Update on Monta's Injury

by Fantasy Junkie on Feb 6, 2007 9:42 AM PST in Links Comment 14 comments

In last night's game Monta got injured on a flop by Danny Granger. Basically, Monta was running the break going full speed. He passed the ball to the wing and took two steps forward. But Granger was still just standing there, right in his way trying to draw a charging foul with the pass and crash rule. Since Granger did not get out of the way or make a play on the ball, Monta banged knees with him in an awkward attempt to avoid the "defender" and winds up on the floor with what could be a serious knee injury.

The rule, as Barnett says, "is not in the spirit of the game". What Granger did is just ridiculous. If you're going to take a charge, then play good defense and get in good position. Standing in front of someone running full steam AFTER he has already passed the ball is just cheap and takes no skill. It leads to injuries and affects the game negatively.

Anyways, here's the status of Monta's knee:

He said the knee felt like it did in high school when he underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage and dropped into the second round of the 2005 NBA draft.

``Yeah, I can't move it,'' said Ellis, who was using crutches after the game. ``That's where I had my surgery, on the same side (the outside) of the same knee.''

X-rays proved negative, but Ellis said, ``I won't be relieved until I get an MRI.'' He expects to undergo the exam today.

Obviously, the league can't just get rid of charging fouls, so what can the league do to stop these types of incidents from happening in the future?

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Best of luck to Monta.

Hope everything turns out fine.
I love defense, and love people who can take charges well (Shane Battier), but, basically, the league needs to come down and stop with so many charges.

The problem is, with these rules, you become a good defender if you take charges. Charges should only occur when a good defender is playing good defense, and the offensive player gets out of control. Way too many people fall over on the perimeter because they're too lazy to move their feet and stay in front of the guy. Waaaay to many 7 foot centers try to take charges instead of altering the shot. People play defense to get charges. If they could change this, change some calls, etc, people would play defense to stop their opponent instead, and that leads to charges when the offensive player gets frustrated or out of control.

by bradyk2 on Feb 6, 2007 9:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

monta

i thought his shoulder injury in miami was going to be serious, and he bounced back rather quickly. hopefully this will be the same sort of thing.

by AJC3317 on Feb 6, 2007 10:34 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

The league needs to really address this.

It has been a major problem since forever (the league put the dotted line in the key as a testament of too many people trying to draw dumbass charges when players are dunking or laying it up) but the pass and crash thing hasn't really been noticed until this season, which seems like it's being done by players almost everytime. Shane Battier even had a "Fundamental" segment on TNT's Inside The NBA about how to take a charge (basically run in front of the offensive player and stand still while closing your eyes) which is utter and complete bull-ish... because it encourages it in the game. Now if a player is out of control and lowers their shoulder or clears out with their off hand, they should be hit with an offensive foul... but when I see wack "role players" running to a spot while a player is driving (especially a secondary defender who blind sides a player), they should not only get called for a foul, they should get either fined or get a T... which would help prevent these kinds of cheap plays. Unfortunately for Ellis, he is only a growing star and it will not be looked at as seriously as it would if it were to happen to a Kobe, Tracy, or Steve Nash! I can only hope that the commish or vice commish takes a serious look at this and makes changes accordingly.

by mightymadskillz on Feb 6, 2007 11:07 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

on another (minor) note

this will probably keep monta out of the rook/soph game during all-star weekend. very unfortunate since i was looking forward to him getting some national attention

by AJC3317 on Feb 6, 2007 11:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I just cant stand

seeing Big men trying to take charges.... I dont think I've seen Tim Duncan(the last of the great post players, if not one of the greatest) try but just about every other big guy in the league I have seen try to take a charge. Even Shaq is trying to take charges now, I saw him trying to take charges in the recently nationally televised Miami game. I was just disgusted last night when Jermaine ONeal drew a charge off Monta. Monta is like 1/2 JO's weight!!!

But yeah, the PFs and the Cs in this league need to start manning up and lay some hard fouls and blocks. If they were actually doing their jobs, they would intimidate and make slashers think twice about driving to the rim. It's called DEFENSE.

by ZombieWarrior on Feb 6, 2007 12:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Duncan

I live in San Antonio and watch more Spurs than I'd like to (I find them boring). Duncan defintely takes charges. For example, Lebron's famous dunk over Duncan he was just standing there in front of the basket with his hands up. He might not slide under people and flop like Dunleavy, but he still takes charges. This is in no way a negative statement about Duncan; with the rules you'd be stupid not to take charges if you have a guy flying at you (and yes, this includes all-star bigs like JO against small guards like Monta)

by gsw4life on Feb 6, 2007 1:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You cooould....

get rid of charges. :P

SLAMMING AHOY!!!!!!!!!

by Zorgon on Feb 6, 2007 3:02 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

All for it!

There shouldn't be more than 1 or 2 charge fouls a game. It's ugly!

Let them play like basketball players. We don't want to see bad acting.

by Atma Brother ONE on Feb 6, 2007 3:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

although I liked him, I was extremely tired of seeing Dunleavy trying to act. Ughghgh.

And, with this rule in effect, I'd LOVE to see all of the POWER that would be in games! Hella fun to watch!

by Zorgon on Feb 6, 2007 4:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How about? Stop running over people?

The defender has as much right to a spot on the floor as the offensive player. The solution is watch where you are running and stay in control. The rules are fine, the players just have to learn them.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 6, 2007 3:46 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Refs

The game is so fast that the refs don't notice that most of the time the defender is moving. Most charge calls should be blocking fouls, you can't jump in front of a player after he starts his shooting motion. In my opinion shooting motion begins when the player picks up the ball. Back to the refs a no call is better than a wrong call, don't reward players for jumping in front of players who have already started their shooting motion.

by Psion on Feb 6, 2007 4:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

players

the players have learned the rules well enough to take advantage of them. like, "hey i can get a charge by standing in front of a dude and falling! and thats called good defense!" i think they know all to well, what theyre doing...

Ronald Reagan was a jerk.

by Nooob on Feb 6, 2007 9:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How about some real defense?

Come on, guys just sliding in front of dribblers at the last second? That's just taking a flop and hoping for a call. We've seen way too many of these plays. The league needs to change the rules with all the flopping that goes on.

by yuletak on Feb 6, 2007 4:35 PM PST reply actions 0 recs