Monta Ellis: This Golden State Warriors star didn’t think he could win with Stephen Curry | FPP

Monta Ellis was a Mississippi high school legend at Lanier high school where he led the team to two state championships during his time there. He originally committed to Mississippi State, but would change his mind and elect to enter the NBA draft straight out of high school where he would be drafted in the 2nd round, 40th overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2005. Monta Ellis would win most improved player in 2007; the same season as the We Believe Warriors, led by players like himself, Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington. After this season, the team kept losing pieces of this memorable team until Monta was main guy on the team in the late 2000s, and even though he would have three straight seasons of over 20 points per game, finishing sixth in the league in 2010, he never made an NBA all star game.
More importantly the 2010 season saw the Warriors draft Stephen Curry, who Monta did not feel he could win with. The Warriors added Klay Thompson during Monta’s time there as well, but during the same season Thompson was drafted, Monta was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Andrew Bogut. Monta initially didn’t want to play with Steph as he didn’t see how two small guards in the backcourt could work, but he got paired with an even smaller guard on the Bucks in Brandon Jennings. While these two could score, they were very inefficient and the Bucks did not have much success with Ellis and Jennings for the season and a half they had them.
Ellis would sign with the Mavs for two seasons in the mid 2000s where he would have his most postseason success alongside guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Vince Carter, Tyson Chandler and Rajon Rondo, but he would still not make it out of the first round either year. He would finish his career off with Paul George on the Indiana Pacers where his production declined steeply each of the two years he was there.
So, Monta Ellis’ best years were short lived and overshadowed by a poor reputation and a perceived big ego, which was definitely the case to some degree. But, what can’t be discredited is how good and exciting Monta Ellis was during his prime and how he did all of this as an undersized shooting guard with a play style similar to Dwyane Wade in some regards. He was lightning quick, super bouncy and extremely shifty and those three things made for everyone to be on high alert each night for a Monta Ellis highlight.
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[@lashgoshotwheels1127]

Yes, he should have been an all star. Thank you.

[@tredaytheplaymaker1579]

One Of The Most Underrated Players 4rm The 2000s

[@petercharless]

monta was a bucket on 2k fr

[@changes6314]

Still is

[@kamalbintreeshin9857]

Not like 2k13 monta tho

[@akbuckets272]

I thought i was the only one who used the bucks in 2k13 lol. I think they had Reddick too. I would always splash middys with Monte till he got hot. Than i would start bussin them 3s. He had like a 70 3 ball in that game. Brandon jennings was splashing too! Great to see im not the only one.

[@brandonbarron2891]

Lol I been using Ellis and Jennings as Deadly 3 Pointers Backcourt on 2k13

[@erwinrommelgaminde9572]

He's a bucket in real life too.

[@eazybucketz_23]

He was good with the Mavs too.

[@SlimmCutta]

You a real one for this, Monta Ellis was the Truth, was supposed to run PG but played a undersized SG against taller SGs

[@ricardoxbogan4742]

One of my favorites. It was like John Starks and Allen Iverson made a baby. I was a huge fan at the time. Tremendous talent.

[@hippiehazy96]

Monta was legit! Insanely good!

[@ynotefil]

Monta Ellis Was Ballin On The Court Out In The Bay Area & He Did It Scraight Outta High School Like It Was The Norm And That's Just Facts 💯

[@gugurupurasudaikirai7620]

The Dirk and Monta pick and roll was deadly until they ruined it by trading for Rondo. They were on pace to have the best offense in NBA history at the time when they made that trade. Adding Rondo killed their offense

[@andrewcbelton]

He was definitely one of the most dangerous players in 2K

[@Sweat404]

“Monta Ellis have it all” - Monta Ellis

[@dray6016]

Shawn Marion’s another underrated guy

[@biglildee0716]

Golden State caught a blessing with Steph’s ankle injuries lbvs!

[@Dantana773]

I remember when Monte led the league with points scored at the rim and 4th qter points scored That is a big deal for a 6 foot 3 scoring combo Guard with Speed & Hops . I personally think he should have made an all star team a few times. salute for the video on him. #dantana773

[@BallCDO]

Curry injury started a Warriors dynasty wow!!!!

