| Monta Is All About Defense Authored by Payam Jahromi - March 6, 2006 - 2:59 pm
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The 20-year-old rookie is making the most of his increased playing time. But it’s not that he’s been impressive, but how he’s been impressive.
Ellis, who once scored 72 points in a high school game and averaged nearly 40 as a senior, isn’t making noises on offense.
Instead, he’s doing it the less fashionable way – on defense. He’s been so good that I believe the rookie is the Warriors best defender right now.
I didn’t say he has the “potential” to be a great defender. I’m saying he’s there right now.
Against Utah, Jim Barnett said it perfectly when he said that Ellis “dogged” Deron Williams. Williams, who had 13 points after three quarters, didn’t score again the rest of the way with Ellis guarding him.
He bothered Williams as dribbled the ball up the court, causing the shot clock to wind down to around 15 before Williams began to set up the offense.
If I didn’t know anything about last summer’s draft, and someone told me that one guy was taken third overall and the other guy 40th, I would have said with confidence that Ellis was the guy taken third.
The following game against Orlando, Ellis played 18 minutes and completely shut down his man. At one point, Carlos Arroyo was so tired of bringing the ball up court with Ellis all over him that he started to look to pass from his own backcourt.
Against the Spurs, Monta bothered Tony Parker. Against the Lakers, he guarded Kobe a couple of times, stayed in front of him and made Kobe take tough shots.
I love the way Monta thinks on the court. He knows that you win with defense. He understands that if you take care of business on the defensive end, the offense will come.
The only other Warriors who are known for defense are Mickael Pietrus and Adonal Foyle. Here’s the difference: Pietrus has a basketball IQ of negative 50, and Foyle’s offensive deficiencies overshadow his defense.
Ellis has a very high basketball IQ, and he has the skills to be a monster on offense. He’s so quick that when his outside shot becomes more consistent (and it’s a matter of when, not if), he will be impossible to guard 1-on-1.
But right now, he’s deferring on offense and putting his stamp on defense. He’s affecting the game so much that Mike Montgomery has to give him minutes. (Of course as I’m writing this, Ellis has played exactly zero minutes in the first half against Minnesota. Sometimes Montgomery makes me want to bang my head against a wall.)
It was Ellis – not Diogu or Chris Taft – who was the Warriors’ best player in the Summer League.
Now he’s proving that it wasn’t a fluke.
If you have questions or comments, you can reach me at pjahromi@sbcglobal.net |
