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MavKikiNYC · 07-14-2003, 01:44 PM

Maggette averaged 16.8 ppg last year. I'm thinking that he's more of a replacement at the 2 for Calbert Cheaney, who averaged 8.6 for Utah last year. Gvien that Maggette is about 23-24 yo, and Cheaney is about 32-33, I'd say the Jazz have upgraded that position both in the long and the short term.

Signing Harpring as a FA last year, whom the Mavericks didn't even bother to pursue, gave the Jazz a starting point for retooling their offense away from Malone, who while still productive, is obviously not the dominant inside force that he used to be. Harpring should settle in nicely at the 3 spot, where he averaged 17.6 ppg last year. At 27 yo, he should be moving into the peak years of his career, and should be a very productive player for the next 3-5 years. Not going to argue that he's a better player than Malone at this point, but for the money and for his prospects over the next few year, he is probably better value.

Kiriklenko, in only his second year in the league, put up 12ppg/5.3rpg/2blx pg. At 22, he has already shown himself to be a productive player, and he still has room for improvement. He is already a better shot blocker than Malone ever was, and can probably be about as effective as Malone was on defense, albeit with speed and leaping ability, rather than strength and physicality.

In the course of 3 years, Utah has gone from a team reliant on fading superstars who were past 35, and who commanded the lion's share of the team's salary structure, to a younger, more athletic team. They have done so by drafting a player who they could develop (Kirilenko) and by focusing on signing solid FAs in each of the last two years, whom they had a solid chance of signing (Harpring and Maggette), instead of noisily chasing after pipe-dream, hype-scheme, razzle-dazzle max-money-superstar-wannabes. The Maggette thing could still fall through, but Utah played it right.

The local team could take note.

07-14-2003, 01:44 PM	#10
MavKikiNYC Diamond Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 8,509	Maggette to Utah Maggette averaged 16.8 ppg last year. I'm thinking that he's more of a replacement at the 2 for Calbert Cheaney, who averaged 8.6 for Utah last year. Gvien that Maggette is about 23-24 yo, and Cheaney is about 32-33, I'd say the Jazz have upgraded that position both in the long and the short term. Signing Harpring as a FA last year, whom the Mavericks didn't even bother to pursue, gave the Jazz a starting point for retooling their offense away from Malone, who while still productive, is obviously not the dominant inside force that he used to be. Harpring should settle in nicely at the 3 spot, where he averaged 17.6 ppg last year. At 27 yo, he should be moving into the peak years of his career, and should be a very productive player for the next 3-5 years. Not going to argue that he's a better player than Malone at this point, but for the money and for his prospects over the next few year, he is probably better value. Kiriklenko, in only his second year in the league, put up 12ppg/5.3rpg/2blx pg. At 22, he has already shown himself to be a productive player, and he still has room for improvement. He is already a better shot blocker than Malone ever was, and can probably be about as effective as Malone was on defense, albeit with speed and leaping ability, rather than strength and physicality. In the course of 3 years, Utah has gone from a team reliant on fading superstars who were past 35, and who commanded the lion's share of the team's salary structure, to a younger, more athletic team. They have done so by drafting a player who they could develop (Kirilenko) and by focusing on signing solid FAs in each of the last two years, whom they had a solid chance of signing (Harpring and Maggette), instead of noisily chasing after pipe-dream, hype-scheme, razzle-dazzle max-money-superstar-wannabes. The Maggette thing could still fall through, but Utah played it right. The local team could take note.