[@ccxfrank109]

Will always be my fav. He was the reason i watched bball(im not huge on bball but when friends forced me to watch the we believe playoffs, monta was easily my fav player to watch).

[@Dnero518]

Damn, GS giving Dunleavy and Murphy for Jackson and Harrington was a steal.

[@AlbertPullhoez]

That moped injury really changed the course for Monta's career

[@bjr0467]

Not really he was good years after that

[@TheChosenMoose01]

Here are some ideas for players similar to Monta you could make: Al Jefferson: One of the best post scorers of the 2010's and one of the best non all stars of all time. Danny Granger: Injuries held him from being the next great Pacer after Reggie. David West: People forget about him other than him joining GS when KD joined. He was a two time all star and another great post player. Jerry Stackhouse: Fantastic scorer from the 90's and 2000's, and the most random guy who averaged 30 PPG. Brandon Jennings: Another scoring guard like Monta. He had 50+ points in his debut IIRC.

[@17thNO]

I want to see those.

[@TheChosenMoose01]

@@17thNO Honestly other than Danny, nobody talks about these others.

[@JP-rl4bc]

I like your additions. Add big dog Glenn Robinson as well.

[@ramonew7815]

Granger would be a great option, often overlooked in between Miller/Artest and George. Jerry Stackhouse too. His 30PPG was definitely not random though. West was the #2 behind Chris Paul for years with the Hornets, weird that people would forget about him.

[@nickbrooks2408]

Wasn't nothing random about Stackhouse. If you were a black kid in the '90s you'd know what I'm talking about. Him , Jordan, Penny, and Grant Hill were it for us and our generation at that time. He had his own shoe also.

[@zeroturn7091]

Going to MSU would’ve hurt his development as a prospect. Strange that Lou Will lasted longer, but when you think about it playing 40+ minutes is insane.

[@mongoslade277]

How does going to college Hurt your chances as a prospect?? That's why the NBA has been Trash since Kevin garnett. You learn how to play the game in college. Fundamentals. Jordan did 3 years in college. Magic & Isiah did 2. Tim Duncan & Grant Hill are greats who did 4 years. In AAU all they do is run games all day & travel. High School is high school. That's why today's NBA is unwatchable with teams shooting 50 threes a game & making 12. It's because they don't know how to play

[@christianbrandt2481]

Please do Baron Davis ‼️

[@theorangeswami7981]

Endless motor and one of the most creative finishers I've ever seen

[@n.b.l.5709]

He shouldve been an all star more than once

[@atribecalledlen3567]

Please NEVER change the background music

[@Cory-zn5mq]

2k13 legend

[@zacflemo1994]

i loved ellis bro he had that dawg in him

[@filosurfer]

Great breakdown. I live in Oakland and I remember going to bars and there would be debates about keeping Monta and trading Curry. Mind you, Curry had a bunch of ankle problems at the beginning of his career and people around here really liked Ellis. I can say I was never a fan of his game but he could be fun to watch. Turns out that GSW made the right decision 😅

[@PhoenixAscending]

Actually, they didn't. They tried to trade him to the Bucks for Bogut, but the Bucks thought he had too many ankle problems to take a chance on

[@mongoslade277]

The Warriors got lucky with trades they didn't make. They also tried to trade Klay for Kevin Love twice. That trade didn't happen due to a technicality

[@PhoenixAscending]

@@mongoslade277 they also tried to trade Curry early on in his career, and keep Ellis, but the team they wanted to trade him to were too worried about his ankle problems. They also got very lucky in 2 of their chip runs, because if not for injury to Paul and Leonard, they may have 2 less titles. I'm not hating on the warriors, as I have actually always kinda pulled for them, but they have been a very lucky organization the last decade

[@mongoslade277]

They also tried to trade Curry to Phoenix for a prime Amare Stoudemire. The GM for Phoenix then was Steve Kerr....... The Warriors got lucky with trades that failed. Nothing to do with the "right decision"

[@mongoslade277]

@@PhoenixAscending FACTS. Houston had 15 point leads in game 6 & 7. If Chris Paul was there they might win one of those games and the series. They definitely got lucky when Kawhi got hurt

[@AfricanH3ro]

I'll never forget that video of him gingerly typing away at a keyboard

[@UptownFetti]

Appreciate all these videos. Please do one on Derek Anderson

[@harveymcelroy9332]

Monta was a beast

[@certifiedchaos4643]

Ja morant reminds me of him. He was a highlight reel and a baller. Monta should have played wit Dwight in Orlando

[@eugenedantzler4485]

YES!!! You actually did it!!!!!! Thank you!!!! Love your work bro

[@purpraid451]

I'm not gonna lie I'm a Dubs fan and approved the Ellis-Bogut trade. And the rest is history.

