that Morrow should be ahead of Magette in the rotation. Stating that 1 is better is Apples and Oranges. Like him or not, Magette is a game changer. When the team is settling for jump shots, inserting him into the game changes the mentality of the team. Also, depending on the matchup, Morrow may not fit as the 1st guy in. The team is loaded with so many shooters, that it may make more sense to put Buike in if the size matchup calls for it, or Belli in if the ball isn't moving around like it should. Magette can come in at the 3 or 4 in Nellie's system and it shakes things up. Is Morrow a better basketball player than Magette, I think he may be in a year or 2. Can he impact the game more? Perhaps. Is he more savvy.... Not yet. And as ugly as Magette's game is, he can teach the guys on the team how to play scrappy basketball. I think it'd make more sense to compare Buike and Morrow. Right now, Buike is the better player, but I have a feeling that by this time next year, Morrow will be the game changer.
We have a glut of reserve SG/SFs we'll have to deal with at some point. Beli, Azu, Morrow, and Mags. As much as people want Mags gone he does have a unique ability among the three which is that hes got the body to play PF when Nellie needs a guard type at PF (whether you agree with that or not its going to happen so it can't be disregarded). Morrow is proving to be quite a weapon off the bench in March though. I think he has nice potential to be a good 6th man to provide that scoring punch you look for off the bench. Azubuike is more of a steady, consistent scorer. Marco seems to look for others before himself and just hasn't shown that explosive scoring ability that we thought he would have (I actually like that hes a willing passer and not just a gunner, IMO hes the best PG on our team right now). Morrow does have that punch you look for in a 6th man. He can come in and energize an offense. Don't go writing off Mags just yet though- there's a major difference between Mags and Morrow that is undeniable; Mags can actually create his own scoring opportunities. Morrow needs to be set up. For that reason I would imagine Morrow would be easier for defenses to slow down while Mags basically can force the issue and get to the FT line. Morrow could certainly work on his handle and penetration ability but he'll never be the athlete Mags is. I think ultimately there's room for both of them. One is a SF/PF for us who makes his living driving, getting FTs, getting out in the open floor, rebounding. The other is a SG/SF who is a deadly perimiter shooter. They would actually seem to fit well together as Morrow could space out the lane for Mags. The problem in the rotation comes when you also try to factor Beli and Azu in with Morrow and they're all behind Monta and Jack. Beli can play some point but Azu is stuck with Morrow at SG/SF. And all these guys are 6'5! Azu has the length and strength to play SF but Morrow and Beli are just too small to play a ton of SF. Right now Azu is the better all around player- 3 pt shooting isn't as good as Morrow but hes 2nd in the league in 3 pt %, he can drive and finish better, hes a better athlete, rebounds better, plays D better, etc. Morrow has more of the explosive scoring though that can really give the team a boost. What the hell are we gonna do with all these guys lol? We'd have to trade them without getting back any more wings. We don't even have playing time in the frontcourt with Beans and Turiaf at C, Wright and Randolph and Mags at PF. We need some 2 for 1 trades!
That's what I said -- Morrow should definitely be ahead of Mags in the rotation. I'm not comparing their games. Why would I do that? I'm comparing their value to the team at that position. Maggette (though he does play some PF) is mostly an SF. So is Morrow. So they both get minutes there. My argument about Morrow > Mags is that Morrow should get more of the minutes there than Maggette. Yes, their games are worlds apart. Maggette is a horrible outside shooter who shoots from the outside anyway. He's a bull-in a-china-shop who forgets about the team game and just tries to run people over to get to the free throw line. He's a horrible passer who turns it over more than he assists (seriously, he averages 1.8 assists to 2.4 turnovers... in other words, he has a negative assist/turnover ratio He shows no passion except when he's making faces at the ref. He wants to post up every time and use all 24 seconds to himself. He ruins team chemistry on the floor. Morrow on the other hand, is a lights-out, top tier sniper from the outside. He makes those around him better because he does not try to force much. He is a great option for Monta, who knows that he has a fail safe in Morrow in case he gets stopped on a drive. He does not need the ball in his hands to be effective. He stretches the D just be checking into the game. He scraps and shows enthusiasm on every play. His teammates seem to feed off him and that's good for chemistry. He's not a good passer, like Maggette, and he's a good re bounder like Maggette, so they do have a few things in common. But that's all besides the point. Who cares if their games are alike? The point is that Morrow deserves those minutes over Mags. To me it's obvious. I predict it will be a no-brainer within a year.
Heh, I guess you got a point. It's a pretty lame signature, but it's the best I could come up with. Maybe I should change it.
Really? That would be awesome! How about anything with Randolph and Morrow together. Like inside-outside game or something. Like Randolph dunking and Morrow shooting a three or pumping his fist or something. That would be fun.
