<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Giant Step This Year By dropping a career-high 35 points in Wednesday's win over Minnesota, Monta Ellis also topped the 30-point plateau for the third time this season. Don Nelson likens his improved shot selection to that of Tony Parker, who also learned to cut down on three-point attempts, and envisions even more development from Ellis. "Monta last year was 21 years old," Nelson said. "He had an incredible year for a 21-year-old. He's 22 this year. He's still not the player he's going to be, but he's taken a giant step in the right direction in his maturity and his development. "We haven't noticed those things that we had last year. There's no pouting anymore. He takes criticism like a man and goes out there and is positive all the time. He's developed mentally, physically, the whole package as you would expect a young player to do." -- San Francisco Chronicle</div>
Wow. It's amazing for a player so young to be so good. Think he'd be doing this outside of Nelly's system..?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182 @ Dec 28 2007, 06:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Wow. It's amazing for a player so young to be so good. Think he'd be doing this outside of Nelly's system..?</div> Yes. He's the real deal.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182 @ Dec 28 2007, 06:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Wow. It's amazing for a player so young to be so good. Think he'd be doing this outside of Nelly's system..?</div> His stats wouldn't be as good outside of Nellie's system that's for sure. Kid is a fuggin monster on the break, he lead the league in fast break points last year and hes first or second this year. He accounts for 6-8 easy points each game just because hes so godamn fast and Baron or Barnes can throw a 50 foot outlet pass to him. Obviously that's where Nellie's system is helping him a lot, hes just a beast on the break. Hes really developing his half court game now as well. Hes slowed down a little, hes using hesitation moves and changing speeds instead of going 100 mph all the time, his mid-range shot is MONEY and hes an amazing finisher. Even though his stats haven't improved a whole lot hes a much better all around player now as well. He knows when to shoot and when to pass, he finds Biedrins a lot under the hoop and hits open 3 pt shooters, his TOs are down and he looks decent playing the PG.
This is the reason I never wanted to trade either Monta or Andris. What a pair to build around. Monta's decision making looks much better, he's more decisive in his moves now. I remember that last second shot in the game against the Rockets (?) where Baron fouled out and Monta had the last shot and he took a 3. Never happen now, he'd get an open mid range jumper. Thanks Monta. Great thing I read today was that Nellie was saying how Monta does not do any of the bad things Nellie saw last year. That's the best thing I've read about him or anyone else this year.
After horrible first 10 games, Monta discovered that he can actually shoot mid range jumper, and shouldn't attempt 3 pts (first 6 games: 15 3 pts attempts. Rest 24 games: 17 3 pts attempts). Now he looks like small-Wade. Hope we can resign him for under 10 mils...
I just hope our young guys don't get greedy and we can't afford to put a better team together because of the salary cap. I just hate it when non-franchise star athletes ask for the max and then the team can't maneuver around them (especially if they get hurt and there's no depth behind them). Unless we got top 10 players in the league like a young Shaq or a Kobe, I'd rather have a core like Detroit who spends the market rate on their players. Then later on winds up getting somebody else's good player + bench depth on top of it (Rasheed Wallace, Nazr Mohammed, Mike James).
