Post by zeropointzero on Sept 28, 2010 19:05:08 GMT -5
Monta Ellis
Age: 20
Height: 6’3’’
Weight: 180
Position: G
Inside = B-: His main draw is the fact that he's an outstanding athlete, being extremely quick and smooth in the open floor with a dynamite first step. He gets into the lane whenever he pleases, elevating off one foot in the lane and hanging to finish fearlessly and creatively at the basket. He is very quick off his feet. Ellis is a tough player who doesn't mind taking contact at the basket and still usually finishes strong, sometimes just rising over the top of his opponent and throwing down a strong dunk. He might struggle initially a bit in his first year because he is fairly skinny, but this shouldn't be too much of a concern once his frame fills out a bit.
Outside = C+: He has great elevation on his jump shot, and hits the 3 ball at a very good clip, especially in rhythm or off the dribble, but not so much on the catch and shoot (think Stevie Francis in this aspect). His stroke is smooth and effortless, and his mechanics look good.
Handling = C+: His crossover is strong, and he's good at changing directions, being able to step back quickly and elevate for a pull up jumper. Has a tendency to over-dribble, and had issues with turnovers his 1 year at Mississippi St.
Defense = C: Ellis doesn't put enough effort into playing on this side of the ball, and just doesn't seem to understand the importance of stopping his man. He gambles on steals (he can be very quick to get out in the passing lanes), gets lost on rotations, gives up on plays completely once he gets beat, gets torched on the perimeter in man to man defense and refuses to rotate or play any type of off the ball defense. Because he's such a good athlete, a defensive oriented coaching staff could make him serviceable in the NBA.
Rebounding = C-: Averaged 3 rebounds a game his freshman year.
Potential = A: When highly touted HS seniors decide to take their talents to college, instead of hopping directly to the NBA, generally there are 2 outcomes. One is their game flourishes at the next level, assuring them they are ready for the rigors of the NBA. The other outcome is weaknesses of their game which they were able to mask in HS become magnified when they square off against older, faster players. In Ellis's case, it was a little bit of both. His athleticism stacks up against the best players in college, but his defense and ability to run the point were exposed to a degree in his 1 season in Starkville. Ellis is yet another prototypical tweener that may find his best role as a energized 6th man in the NBA.
