Can Monta Ellis play lead guard fulltime in the NBA?

Chris Cohan · Post #1 » by **Chris Cohan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 2:09 am

There are no easy outs on this one.
He is or he ain't / Will be or won't be.

Monta is not a point guard.
Monta is a point guard.
Monta can run a team.
Monta can not run a team.
Monta is one of the best young lead guards in the league.
Monta Ellis is and always will be nothing more than a shooting guard.

Baron Davis leaves, the Warriors die a quck death, whenever that may be.

Twinkie defense · Post #2 » by **Twinkie defense** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 2:22 am

Of course he CAN play PG full time in the NBA, as I think it was Old Rem pointed out, he's already better in that regard than some starting NBA PGs.

However I'd rather have him at SG, with a premier, big PG alongside him. I think Monta is already a premier SG, but I don't think he will be a premier PG.

Chris Cohan · Post #3 » by **Chris Cohan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 2:23 am

Just vote.

Abyss Impact · Post #4 » by **Abyss Impact** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 2:30 am

Next season, when Baron leaves.

Chris Cohan · Post #5 » by **Chris Cohan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 2:44 am

He's not capable now or just won't get to now?

Twinkie defense · Post #6 » by **Twinkie defense** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 3:14 am

He's unlikely to "get to" now since Baron is likely to still be here.

And there's a huge difference between "capable" and who you would ideally like to be your starting PG. Next season I would like Baron to be the Warriors starting PG. The season after, we'll see - is Baron extended and playing well? Has Monta made another big step? Do we take a PG in the draft this summer? Does Baron opt out this summer or leave after next season and the Warriors use his salary slot to bring in a big-time PG?

Until those questions are answered, Monta could be a "capable" PG running the team next season, but I would prefer to have a big, top-5 or top-10 running the show, with Monta lighting it up beside him.

Chris Cohan · Post #7 » by **Chris Cohan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 3:22 am

~yawn~

Post #8 » by **FNQ** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 3:23 am

Where's the "2nd half of the season, just like 510 told everyone option"?
(also said most important player by then)

No? Fine... I'll take now. Give him the reins.... he's younger, more efficient, and doesn't miss (m)any games. Better sooner than later.

Twinkie defense · Post #9 » by **Twinkie defense** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 4:33 am

Reggae I thought you were gonna ask where's the "Monta will be a star PG" option.

Thugleavy34 · Post #10 » by **Thugleavy34** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 5:01 am

I say let him get one more year of spot PG minutes. Give him a little more responsibility, see some more growth and then BAM, starting PG in 2009.

Post #11 » by **floppymoose** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 7:22 am

I thought this was settled already? Maybe it gets interesting if you ask if he can be an allstar PG. But the second half last season should not have left any doubt that a team can do ok playing Monta at PG.

My main worry now is defense, but moving to PG is going to make that easier, as the list of post-up PGs is shorter than post-up SGs.

Twinkie defense · Post #12 » by **Twinkie defense** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 8:18 am

Did Monta get posted a lot this season? Since he would normally guard the one and Baron the two, I don't see a big difference there if Monta is the starting PG.

Monta's bigger defensive problems seemed to me to be getting caught on the screen and cheating off his man.

Warriorfan · Post #13 » by **Warriorfan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 3:18 pm

He can play pg now but is not a top 10 pg.

Chris Cohan · Post #14 » by **Chris Cohan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 4:05 pm

Warriorfan wrote:He can play pg now but is not a top 10 pg.

Unfortunately for the fools that have to pay the man, he IS a top-10 shooting guard already in terms of raw production. Nelson gets a lot out of his players on the scoring end, as we know. And defensive lapses will easily be attributed to the radical systemic variance under Nelson, too. Nelson's tenure is a tricky inclusion in Ellis' contract negotiations because Nelson is still only on a one year deal as of the moment Robert Rowell and the team picked up his option for 2008-09 but Nelson made use of clear talent, was good for Ellis, but can't make that talent just appear. Ellis was chosen before Nelson was in charge because he has the goods to be a star. And yes, an All Star lead guard. Might not be one but denying the potential is the mark of, well, idiocy. Sorry.

By earlier analysis, Ellis is also very much a top 10 young lead guard in the NBA whose overall package plants him quite securely within reach of the top 5. Throw out geezers who will be out of the league in 2 years and players like Baron who have little to say about the point guard hierarchy among longterm future nuclei of competitive teams as of 2010 and you're stuck with a guard who is very much in the discussion for top 10-15 in the league in the very near future. Not a lock, but in the discussion.

He's coming back with a far more reliable three point shot and even better handles. This "Monta isn't and doesn't deserve to be paid like a really good lead guard" conversation will be fully moot by, as Reggae points out, about February. If Mo Williams makes what he makes, Monta gets more.

Post #15 » by **FNQ** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 6:05 pm

^^^ I said last year, when we started off 0-6, that by the 2nd half Monta would be our franchise player and prove he could play PG.

This year I can't say anything... having a volatile Baron on the team could work for or against us this year, but as it relates to the team's future, having Baron's the negative.

I personally think the argument is moot now... w/o Tay we don't even sniff the 8 seed... he literally kept us afloat for 1.5 months, singlehandedly. Now buy all the hype you want, but no one else on this team has done that, by themselves, for that long. Ever.

The kid should get at least 10m, and I think the W's will pay it.. 5 and 50. And whenever the FO decides its actually time to unleash Tay, we'll see that he can play lead guard. He's been ready for at least 3 NBA months.

Chris Cohan · Post #16 » by **Chris Cohan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 6:12 pm

I agree with you 100% in any argument that Ellis AND Biedrins are the most important Warriors moving forward.

I would be very interested in anyone mounting a strong argument against my belief that what Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson just came crashing down from was the highest peak of their respective careers. And I openly acknowledge that some of Ellis' scoring productivity must be put in proper context in the Nelson system, as should Baron and Jackson's peaks. But given the clear effieicncy difference, the argument that says Baron and Stephen can sustain it because it's Nelson that does it for them is just not good enough. They fell apart and Ellis played the same heavy minutes. What actually happened is those two fell back to their career standards after a predictable emotional high and some strong contract/All Star positioning from Davis.

I am also concerned about the Baron Davis situation. The season ended with Nelson making a power move in a highly visible situation. Davis wants his money, period. Now we'll see what we get out of him. I don't think he has enough effort and stamina left to pull it off.

Sid the Squid · Post #17 » by **Sid the Squid** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 6:57 pm

Wright is the most important warrior moving forward.

If he flops? We drown.

Chris Cohan · Post #18 » by **Chris Cohan** » Sun Jun 1, 2008 6:58 pm

The core is the core.

Twinkie defense · Post #19 » by **Twinkie defense** » Mon Jun 2, 2008 3:15 am

Monta and Biedrins are definitely The Future. Hopefully Wright has a big role in there too.

Reggae, I'd say Jack kept the Warriors afloat for a good stretch there.

Post #20 » by **FNQ** » Mon Jun 2, 2008 3:38 am

This year? Or last?

I think Jack's unreal clutchness sure helped us... I don't know if you're allowed to "carry" a team in the ass-end of the 4th. Last year, same deal. There wasn't significant amount of time where Jax took over like Tay did... hell, to be honest, I can only think of a handful of players in the league right now who did that.