Scouting reports
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Scout: Rob Clough
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Strengths: Unbelievable athleticism, first
step, finishing ability, scorer's mentality Weaknesses: Defense, decision-making,
ability to play team ball
Scouting report: The key word in describing Corey Maggette is "potential."
Garnering some modest praise as a high schooler, he stunned the ACC with his high-flying
dunks and incredible quickness. On the break, he simply seemed to possess a gear that
other players simply didn't have. He also proved to be a better shooter than believed,
although he didn't have a mid-range game. While not a great ballhandler, his quickness
made his crossover a devastating weapon. In addition to being quick, he was also strong,
with his sculpted physique being put to good use in going after boards. No one could
outmuscle him, and his quickness allowed him to grab a lot of boards and tip in rebounds
for dunks.
When his highlights became common SportsCenter highlights, some people asked why he
wasn't starting over Chris Carrawell. Most of those critics hadn't seen some of his lesser
performances. Take the Florida State game in Cameron, for example. It showed off all of
his weaknesses in microcosm. Instead of acting within a team framework, he dribbled the
ball too much and dribbled it off his foot several times. He also got called for charging
on breaks instead of passing. His defense was hideous, allowing several FSU fastbreaks. In
short, he played like a freshman. It wasn't until March that he really put everything
together, and he really shined in replacing first Shane Battier and then Trajan Langdon
due to injuries. He annihilated Kris Lang in a showdown in UNC with his speed and
rebounding, and then made smart shots in becoming the team's main offensive force vs NC
State in the ACC finals. He played well in the NCAA's until the finals, where he
definitely reverted to earlier form.
His game and body are built for the NBA, but his lack of overall fundamentals could
hurt him. The one year of college helps, but looking at folks like Tracy McGrady has to
give one pause. Corey would be lucky if Charlotte tabs him at #3, because it would mean a
good frontcourt plus some other experienced guards. Chicago would be a nightmare because
he would be the offense in its entirety. He'd also best be working on his skills and
defense right now, because I see quick and crafty NBA guards abusing him. Mags has the
potential for greatness; the only question is whether or not he'll work hard enough to
attain it. |
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Scout: David Edelman [dedelman@acpub.duke.edu]
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He might come out, and if so he's worth
talking about. A tremendous athlete who has the potential to be a tremendous scorer,
Maggette ranged from brilliant to terrible all season long. He can do everything you'd
ever want a wing player to do, and will be among the best in the NBA eventually at beating
his man off the dribble. He's already an OK man defender and can make strong men gasp in
awe in transition. He can't do any of this stuff two halves in a row, much less two games
in a row or for 82 games, and when he goes bad he'll kill you before you can send someone
to the scorer's table. But he has awesome potential, He's like Tracy McGrady except even
more so, and worth a major gamble in the lottery. |
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Scout: Jeffrey Burgoyne [burgoyne@ultimate-sports.com]
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Perhaps the biggest suprise to come out in
the draft, its not often a bench player will try to leap to the NBA after a freshman year.
Regardless, Magette would have been a starter on almost any college team last year but
Duke. His numbers in limited minutes were pretty good, and he showed everyone what an
athlete he was. As the NBA seems enamoured with athletes, Magette will get high
consideration. As expected with any athletic freshman, he had his good and bad games.
Sporadic passing coupled with a high number of turnovers were his downfalls while
rebounding and making the hard hoop look easy were his trademarks.
Magette has NBA size for a SG, listed at 6'6, 215. At that size if a team is patient
with him and teaches him a solid post game to go with his ability to get into the lane,
he'll certainly be worth a lottery pick. If he develops any kind of range on his jump
shot, he'd be worthy of much higher. He sometimes reminds me of a less polished Vince
Carter. Perhaps if he stayed in school then those comparisons would have been more true. |
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Scout: Magus888@aol.com
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The guy should have stayed in college. He
will get into the Nba based on his athleticism. He does not play very consistent and I
would try to find a more seasoned player. He does not have a what I would call NBA skills
yet. He has a decent jumper and can run with the best of them. Although he is a defensive
liability ( as with most freshman ) he reminds of Larry Hughes and pales in comparison to
Vince Carter. The kid should get taken in the lottery based on the fact that coaches
will develop him into superstar. The experience he will miss in the NCAA ( espiecally with
Duke ) will cause him to lose confidence sometimes I think. I would not draft him in the
lottery, but look for Cleveland or maybe even Chicago. |
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Scout: Rob-roy Nelson [RTR3@aol.com]
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With the lack of a true dominant number one
player in this year's draft, Corey Maggette has the chance to move all the way up to being
the very first pick by the Chicago Bulls. Based on raw talent alone he is the most
talented player on the board with physical gifts equal to that of Kobe Bryant. He has
proven to be a decent touch from the line which will serve him well. The NBA game is a
perfect match for his ability to work one-on-one and go strong to the bucket which should
produce numerous visits to the charity stripe. His strength will be an obvious advantage
in the post-game NBA teams love to generate. Anyone who can match his strength will have
their hands full trying to rise with or run with Maggette. As he develops he stands to
become a match-up nightmare for opposing teams.
Another year at Duke would have allowed for a more polished Maggette to enter the NBA.
But even leaving after his freshman year, it's clear to see that he stands the best chance
of any player in the 1999 crop to garner a few NBA scoring crowns between now and 2009. |
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