Monta is our PG, get over it

by Captain Jack on Jul 11, 2008 12:41 PM PDT

This post is for all of you who think we need a or going to get a starting point guard. Well we don't need one because we already have one. His name is Monta Ellis. We'll at best sign or trade for a backup PG.This is from the Contra Costa Times today:

"I'm pretty comfortable with him handling the ball whenever," Mullin said this week of Ellis, breaking 12 days of Warriors front-office silence after Davis' decision to opt-out and then leave for the Clippers.

"I'm pretty comfortable with (Ellis) dictating a lot with the ball in his hands."

I know Mullin has said something and done something else, but Maggette's signing should be the icing on the cake. I know Monta doesn't have good point guard skills, but it's enough to run a team with. He is a combo guard. Jason Terry, Devin Harris, Leandro Barbosa-all combo guards. They are all good players. I'd take Monta over any of them running the point.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/warriors/ci_9845296?nclick_check=1

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

4 recs | Comment 54 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I’d take Harris over Ellis at the 1.

by ejdacanay on Jul 11, 2008 12:43 PM PDT 0 recs

Then buy a Nets jersey.

by Jynx-Removing on Jul 14, 2008 2:21 AM PDT up 0 recs

NO BARON

a lot of the warrior players played really well cuz of baron davis. i think monta and biedrins benefitted the most. he’s a great passer and he will give you the ball at the right time and place. monta needs someone next to him like that to bring out the best in him. he wont be as affective as a passer. as for biedrins, he wont do anything with the ball if you just dump it down to him in the post. he scored most of his points from drop passes. these two are set to make a lot of money and i hope they dont get over paid

by SIZE 15 on Jul 17, 2008 1:01 AM PDT up 0 recs

Devin Harris

Blows, Monta = 24 pts and 6 assists a game this year

by pbra17 on Jul 11, 2008 12:46 PM PDT 0 recs

+1

by Captain Jack on Jul 11, 2008 12:49 PM PDT up 0 recs

i would take devin harris

to play along side monte but not over him. who could stop guys if they played together?

by Rach on Jul 11, 2008 2:59 PM PDT up 0 recs

Monta

can be a really good scoring point guard… emphasis on POINT GUARD… he can play the position, i think he is a very under rated passer, he definitely knows how to drive and dish, and he can run the pick and roll. He is a smart player and yeah the game plan will be a little bit different, Stephen Jack will initiate some offense, Maggette will do his thing, but ultimately Monta will be our man, I agree with everything in this post.

by Agent Zero on Jul 11, 2008 12:59 PM PDT 0 recs

we fear the unknown

It’s not that we don’t love Monte.We have learned to love monte at the 2.Warrior fans would be more comfortable with a proven point gaurd.I suspect that once fans get used to monte at point they’ll stop whining.

by gsw-fanatic on Jul 11, 2008 1:06 PM PDT 0 recs

+1

by joestar on Jul 11, 2008 4:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Finally

Someone else gets it. He’s going to become better and better. He WILL be one of the top point gaurds in this league very soon.

by boomdizzleness on Jul 11, 2008 1:09 PM PDT 0 recs

People easily forget that Monta is very young and very talented

Mr. Ellis will surprise a lot of people and shut the mouths of many critics this upcoming season. I wish we could’ve kept Baron or acquire a “true” point guard, but Monta at the point will at least be interesting to see play out, and ideally will help expand his game while keeping the team alive.

by J-Triumf on Jul 11, 2008 1:44 PM PDT 0 recs

Monta at the point will at least be interesting to see play out, and ideally will help expand his game while keeping the team alive.

Interesting is not watching someone play out of position! and expanding Montay’s game is the tail wagging the dog. The dog is the team, Montay is the tail, If Montay plays better at the 2 spot then that’s where I want him.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jul 11, 2008 3:25 PM PDT up 0 recs

This all depends on what gives our team the best chance to win.

