Turns out Ellis was too good to pass on
By Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:11/23/2006 11:42:50 PM MST
The Nuggets selected Julius Hodge with the 20th pick in the 2005 draft and acquired the draft rights to 27th pick Linas Kleiza.
By the time Denver acquired the draft rights to little-known high school forward Ricky Sanchez with the 35th pick overall in the second round, a frustrated Monta Ellis was passed over by the franchise for the third time.
"I was like, 'Man I can't believe this,"' Ellis said. "There were a lot of names that were thrown out there where I was like, 'Man, you got to be kidding me."'
The Warriors selected the 2005 Parade magazine prep national co-player of the year with the 40th overall pick. The Jackson (Miss) Lanier High School graduate, who averaged 38.4 points as senior, was projected as a top-20 pick until concerns surfaced about his surgically repaired left knee. He currently is the second-leading scorer in the 2005 class behind the New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets' Chris Paul.
Ellis is averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game and has scored a career-high 31 twice this season. The 6-foot-3, 177-pound guard had 11 points, a career-high nine assists and three steals in Wednesday's 115-112 loss to visiting Denver. The athletic, speedy combo guard is also the leading scorer of the 10 high school players selected in the final year they were draft eligible.
"I'm not surprised," the 21-year old Ellis said. "I feel good. But I'm going to get better."
Said Nuggets coach George Karl: "He is catching a lot of the league by surprise with his speed and quickness. The league's going to catch up with him a little bit. ... I think everybody has been surprised by his confidence and his speed. He's a y kid out there."
Ellis worked out with Sanchez in Florida before the 2005 draft and after Wednesday's game asked with a serious tone where Sanchez was playing now. The free agent is in his second season playing for NBADL Idaho.
"Are (the Nuggets) going to bring him up?" Ellis asked seriously.
While the Nuggets were interested in Ellis, an NBA source said he failed the team's pre-draft physical because his left knee was viewed as potentially arthritic.
He had knee surgery in April 2005 and wears a knee brace. With NBA teams concerned about the knee, Ellis dropped fast in a 2005 draft he viewed as "hurtful."
But he hasn't missed any NBA games because of the knee and his recent highlight-reel dunk over Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa showed how strong his knee has become.
"That was a big thing with teams," Ellis said about knee surgery. "But if they had good trainers, like they say they do, that wouldn't have even been an issue."
Ellis played sparingly as a rookie under then-Warriors coach Mike Montgomery and averaged 6.8 points in 18.9 minutes in 49 games. He said Montgomery wasn't confident about giving a kid out of high school playing time and "it was tough to sit."
But he averaged 14.3 points in last season's final seven games and scored 27 against Utah in the season finale.
Warriors management traded veteran point guard Derek Fisher to Utah to give Ellis more time behind Baron Davis. But under new and unconventional veteran coach Don Nelson, Ellis is starting alongside Davis.
"He needs to play a lot to get better. And I think we're going to have a really good player if we go through that process," Nelson said.
"That was more important than anything else. ... He's such a positive out there that the mistakes that he makes I can live with."
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_4713378
Just about every team passed on him. Denver shouldn't be the only team kicking themselves. Besides, under Kiki, the Nuggets were never very good with regards to identifying talent and then selecting them via the draft. Save for the Carmelo no-brainer, they routinely passed on the stars or steals of the draft for quality players or flops.
Golden State, meanwhile, is one of a handful of teams that always seems to draft well, either netting a star or a steal, or both.
A lot of people picked [name here] over Josh Howard, and now they feel like asshats. Tough luck
True. Draft is an art, not an exact science. Still, I think it's pretty stupid when teams let information like "failing a physical" out to justify their now erronious position on drafting a kid. Just move on... Ya made a mistake, one of many under that specific GM with regards to the draft, move on.
Anyone who ever watched Ellis in high school knew the kid would be a fine scorer at every level. His problem was lack of all around instincts and physical stature as he was short for a SG (measured 6-2/6-3 with shoes) and pretty skinny (176 lbs). Still, I always thought he had Barbosa-like potential (18-22 ppg, 4-6 rpg, 4-5 apg, 2 spg at the peak). In 2005 for the site I mod at, I had Ellis ranked as the #1 rated combo guard based on potential. So, if a bum like me can see it, I fail to see why paid professionals can't, and then make excuses after the fact.
Lame...
A team that can feel like asshats is the one who drafted Pavel Podkolzin over Kevin Martin.A lot of people picked [name here] over Josh Howard, and now they feel like asshats. Tough luck
A team that can feel like asshats is the one who drafted Pavel Podkolzin over Kevin Martin.
Why would the Mavs need Keven Martin when they're already full of swingmen? Think before you post.
Yeah,they're full of swingmen...men swinging they're elbows and punches...lol
And 27 other teams could have had Tony Parker. 29 others could have had Manu. These articles are stupid.
Because if they'd have drafted Martin, they wouldn't have needed to draft Ager this past year. Ya know, when solid low post options such as Joel Freeland, Solomon Jones, Paul Davis and Paul Millsap were still on the board.
Martin >>> Ager and at worst, all those prospects are = Podkolzin and Millsap and Freeland are likely going to be better.
Kevin Martin isn't an upgrade over Stackhouse.
Have you ever think in your life ?
I don't think so.
Agree.
And it would be sad if there weren't any bust or steal in the draft because that would mean that a player carreer would be fully defined at 22 years old.
Kevin Martin isn't an upgrade over Stackhouse.
Have you ever think in your life ?
I don't think so.
Who said he wasn't an upgrade over Stack?
Martin would just get ass splinters. It's not like he'd play over Howard.
Shows how much you think, eh?
Martin can easily get 35 mpg with Mavs as backup SF but mainly as SG with Terry sliding at PG.
You have tried to provocate Spurs fans by bringing the Howard story and you have been owned with Podkolzin.
Maybe next provocation will work, stupid troll.
You'd think with a tandem like Diop and Dampier at C, Pavel would be the least of concerns.
news must be slow if the Denverpost has to write this crap
Why don't they write another one about the Nuggets drafting Skita over Amare?
True, you'd think theyd want someone worth a crap.You'd think with a tandem like Diop and Dampier at C, Pavel would be the least of concerns.
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