Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 1, 2005 4:07:06 GMT -5
Lot of boards are saying that Ainge has promised Monta Ellis (pronounced Mon-Tay) that if he's there at 18, he'll be playing in Celtics green. Monta is a 6'3" - 6'4" PG who's a highly gifted scorer. I really don't know much about him other than he's a big time scorer (averaged 40+ ppg for his high school his senior year--insert Marbury and Dujuan Wagner comparisons here).
The only time I've seen this kid in action was in the McDonald's game, and if anyone seen this game, it wasn't one where Monta shined. He was basically a non-contributor. Aside from a couple of shots he made from downtown, I didn't get to see what he's capable of.
But apparently, from reading some message boards, Ainge has been scouting him on various occassions--and if this is true, Ainge must see something in him. I mean, considering all the players he needs to be scouting across the country, it wouldn't make sense for him to make multiple visits to catch Ellis play if he was only semi interested in him. (Another interesting thing is that Ellis is from Jackson, MISS--same place as Justin Reed, and same state where Big Al came from).
I'm not a big fan of scoring PG's because IMO, it takes away from the rest of the team when they start getting trigger happy. I like PG's like Nash and Kidd, who are always looking to set up players primarily before even looking for their own shot. But Ainge made an attempt at Baron Davis at the trading deadline (another big time scoring PG). And Banks didn't come out of UNLV famed for his passing ability, either.
So is Ainge going after a scoring backcourt? I think its time I considered this way of thinking. I mean, with he and Dennis Johnson playing the backcourt in the mid 80's, they could both score as well as make the passes. Would Ainge think along the lines of having a backcourt of Delonte and Monta Ellis? 2 guys who are 6'3" who can handle the rock and score, meaning if one is being trapped, the other can take over the dribbling duties and serve as the PG. It'd make it hard for teams to trap us because either guy should be able to handle the press, and with 2 PG's on the court at the same time, it could translate to a lot more fast breaking opportunities--and isn't that what Ainge has been dreaming about?
I'm still not sold on Monta Ellis, but that's only because I've seen him only once. That's not nearly enough to make a good judgment. But if Ainge thinks he's worth the shot, I'll put my faith in him. Ainge hasn't disappointed me yet.
The only time I've seen this kid in action was in the McDonald's game, and if anyone seen this game, it wasn't one where Monta shined. He was basically a non-contributor. Aside from a couple of shots he made from downtown, I didn't get to see what he's capable of.
But apparently, from reading some message boards, Ainge has been scouting him on various occassions--and if this is true, Ainge must see something in him. I mean, considering all the players he needs to be scouting across the country, it wouldn't make sense for him to make multiple visits to catch Ellis play if he was only semi interested in him. (Another interesting thing is that Ellis is from Jackson, MISS--same place as Justin Reed, and same state where Big Al came from).
I'm not a big fan of scoring PG's because IMO, it takes away from the rest of the team when they start getting trigger happy. I like PG's like Nash and Kidd, who are always looking to set up players primarily before even looking for their own shot. But Ainge made an attempt at Baron Davis at the trading deadline (another big time scoring PG). And Banks didn't come out of UNLV famed for his passing ability, either.
So is Ainge going after a scoring backcourt? I think its time I considered this way of thinking. I mean, with he and Dennis Johnson playing the backcourt in the mid 80's, they could both score as well as make the passes. Would Ainge think along the lines of having a backcourt of Delonte and Monta Ellis? 2 guys who are 6'3" who can handle the rock and score, meaning if one is being trapped, the other can take over the dribbling duties and serve as the PG. It'd make it hard for teams to trap us because either guy should be able to handle the press, and with 2 PG's on the court at the same time, it could translate to a lot more fast breaking opportunities--and isn't that what Ainge has been dreaming about?
I'm still not sold on Monta Ellis, but that's only because I've seen him only once. That's not nearly enough to make a good judgment. But if Ainge thinks he's worth the shot, I'll put my faith in him. Ainge hasn't disappointed me yet.