I think Nellie will be doing a lot of mix and matching this year.

by joestar on Jul 11, 2008 4:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

Moving from one guard position to another is not a big stretch

You act like he’s being forced to play power forward or center. You also act like he’s an idiot with no capacity to learn new things. Thank you for proving me right by conveniently forgetting his young age and developing skills.

As joestar has pointed out, Monta does not have to remain at point on every single play. Positions don’t have to be set in stone, and under Nelson’s system, positions are NEVER set in stone.

by J-Triumf on Jul 11, 2008 10:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

You also act like he’s an idiot with no capacity to learn new things.

Point guards are point guards before they get to be 22, it’s not a learned skill it’s a natural talent. Montay’s natural talent is scoring, not ball handling, it’s not a bad thing! But it is a bad thing to not recognize that and accept it!! Sure we can play along and pretend he’s got the talent but that’s not a luxury we have if we want to win games. The level of competition does not allow even one possession to be take lightly, if you are serious about winning you gotta be serious all the way.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jul 11, 2008 11:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

Way to ignore the other half of my comment

Again, because you didn’t pay attention: Monta does not have to remain at point on every single play. Other players (such as Jackson at “point forward”) can bring up the ball and start plays under Nelson’s system. If you are serious about winning you gotta adjust for different situations and opponents, especially if what you have isn’t fundamentally ideal.

by J-Triumf on Jul 12, 2008 1:57 AM PDT up 0 recs

Wait, wait, wait...

So you’re saying that we shouldn’t do the same exact thing on every single play? Revolutionary!!! You just blew my mind!

by Dubs fan in Boston on Jul 14, 2008 9:01 AM PDT up 0 recs

Hahaha...

by Mr. Monday Night on Jul 14, 2008 3:00 PM PDT up 0 recs

amen!

i think monta running the point will just make him a better player, watch him be a top point guard in the in the up and coming season. he has all the potential, and when has he ever let us down?

by montaallday on Jul 11, 2008 2:06 PM PDT 0 recs

when has he ever let us down?

In the playoffs 2 seasons ago? Last year on defense??

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jul 11, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

Thats being really picky.

Even the best players have their faults. KG with his intensity and not wanting to shoot in crunchtime, Kobe with his whining, Shaq with his weight, BD with his bad shot selectiong and questionable health, the list goes on.

If you want Ellis to excel at defense, then his best chance would at PG where he can use his quickness to stay in front of guys, instead of having the bigger SG post him and shooting over him.

by joestar on Jul 11, 2008 4:13 PM PDT up 0 recs

Tony Parker

isn’t a great passer either. We don’t necessarily need a pass first point guard. Monta’s freakish athleticism will create plenty of offense for others because he puts so much pressure on the defense. Monta can run the point just fine with a little help from Jackson and CJ Watson.

by jenkembinge on Jul 11, 2008 3:13 PM PDT 1 recs

Plus one

"Monta is the MAN." -Bob Fitzgerald

by WarriorForLife on Jul 11, 2008 5:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

TRUE BUT...

he has a tim duncan and monta doesnt

by SIZE 15 on Jul 17, 2008 1:04 AM PDT up 0 recs

MONTA=ARENAS

if you dont think monta can play the point, think again. in this system anybody can bring up the ball so it dont matter. they play small which means whoever gets the board has to push it up the floor. last season we saw everybody from BD to al and even beans bring the ball up. so dont get all worried cuz monta is the 1

by SIZE 15 on Jul 11, 2008 3:50 PM PDT 0 recs

yes, but dont hate if...

I agree with that. In any other system, I would be a lot less comfortable, but I believe in Monta’s skills and I think he’ll do fine.. but make no mistake, he is not a PG. I just don’t want hella people to start whining and jumping on his head if he starts to struggle, because that’s just not fair at all. You wouldn’t ask a center to play small forward would you? So understand that it’s not like Monta wanted to play the point, he really doesn’t have a choice. So I hope everyone supports him and doesn’t go fickle if he starts turning the ball over. It’s a learning process, even for the Warrior god. I think he should do well.

by Travis Bickle on Jul 14, 2008 5:23 AM PDT up 0 recs

he really doesn’t have a choice.

