Who’s the Better Scorer: Monta or Maggette?

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Marcus Thompson

Some of you may think I’m crazy for even posing the question. But I was just talking with a die-hard Warriors fan who posed this interesting question to me. There is no question who is the better player. But taking away age, contract situation, other abilities on the court and just going on pure ability to score. Who is better: Ellis or Maggette?

Does Ellis get the nod since he leads the team in scoring? Or does Maggette get the nod because he scores more efficiently?

Is it Ellis because he can score in more ways? Or is it Maggette because he’s so good at his specialized way of scoring?

Check out Maggette’s numbers lately, furnished by the Dubs:

* Maggette is one of six (6) players to average 18+ points and shoot at least 53% this season (Amare Stoudemire, Tim Duncan, Carlos Boozer, David Lee and Steve Nash). Maggette and Nash are the only perimeter players (Can we call Maggette a perimeter player since he primarily plays PF? LOL)

* Only seven players this year average at least 15.0 points and shoot at least 50% from field and 80% from the line: Maggette, Chris Paul, Zach Randolph, Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, Paul Gasol and Carl Landry.

Marcus Thompson

dubfan

It is kind of laughable to call Magette the better scorer, no matter how you look at it…that said, Magette has been a pleasantly consistent surprise this year in his whole game…last year, I would have dumped him, and at the beginning of this year he was not at the top of my list either, but indeed, recently (like 20 games worth of recently), he has been a real rock for this team. Monte is the leader, no question, but Magette has played a big role in keeping this team from totally going into the tank…okay, their record looks like they’re tanking, but once the bigs get their legs and their wind, this team is going to be alright. 15 out of 22 of the next games at home, or something like that…and Curry becoming a more consistent (and efficient) scorer, they have a reasonable shot of playing .500 or better ball over the next month – and Magette would be a big part of that.
eric

I would still say that Monta is the better scorer although it is a mutual relationship. Ever since the jackson trade, Monta has been ripping opponents left and right, drawing immense defense on him. With much more 1 on 1s and centers focused on Monta, Maggette has been able to drive in (and get to the line) with much more ease than before (when he was settling for those awful mid-range shot even though he was cold) thus earning him points. I also have to mention that even though the defense has been terrible, Maggette has done quite well on the fast break, increasing his shooting % with the team resorting to steals as their primary D.

Without Monta drawing this attention, Maggette would be of the old one we all draw ire on.
wg

one thing to note is that maggette’s effectiveness is dependent on whether the officials in a given game are going to blow the whistle (some nights, they don’t); and on context (despite the denver fiasco, game-deciding plays are less likely to involve called fouls). so that would be a point in favor of ellis.

also, you could look at what opponents seem to think, in that they devise schemes specifically geared to stop monta; not so much maggette.
ALsMouthGuard

Dubsfan = Homer Fitzgerald lol? The Warriors bigs aren’t good enough to make a difference.

To the question, it’s tough. Nobody here would say Maggette even if he was the better scorer, so it’s not even fair. Monta is the Warriors best player, but it harder for him to get his points than it is for Maggette. If Maggette has the right mindset, he can score with ease. The real problem is, he has the nights where he rather jack up jumpers instead of driving.
Marques8

Maggette’s numbers remind me a lot of Antwan Jamison’s, the year he played for Nellie. Check it out. Won’t be hard to see. They stand out from his career numbers in neon.
Marques8

Jamison is a career 46% shooter. He shot 54% the year in Dallas. All of Magette’s stats are about the same except for shooting stats. Magette is a career 46% shooter. He’s shooting 53%. I hate to speak such heresy but could it be that some players actually take better shots in Nellie’s system?
Marques8

And, for emphasis, Baron Davis’s shooting stats under Nellie were only matched by his second year in the league. He’s a career 40 per cent shooter who shot 43 and 44% under Nellie. Even Stephen Jackson, believe it or not a slightly better shooter than Baron for his career, saw a bump to 45% in the We Believe season before reverting to his career 41% shooting ways for the rest of his stay.
commish

They are obviously different types of scorers. Monta can do many things Corey cannot do and visa versa. Both are prone to turning the ball over doing what they like to do. So the question is, with the game on the line, who would you want taking a shot? Monta, because if he didn’t have a shot, would be better at dishing the ball off if he had no shot. Corey would just keep driving and hope for a foul, which as we know, would either go unfairly against him or not get at all.
deano

