<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Just weeks removed from high school, Monta Ellis carries himself with the confidence of someone who has an insider's knowledge of the NBA. With good reason. Ellis, who went through a predraft workout for the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, spent the past four years playing under coach Thomas Billups at Lanier High School in Jackson, Miss. Billups is the uncle of Denver native Chauncey Billups, point guard for the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons. Ellis considers Chauncey Billups to be a role model and mentor. The two have talked regularly as Ellis works out for teams in advance of the June 28 draft. "He just tells me what to look for and what I need to do to be a great player in this league," Ellis said. "Just stay humble and focused. Go to the workouts and do what I know I can do and not try to do too much." Ellis, projected as a late first-round pick, is a 6-foot-3 guard who once scored 72 points in a game. Because of his size, he likely will have to move from the wing to the point in the NBA. "In my mind, I know I can play the (point)," Ellis said. "I just moved to (shooting guard) my 11th-grade year because I was the best shooter on the team and we had other point guards." The Nuggets hold the 20th, 22nd and 52nd picks in the draft next week. Among their most pressing needs are a shooting guard and a backup point guard. Ellis and C.J. Miles fit that description and figure to be around at No. 20. Miles, a high school player from Dallas, visited the Nuggets for the second time in three weeks. A bruised calf prevented him from going through a full workout May 27. "It was a whole lot better (Sunday)," Miles said. "I could actually jump. I could barely run the last time I was here." Unlike Ellis, Miles has not hired an agent and has until Tuesday to withdraw his name from the draft. Unless something changes drastically in the next 24 hours, he plans to go pro rather than attend the University of Texas. </div> Source
