Tim Thomas a very good replacement for the departing Vladamir Radmanovic. I think he's a little more athletic than Vlade with just as good an outside shot and better overall defense. The big question mark is Tim's dedication to the game. But I think it will be fine with Sam Cassell and Elton Brand there to keep him on track. It's incredible to see The Clippers with all this confidence.
But with all the money The Clippers will be paying Tim, he will eventually be the starting SF. That means Corey Maggette will, more than likely, be part of a trade package. I believe that The Clippers are going to wait until the middle of the season whether to trade Corey or not. It probably will depend on how well the team is performing. And by that time, there will be more teams willing to trade for an athletic SF of Corey's ability. The Clippers aren't in a hurry right now.
^ I highly doubt and hope that Elgin will not trade Corey. He is crucial to the clippers future success
Corey has been great for The Clippers, but when he was injured last season, the team still played superb basketball. And with the addition of Radmanovic, it cut Corey's playing time. Now with Tim Thomas added to replace Radmanovic, I think Corey will be expendable. But, if Tim Thomas doesn't work with The Clippers, they can still keep Corey. That's why I think they will wait until the middle of the season. To see how Tim, Corey, and the team are doing. If The Clippers are playing as expected, then Corey will stay. That may mean Corey "relegated" to sixth man (some players want to start instead of coming off the bench), but if he is okay with that role, and they are near the top of the division/conference, then The Clippers remain intact. Otherwise, I see a trade.
Corey has been great for The Clippers, but when he was injured last season, the team still played superb basketball. .
That's not precisely true... we lost like 10 out of 15 games after Corey went down... though Q. Ross managed to mature into a starting role and staunch the bleeding.
I think Corey's importance will be greater this year because Livingston will be starting and 1) we'll need Corey's scoring because Livingston isn't the scorer Cassell is and 2) Livingston creates alot of easy opportunities for an athlete like Corey.
That's not precisely true... we lost like 10 out of 15 games after Corey went down... though Q. Ross managed to mature into a starting role and staunch the bleeding.
I think Corey's importance will be greater this year because Livingston will be starting and 1) we'll need Corey's scoring because Livingston isn't the scorer Cassell is and 2) Livingston creates alot of easy opportunities for an athlete like Corey.
We'll see. But at least The Clippers are moving in the right direction. Keeping Casell was a must. Livingston may turn out to be a great point guard, but he still needs some help and Sam "I am" is the perfect teacher for him and for the team. Just look at last season. I'm looking at another deep run into the playoffs for this team. Anything less would be a disappointment.
You should come over to the dark side... (or this case the light side :) )
I'm a ronin. A wandering Samurai who has no master. But that doesn't mean I can give my opinion on other teams. What I'm saying is that, I'm still a Laker fan at heart, eventhough I disagree (hate?) with what has happened. I just hope I don't have to commit sepuku (I don't like the sight of blood) to prove my loyalty again to The Lakers.
I'm a ronin. A wandering Samurai who has no master. But that doesn't mean I can give my opinion on other teams. What I'm saying is that, I'm still a Laker fan at heart, eventhough I disagree (hate?) with what has happened. I just hope I don't have to commit sepuku (I don't like the sight of blood) to prove my loyalty again to The Lakers.
I'm telling you man... you were a Magic fan?
We got a possible Magic past duex on the rise... hopefully
We got a possible Magic past duex on the rise... hopefully
I've seen a few games where Livingston does reminds me of Magic. If this kid stays healthy (this is the key), he will turn more than a few heads The Clippers way. I really like him because he's a pure point guard at 6'7". Most PG's in the league have a shoot first mentality, but Livingston wants to pass, and he also has a good medium range shot which will only get better with experience. I also like his ability to drive in the lane. With his height advantage he can get oppurtunities for easy layups, fouls, or pass to an open teammate. If he matures (and keeps healthy), I wouldn't be surprised Shaun as an All-Star in the next couple of years.