MTII: That’s the first legitimate question about GSW that I find pleasant to ponder. Last summer, many fans thought that such a question would call for a comparison of Ellis, Randolph and Morrow. Maggette has been a positive surprise, especially since he cut down on his 3 point attempts a few weeks ago. Just like last year, when his hamstrings are healthy Maggette is an aggressive and efficient scorer.
some guy

just to add to the discussion, Maggette scores more per 36 than Monta does (23.5 vs 22.3 pts/36min) and his TS% (true shooting %) is 62.9% vs Monta’s 52.6%. Corey also leads the team among active players with 1.63 points per shot taken. Monta is only ahead of Hunter, Turiaf & Vlad at 1.18 points per shot taken.

in fact, there’s an argument that statistically, Maggette’s been the better player.

if you believe in Hollinger’s formula, among active players Maggette’s been the one playing at an all-star level with a PER of 21.0 vs 17.5 for Monta. if you follow WS (win shares), Maggette leads the team at 3.1 vs Monta who is 6th on the team at 1.0. Corey’s offensive rating (a measure of points scored by the team while said player is on the floor per 100 possessions) is 117 vs Monta’s 99. Monta is also worst on the team in +/- differential among active players at -17.2 (up to 1/4/’09) – (Corey is -1.3).

so if you were not a dubs fan & dissected the statistics, you’d probably come to the conclusion that Maggette is having a better season.
earl monroe

Gilbert Arenas is a better scorer than Monta or Maggette I say we start the bring Gil back campaign, we create posters of Gil as a gunslinger, set against a backdrop of the golden gate bridge. I think he is going to be available soon, and he is definitely going to be cheap.
earl monroe

Who is better at gun totting? Gilbert or Stephen Jackson?
jweezy

problem with this discussion is that its not asking whether or not, they are team players. these two dudes blow. one of em has got to go. the warriors are no better than the utah flash dleague team. no one should be untouchable…
dubfan

`To AlsMouthgard…I disagree about the Warrior’s bigs…I believe that they can and will be an effective aid to this team…I think this team could play .500 or better the rest of the season if Beidrins and Turiaf (and essentially everyone else) stays healthy…if this is the case, could a .500 team this year (.500 with as many healthy players as they can field), adding a healthy Wright, Azibuke, Bell and unknown draft pick to a .500 team…can this be a truly competitive team? Damn right they are!
warriornab

maggette is playing real well rite now so we have to trade this dude asap while his trade value is up….but for who?
warriornab

i hear minny is gonna trade al jefferson before the trade dealine…how about maggette, watson and Devean George for Big Al!!!! i know im just dreaming but the warriors need to find a way to get this dude without giving away monta,or randolph…he’d be the missing piece!!!!! make it happen!!!!!
danikil

after all the stats are poured over and all the pros and cons are discussed….who are you going to pay to see, Maggette or Monte.
ECJ

All I have to say is.. I have never understood why everybody hates on Maggette. “He’s over-paid”.. “He’s a ball-hog”. “He sucks”.

No he doesn’t. He doesn’t suck. He’s a very good basketball player. He’s physical. He plays hard. He’s a consummate pro. He is a very good scorer. He gets himself and the rest of his teammates to the free throw line. He’s decent defensively. Not great, but decent. He’s willing to play out of position. He doesn’t complain. I wish the W’s had MORE guys like Maggette, and for $10 mil a season, he’s definitely earning his money.

Look at Maggette’s stats, for last season and this one. Then look at NBA salaries for SF’s. Maggette’s salary is at or BELOW the money that guys of his talent level and production are making around the league.

The ONLY critique that has been fair with Maggette is his history of missing games due to injury. But, no player is perfect.. and if he WASN’T injury prone, he would be getting paid a LOT more than $10 mil/ year.

Don’t trade Maggette. Keep him. He’s good with Monta. He’s a solid vet. He’s a pro.

ECJ
pdxraider

ecj-you are wrong. maggette is a wuss who wildly throws himself at the rim hoping to get a call, doesen’t even make a strong effort to make the shot. that would require some balls. he only scores when refs are calling everything and he can’t shoot(outside the freethrow line). nellie plays him because we are so small, problem is, he plays like he weighs 175lbs. trade him any way we can, now
gswfan4ever

I say Monta is the best because he is cuter.. 🙂