He could just say no? Request a sign and trade?? Take a one year contract and become unrestricted??? Tell the coach he’s gonna suck????!!!!

Till I get free
I live my life in the Walmart
Cholesterol stalkin me

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jul 14, 2008 9:19 AM PDT up 0 recs

true.

we gotta remember he’s still a kid. give him a chance cuz he’s human like all of us

by SIZE 15 on Jul 17, 2008 1:06 AM PDT up 0 recs

From what i saw in Summer League and I know this is WAY early, but AR can play point forward.

by joestar on Jul 11, 2008 4:14 PM PDT 0 recs

monta right now at can drive the ball but doesn’t have elite passing skills but as he matures and develops those skills he will be scary. + all you need to start an offense like the warriors is someone who can disrupt the defense and monta does exactly that. And he has good court vision

by Azubuike is the G.O.A.T on Jul 11, 2008 5:55 PM PDT 0 recs

Like the idea...

of Monta at the point. He already has the explosiveness to get to the rim from anywhere on the court. If he learns how to be an effective passer once he penetrates the D, the warriors offense I think will be right where they left off with Baron. Also, our defense would improve vastly due to the fact that Monta would be able to guard a 1 instead of being mismatched with a bigger sg. It might be a tough transition at first, but over time he’ll be fine and the Warriors will be a better team because of it.

by Sharunas Marchulenis on Jul 12, 2008 11:40 PM PDT 0 recs

2 points to be made

I agree that people need to stop complaining about monta being our new point guard. Here are two points that I think people are over-looking.

1. Monta is both very talented for his age and has improved at a very impressive rate. Many players take longer to get adjusted to the league, but he gets better much faster than most. We are really lucky to have a young player who is like that.

2.Nellie keeps stressing that Monta should be the point guard for this team. This might seem like a big deal but you have to remember that Don Nelson is one of the most experienced coaches in history; so if he think Monta can do it, I’ll take his word for it.

by dancingchiapet on Jul 13, 2008 4:17 PM PDT 0 recs

Point #2 is largely irrelevant. Nelson may well have strong feelings about Monta’s ability to run the show, but his comments and endorsement shouldn’t be taken to mean all that much. Recall two years ago: (I’m paraphrasing) “Dunleavy is a natural 4.” “Murphy is my starting center. He’s going to average 20 and 10.” Now it’s possible that Nelson believed this, in which case, we’ve got clear evidence that he makes some significant blunders evaluating player abilities. It’s also possible that he never believed it himself, but decided to say it to motivate them or push up value or motivate someone else. It’s also possible (and I favor this one) that Nelson likes the sound of his own voice and doesn’t really care what words come out or how accurate they happen to be.

He may think Monta can do it, but his word, or at least his word in the media don’t really suggest that much one way or another.

by jae on Jul 13, 2008 10:50 PM PDT up 0 recs

concurred

anything “point” derived from the utterances of nellie’s mouth is ill founded. it’s not that he’s full of shit; it’s just his actions speak 500 times louder than his words; and for all his good intent, he has no qualms of breaking his word to follow a better course of action.

by dso on Jul 14, 2008 2:07 AM PDT up 0 recs

It’s also possible that he never believed it himself, but decided to say it to motivate them

I don’t think Nellie knows how to speak to players or anyone in a way that motivates them? Usually he’s making comments that cut them down? If he was a better “people person” he’d probably had better success keeping core players .
My guess is he doesn’t really think Montay is a good point guard but he’s trying it to get more small scorers in the game? He doesn’t believe in the advantages of balanced bigman-smallman scoring/defense so this is the alternative? It might work for a while, a blind squirrel can find a few nuts, but it won’t be pretty.

Till I get free
I live my life in the Walmart
Cholesterol stalkin me

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jul 13, 2008 11:33 PM PDT 0 recs

I’m gonna go with “Nellie likes the sound of his own voice” and says things because people ask him questions and he can’t avoid replying. Now replying with some thought, some notion that what he’ll say has bearing on the truth? That’s an entirely different story.

by jae on Jul 17, 2008 1:51 PM PDT up 0 recs

replying with some thought, some notion that what he’ll say has bearing on the truth? That’s an entirely different story.

