Estimating how much planning actually went into the Warriors' offseason is a difficult proposition, but by walking away with Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf, they have added two very nice side pieces to a young core.
The effectiveness of these signings depend more on how good Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, and Anthony Randolph become more than the two free agents.
While they certainly had a ?what if Baron opts out? scenario in their head, it isn?t one they could have possible sincerely considered.
They were taken by surprise, and the way they then pursued Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand, and finally landed Corey Maggette suggested some haphazard thinking.
Maggette fills the void of Jason Richardson at similar dollars and a more unique style of play because of his ability to draw fouls. I would trade Richardson for Maggette and Brandan Wright a million times over, so I can?t really fault them for these maneuvers over the past 380 days.
Hopefully, the Warriors have signed Maggette because they believe he makes them significantly better on the floor because it isn?t much of a move to prove that they are committed to staying relevant now that Baron Davis is gone. He doesn?t make them relevant and is, at times, a stat padder, but I don?t find him to be exceptionally overpaid on this contract assuming he stays healthy.
He ?deserved? to make about $9 million last year and had a better FIC40 than Michael Redd, Ray Allen, and Luol Deng to name a small handful.
He also won?t mesh well with Monta Ellis, who would be best suited playing beside a point guard like Baron or Deron Williams or with a shooting guard who works with the ball in his hands all the time like Brandon Roy.
Maggette is a gifted scorer, but I like him more in that 6th man microwave role than a guy you can run an offense through. His offensive arsenal doesn?t create flow and doesn?t make the other players better.
He is also a substandard defender although he does rebound the ball well.
Maggette assures the Warriors don?t fall behind the Wolves, Sonics, and Grizzlies this season, but they also will be just mediocre enough to miss the playoffs and be in the very late part of the lottery.
Grade for Warriors on Maggette: C+
Assuming the Lakers don?t match the Ronny Turiaf, this represents an ideal way to bulk up a lean frontline. He?s nobody?s vision of a starting big, but he rebounds and blocks shots at a great rate, and he brings a toughness protecting the rim that the Warriors only had during spurts of Adonal Foyle, if you ever took his game seriously.
Not that the Warriors can afford to worry specifically about the Lakers, but his subtraction from their already talented but soft club will weaken their depth.
His drop from 54.9% to 47.4% from the floor last season is concerning as is how much better he was at the Staples Center.
But this is a good young player with a rare skill set who had a better FIC40 (13.6) than Chris Wilcox, LaMarcus Aldridge, and certainly Al Jefferson.
Grade for Warriors on Turiaf: A-