[@gsrus888]

Dope work keep it up

[@joaogabrielgatto8642]

Love Monta. Hey bro, can you start putting the player’s percentages after every season recap ?? It would be cool to track the evolution or the drop down

[@kervincerl3335]

The monta mavs were so weird as a fan but i loved him

[@brandonbarron2891]

I used to be scorching hot while playing with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings Bucks team raining 3's on 2k13. Monta Ellis should of went at least 3x-4x All Star and could of went for a scoring title.

[@dray6016]

This was great! It’d be cool to see a Lamar Odom video

[@MrBruceWayne44]

He was a reluctant passer which hurt his game in the long-term.

[@kincamell]

Heavy

[@Joey-tj9fd]

hey mannn do a Brandon Roy one or Michael Redd injuries killed these players but they were gooood

[@deontae777]

great choice

[@PhoenixAscending]

Wow, never knew the Warriors tried to trade Steph for Bogut. What a mistake that would have been

[@n.b.l.5709]

Monte was one of the best offensive pg since iverson, the league shunned em and team didnt use em right, hes an offensive pg like iverson so curry naturally shoukdve played sg...

[@JackNCoke2008]

Being from the Bay Area, Monta was a joy to watch. Super quick athlete. Physically he was lacking due to his slight frame and t-Rex arms imho.

[@shakeiljones5184]

Monta was that guy

[@ynotefil]

Weird Fun Facts That Are True: Back In 2011 The Golden State Warriors Tried To Trade Stephen Curry And Klay Thompson For Chris Paul But CP3 Rejected The Trade And Saved The Warriors Dynasty The Projected Trade Was WARRIORS: Chris Paul HORNETS: Steph Curry & Warriors 11th Pick In The Draft ( Klay Thompson) WHOA! Now That's 1 Mind Boggling Fact

[@CryptoInFocus]

"Monta Ellis have it all"

[@energyzer_bunny1913]

What's the name of the beat you use in your videos? I really would like an mp3 of it.

[@ForgottenPlayerProfiles]

It's linked in the description of each video

[@freezhollywood]

What led to tht drop off leaving Dallas lol. Just completely went off the cliff.

[@jeremywashington4889]

His ambition didn't match his talent. He thought he could do it alone. Confidence is totally needed, but you have to keep it from turning into arrogance.

[@mongoslade277]

You obviously didn't watch that era of basketball. Monta Ellis was a walking bucket

[@jeremywashington4889]

@@mongoslade277 You obviously didn't read my comment. You need more than "buckets". He had an incomplete game, and an me first approach, hence the reason he didn't fit anywhere.

[@mongoslade277]

@@jeremywashington4889 We can disagree. I thought Monta Ellis had a complete game. His assists compared to Curry are probably about the same

[@dopeintellect1]

Monta Wade

[@djg2002]

Mississippi Bullet

[@bjnt92281]

Jermaine O’Neal should be the next high school to the NBA player that you should cover.

[@terrancegillum7729]

Jackson Bka Jacktown Georgetown in the building

[@shawswervoo]

David Lee

[@mongoslade277]

Make one of his wife also. She was underrated

[@smokeymarcel100]

Do one on Kevin Martin

[@thebayareastandout]

Ye he was underrated

[@Ira.J712]

Good job on videos but the point you made about Monte not going to college I don't think necessarily hindered his career he had injuries and it's the style of play that a player produces.. IMO.. College won't determine that per se like your game is your game in comparison between him and Dwyane Wade they sort of have similar but sort of not have similar styles.

[@XChronicHash]

How was he 20 coming out of high school lol

[@jojonodancer]

Something happened to him, lol, he took the bag and efficiency didn't matter anymore.

[@TerrenceLP]

Monta never matured and his scooter injury was a slap in the face as he was climbing up the super star ladder.