The only recent time I can recall was when he said they were better with JRich than without.

Till I get free
I live my life in the Walmart
Cholesterol stalkin me

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jul 17, 2008 2:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

missed shots that the other team rebounds counts as TOs too

in my book. in that sense, monta will be an upgrade.

he doesnt need to dazzle with no look passes or behind the back through his leg dribble fake—> lay in. He just needs to not turn over the ball and initiate the offense… that’s it. he has pretty good vision, he just can’t dominate the ball with his handle… but that’s ok; i’d rather have an offense that passed quick than watch a ball massage.

but in that aspect, i’ll miss matt barnes. maybe randolph will take this role someday, but barnes was a proven commodity that was great at relieving the pressure for the offense.

by dso on Jul 14, 2008 2:03 AM PDT 0 recs

cut him some slack

for now

by spacedout on Jul 14, 2008 4:39 AM PDT 0 recs

lets face it...

Monta isnt going to become Baron Davis over night (playmaking ablity wise). The one way he has to improve is be going out there every game and doing it himself. I can guarantee you that as the season goes on, Monta will be making plays that will make us shout, “What the hell was that” or “We should of trade for Billups of Hinrich”. When its all said and done, Monta will become a legit PG.

by Spee-D on Jul 14, 2008 10:27 AM PDT 0 recs

Couldn't agree more

It will be a hard learning process. To me, a point guard has to know the way the team runs in the game to thrive in its system. Ellis is the best candidate to be our starting point guard.

by Captain Jack on Jul 14, 2008 10:52 AM PDT up 0 recs

at the same time

I can guarantee as the season goes on Monta will be making plays that make us shout “HOLY S**T Did you see that?” or “Man Im glad we did not trade for Billups or Hinrich”.

Proud Sponsor Of: FITZ AND BROOKS KNBR Monthly Photo Contest AND your San Jose Giants!!!

http://www.greenlightjerky.com

by GreenLightJerky on Jul 17, 2008 6:12 AM PDT up 0 recs

I can guarantee as the season goes on Monta will be making plays that make us shout "HOLY S**T Did you see that?" or "Man Im glad we did not trade for Billups or Hinrich"

What’s the guarantee? What’s in it for us? Can Tony mock you with a “dumbass” poster?

Till I get free
I live my life in the Walmart
Cholesterol stalkin me

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jul 17, 2008 8:56 AM PDT up 0 recs

Maybe mock you instead

You yourself seem bent on “guaranteeing” that Ellis will be an absolute failure with no chance of redeption despite not yet getting the chance to prove himself in the upcoming season. Do you have some personal grudge against him, or perhaps lost a bet?

by J-Triumf on Jul 17, 2008 11:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

im totally fine with Monta at the point. If anything for the drastic incline he has been making year to year. There is no reason really with his abilities that he cant really take hold of the 1 and be a good PG. If you guys remember, later in the season he was already showing improved vision and getting some nice setups. especially some pretty nifty ones on drive and dish to beans. Kind of excited to see what he’ll do and how he’ll take on the challenge personally.

by dannyschmanny on Jul 14, 2008 12:23 PM PDT 0 recs

I just hope he gets 15-18ft jumper even more consistant than last year. February was a 60% FG month, after that…his jumper didn’t fall as often as it did earlier in the season. Get it back better than ever Monta! I have faith that he can run the point.

by disguy on Jul 14, 2008 1:42 PM PDT 0 recs

Concerned

Not trying to sound negative and I hope it is just Miami press propaganda with absolutely no truth behind it, but all this talk about how Monta would welcome a trade to the Heat is scary. Maybe he saw what Baron did and would like to get back to his Dirty South roots. The discussion should not be about whether he can run point for the Dubz or not but rather about whether Monta even wants to be the face of this franchise deep down.

by misterjennings on Jul 14, 2008 5:10 PM PDT 0 recs