Maggette might not be ready for opener

It's looking more and more likely the Milwaukee Bucks won't have one of their key players for their NBA regular-season opener next week.

Veteran small forward Corey Maggette, who is expected to be one of the Bucks' primary scorers this season, acknowledged Tuesday that he isn't close to being ready to play.

Maggette, whom the Bucks acquired over the summer in a trade with the Golden State Warriors for Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric, is still recovering from surgery to repair torn peroneal tendons. The Bucks open their regular-season schedule Oct. 27 against the Hornets in New Orleans.

"It's getting better, but this is a tough injury to come back from," Maggette said after Tuesday's practice at the Cousins Center in Milwaukee. "Right now, it's not even 80 percent (healed).

"I'm still going at half speed; I can't go full throttle yet."

Maggette made it clear he's not going to play a game until he believes he's completely healthy.

"I'm shooting for the first game, but because of the severity of the injury, I don't know if that's going to happen," Maggette said.

Maggette averaged 19.8 points a game last season for the Warriors, ranking 17th in the league, and was expected to challenge Carlos Delfino for the Bucks' starting small forward spot this season.

But Delfino's impressive preseason play, combined by Maggette's inactivity, makes it a certainty Delfino will be in the starting lineup against the Hornets.