<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It didn't take long for the next installment of the Monta Ellis Show to hit prime time. Thanks to some creative juggling against a Phoenix team resting starters Steve Nash and Raja Bell, Ellis made his first career start on Friday. And what a start it was. In the first five minutes, Ellis swished a 3-pointer and poked three balls away, the last of which led to a vintage Jason Richardson windmill dunk. His imitation of Edward Scissorhands was good enough to give Leandro Barbosa fits all night. Enough to get a smattering of fans to start a "We Want Ellis" chant midway through the second quarter. They got what they wanted. More of Ellis and fellow rookie Ike Diogu was on display during Friday's 110-102 win over the Suns, who are locked into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and contentedly cruising toward the end of the regular season. Ellis' final line was an unassuming 12 points, three assists and two rebounds in a season-high 36 minutes, which didn't quite reflect the defensive tone he set in the first quarter or the second-half spurt he triggered. The guard needed just 18 seconds to hit back-to-back jumpers and helped key the game's decisive 31-12 run in the third quarter with nine points. Appropriately enough, Ellis fed Diogu for a jump hook for the last of the Warriors' 37 points in the period. Diogu's final line: 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in 30 minutes. The two were in such sync Friday night, that even when they made a mistake, they were rewarded. Back in the first quarter, Ellis had lost the ball on a drive to the basket, but the ball deflected to Diogu for an easy layup. Two points, Diogu. Assist, Ellis. The rookies say they enjoy playing with each other so much, Diogu already has a vision of what they can be like in the future. "A Stockton and Malone tandem," he said. To which Ellis replied: "We could be, but I really wouldn't do that. I'd just say Ike and Monta." But don't get him wrong. "It's great to be like Stockton and Malone, Kobe and Shaq, Scottie and Michael," Ellis said. "But it's Monta and Ike ... Just young guys like us trying to make a name for ourselves." Though the buddies have contrasting styles - Ellis with the lightning speed and Diogu the power play - both have good range and are expected to improve their games in summer league and next season. As coach Mike Montgomery said, the real test will be their development once those strengths are taken away by opposing defenses - much like what Richardson is experiencing in his quest to become a late-game finisher. In the meantime, Montgomery knows that rookie mistakes will be made. With the Suns down 108-100 with 30.1 seconds to play, Diogu fouled Tim Thomas on a 3-point attempt. Thomas missed the first and made the next two, giving Phoenix a chance to turn the game into a free-throw shooting contest. It didn't matter in the end as the Warriors won their second straight. What mattered most was that for the second game in a row, Diogu and Ellis had played a large part in the victory. </div> Source
"Just young guys like us trying to make a name for ourselves." Monta Ellis I agree because it doesn't work trying to be someone else, let alone a couple of all-stars and legends like Stockton - Malone, Jordan - Pippen, Shaq - Kobe, etc. If anything, they should work to mesh like Stockton to Malone in the passing and then scoring department. I think Ike is somewhere around a young Corliss Williamson and Danny Fortson right now. I'm not sure if he'll be another Elton Brand. And Monta could be another Gilbert Arenas, but quicker and better on-ball defender. It still remains to be seen whether he'll develop his shot like Arenas, but the kid is working hard towards that goal. Another comparison for Ellis could be Ben Gordon.
It's a bit early to tell but from what I've seen this year both have very promising futures. Hopefully they do turn out to be somewhat Stockton and Malone-like but I doubt they will be as good.
I cant see the similarity in playing style, but for a due that will be great I think it could happen, but I doubt both of them stay in Golden State until/through there prime.
Yeah, all of the things that have been said are kind of true. It's just kind of nice to see some type of identity forming between the players. I mean, I wish Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, and Troy Murphy tried to be some type of trio that worked greatly together and fed off each other in the ways Monta and Ike seem to be doing. They aren't Run TMC but maybe there is another trio that those three could try to learn to play together from. In my opinion there is too much individual focus between Davis, Jason, and Murphy(I would argue it being started from the head coach). I think Fisher kind of is a slight catalyst to this individual emphasis, since he has been given a lot of PT this whole season. I remember earlier in the season, near the break, it seemed as if to me that Baron kind of played better with the less selfish bench players without Jason. Also it could have seemed if Jason played better without Baron slightly. Somehow or another, it's cool to see some players finding an identity playing together on the court, even if they do put their own little twist on it. Oh but I disagree with the Danny Fortson comparison to Ike. Danny had zero offensive game, and not only didn't pass, but really couldn't. Ike, though in some ways has become a blackhole(recently in a good way being the team's paint/post threat), does have the ability to pass the ball(though the team needs to make a better plan for when he gets doubled or tripled team, because it doesn't help anybody in the paint when you can't see daylight from a triple or double team, and with the little daylight you can see, you still can't find someone in your own jersey to find to pass to. This also happens a lot after rebounds, where the guard has to immediately get open, yet this team's guards and forwards are so bad at helping out the big men in these situations). Also Ike's outside shot is much more allowable than Fortson's. Also Fortson is a much better rebounder than Ike. I think Ike is similar to an energetic Zach Randolph who can block some shots.
Totally Stockton and Malone -- the only difference is Stockton couldn't dunk from the free throw line.
