By Sherwood Strauss
What happens now? What happens to Monta? These questions baffle me as this hellish season jaunts toward an oddly entertaining phase.
Not sure who can beat the Cavs, but what I am sure of is this: It’s impossible to grade trades without knowing a team’s future intent. That’s why the Clippers moves are unjudgeable (I’ve created a new scrabble word!). Either they’re clearing cap space for mega free agents, or Donald Sterling just wants to build platinum sweaters for his tigers. It’s unknowable, so I won’t even try.
And it’s even more difficult to gauge the Warriors in a vacuum (Hey, the Warriors already exist in a vacuum!). At this point, a) One of the world’s richest men is buying the team, b) One of the world’ richest men is hurting an already awful franchise by moving a competitor to San Jose, or, c) One of the world’s richest men is standing pat while Chris Cohan sweats in an underground bunker. The Warriors are an M.C. Esher sketch, translated into braille.
Without an assurance of continuity, planning dissolves. Dumping talent for cap space might help the Warriors long term, but we don’t know if there’s a long-term. Or a short term. On top of that, if Ellison comes aboard, we don’t even know if cap space means a damned thing.
Let’s revisit the infamous Jason Richardson trade. In a vacuum, swapping an overpaid swing-man for a high draft choice was a total steal. Well, it was until the Warriors let Baron go, didn’t replace him with A-List talent, and J-Rich drank the magic Phoenix pixie juice. This is why I don’t fetishize “cap space” moves like I did back in the day and sometimes your GM’s savvy, fiscally responsible coup is only fiscally responsible for the owner.
I can’t predict the organizational future but I ache to snatch some morsel of reality from the ether. I want to know—all things being equal—what is to be done with Monta? Stephen Curry looks amazing sans Ellis, and the team is addicted some weird moving-the-ball fad. I just saw little Stephen own Tyreke Evans (again) in between gaps when my startled TV cut out the Comcast feed. It’s a small sample size, but then again, Stephen and Monta constitute a small back-court. Logic dictates that pairing them will always be an problematic, even without this recent pro-Curry evidence.
Ellis is owed $44 million dollars over the next four years. He is 24 years old. At the time Mully sealed it, I liked the contract. Now I’m waffling. I’m coming around to the idea of ditching Ellis in favor of the future, though another J-Rich hoodwink could make me feel like tomorrow’s sucker.
Monta could be better with a different front office. We just don’t know if that’s true, or whether it’s another team’s FO. I hope the forum answers some of these questions (you guys have better psychic ability). In the meantime, I know this: I’m loving the hell out of the No. 30 show.
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http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/64893/20100219/warriors_rejected_mayo_thabeet_for_monta_offer/
The Warriors aren’t my team, but I don’t get why you don’t do that deal. To me(and I guess all of you), it makes sense for an offense to be built around Randolph, Curry and whatever Player you pick in the draft. Monta and Mayo are roughly equivalent in being decent 2 guards in PG bodies who have some ball handling and passing ability, and Thabeet is a (potential) game changing defensive presence. Monta for Mayo is a roughly equal swap of talent(Monta a bit more talent), but considering the salary and getting Thabeet as well, I don’t know how you don’t make that trade.
I really don’t think one can place all the blame on Mon-tay (or Maggette to a lesser extent) for his style of play. It’s up to the coach to dictate the game plan and to sit a player who isn’t following it. If Monta is allowed to dominate the ball while playing 45:00 minutes a game, then there’s no reason for him to stop. What 24 year old wouldn’t keep doing whatever he wanted to do if there are no consequences for it? Monta has shown he can play off the ball when he played with Baron. I think he listened to all the hype following the loss of Baron about him being the “man” that he’s taken that to heart and is having a real hard time letting go of it (especially after all the grief he got for the moped accident). He and Curry do not make an ideal back court but, they could work with a change in team philosophy while they’re on the court together and a defensive ball handling forward (Turner?). With that said, if they can move him for front court help, then they need to move him. If they can’t get value for him then he needs be taught how to play with Curry by the coaching staff.