[@Opium64]

Crazy he got suspended more games for getting injured then ja did

[@ogmusik2549]

Do jason richardson next

[@dwaynehoward240]

damn, curry ankles actually got him 4 rings forrreal they would've traded curry if he was healthy!!!

[@BallCDO]

😮😮😮😮 Warriors lucked out. It was meant to be

[@kellyprince2552]

Do Ben Gordon!!!

[@mongoslade277]

Another walking bucket. Man he could shoot!!! Good one

[@n.b.l.5709]

They kept flooding his position...he had to be the one, like iverson was

[@henryrichardson4274]

He couldn’t of won with Steph tho. Would’ve been another dame and CJ. Warriors did right to split them up and got lucky they were forced to keep Steph

[@BallCDO]

Warriors glad they kept Steph now

[@lgsg2825]

Yo if Milwaukee never got giannis and he became what he is then boy oh boy taking Ellis over curry. But, Ellis was better then. Seemed like curry said fuck it started Ballin after. I remember that 50 pt Madison Square game

[@barbarapaparella1833]

How did he nevwr make an all star game. Dude averaged 17 ppg in his career n had over 20 ppg a bunch of cs in a seadon. He should have been a 5x all star . Very odd.

[@mykejae3493]

College was not going to teach him anything the NBA couldn’t !!! Stop that B.S already

[@shaunmorse4089]

Corey maggette please

[@Magicstockton]

I always thought he should’ve went to school. He’s a poor mans Chris Jackson

[@thebayareastandout]

Better than Rauf

[@Magicstockton]

@@thebayareastandoutyou don’t know ball

[@houstonbuckley8466]

Motor bikes are too dangerous smh

[@judyseager4450]

Currently curry 🍛 should not playing basketball in the n.b.a jail time

[@n.b.l.5709]

Whatever happened to mayo n jennings

[@markenscastelly]

He was right he couldn’t win with Steph which is why they got rid of him lol

[@atomicdagod]

D Wade wasn't undersized my g

[@mongoslade277]

A 6'4" guard at the 2 is undersized

[@atomicdagod]

@@mongoslade277 d Wade was never undersized I can't remember 1 player he matched up against at the 2 his whole career where Wade size was a disadvantage in the matchup who was he undersized against ? because he had enough size to match up with all of the elite guards he went against . Allen Iverson was undersized at the 2 .

[@mongoslade277]

@@atomicdagod You're right about Iverson. Like you I think he was a 2. Some people said he was a point guard. D-Wade was taller than no other 2 guard except Iverson. Most 2 guards start at 6'6"

[@atomicdagod]

@@mongoslade277 most Start at 6'5" but either way that's 1 inch smaller I wouldn't consider being an inch shorter than ur competitor " undersized " that's like say if a player 6'11" is undersized matched up against a 7 footer

[@mongoslade277]

@@atomicdagod Agreed.

[@ammarnapata2193]

Arrogance and ego held him back.

[@jojonodancer]

Not like he was a very good outside shooter, that might have helped overcome those things.

[@bobbyohalterego4102]

Lol!!! Wade huh? Yikes

[@joaogabrielgatto8642]

Please make a BREVIN Knight videos

[@dozhadeville444]

It couldn't work, thats why it didn't work.

[@Tacana_Redd_Sox]

Good player, not a great bball iq in my opinion.

[@isiahbraun8704]

Another great player dats a walking bucket.he just played 4 bad teams from time to time.

[@taym510Oak]

Monta was a good player but not as good are as smart as curry that’s why we made the decision to trade him to the bucks ijs 💯

[@jaaydaanaylst379]

That’s not true . Monte was better than curry atp and the only reason curry is still a warrior is cause the bucks wanted Monte .

[@mongoslade277]

Steph Curry had brittle feet early in his career. He would've failed his physical for Milwaukee. They wanted Monta Ellis

[@BallCDO]

​@@mongoslade277and bucks got Monte and Curry now Top 10 all time 😂😂😂

[@vivianpangilinan9783]

Yesss monta you cant be winning because you refused curry.. And you are not lebron..which is willing to be the teammate of steph

[@JamesJohnson-vk9en]

He was a ball hog. He only got his and never made anyone better

[@challenger516]

He sounds illiterate