*MONTA ELLIS reached the next step in his rehab – full practice. But before I get to the good stuff, here are some other less important items of note (that you won’t care about once you get to Monta but I’m putting them in here anyway!)

*Marco Belinelli was at practice, sitting down in a sweatsuit watching guys scrimmage. I didn’t see the other two injured players, Stephen Jackson and Brandan Wright. Azubuike was in practice uniform, but he just stood on the side from what I could see. He didn’t participate. He officially has a sprained neck and is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday. Biedrins was given the day off. He worked out in the weight room, but didn’t practice with the team.

*Jackson showed up after practice in street clothes. His t-shirt said “Stack Jack” on the back, bordered by a rectangle of rhinestones.

*There were an unusual amount of dunks, at least compared to what we usually see when we’re allowed to watch practice. Jamareo Davidson got a pretty one-hand follow dunk. Then Corey Maggette surprised Davidson with a one-hand tomahawk on the break, which Maggette followed with a strut and a few words (more on that later). Randolph was leading a 3-on-1 break and kept it himself, stretching for a dunk over Rob Kurz with one-hand. Even C.J. Watson, on a fast break, tried to dunk on Maggette, who went for the block expecting C.J. to lay-it up off the glass. C.J. couldn’t get the dunk down.

* OK, Back to Monta. Tuesday, he did more than run up and down the court. This time, he was full-on playing, though he looked to be at about 75-80%. The only thing left is for him to get in shape and he’s ready to play. I got .50 cent down on a Monday return.

Nellie: “Monta actually did the whole practice today, which probably I wasn’t supposed to do. It kind of ended up that way. … He’s getting closer. … He was playing the small forward. We had a lot of guys out. But his grasp of the plays are decent obviously.”

When I walked in to practice, Monta was in triple threat position against Corey Magette. He faked right, dribbled hard left, stopped on a dime (ok, more like stopped on a half dollar) and pulled up a jumper. It looked pretty dangers as Monta’s feet landed underneath Maggette, who contested the shot aggressively. Monta didn’t seem to alter his shot or his landing at all, which was a sign he’s not thinking about his ankle.

Why was Corey guarding Monta? Because Marcus Williams was, and when Williams was trying to front Corey on defense, Corey just threw him aside. That happened before I arrived, but I’m told it prompted the switch and Corey was told to chill out.
Why was Corey so aggressive ? Jamal Crawford said because Monta was talking trash and he thinks it got Corey going a bit.
Yes, Monta was talking trash the entire time I was there. He also did some encouraging — shouting “Good D, Rob” several times — but mostly he was talking trash. He played SF for the B team: Kurz, Marcus Williams, Davidson and C.J. Watson. They were playing against Maggette, Crawford, Morrow, Randolph and Turiaf.
Crawford said Monta lifted practice. He said the two talks “all the time” off the court. Crawford even traded trash talk with Monta.

Crawford: “Yeah. I’m not backing down. I’m not going to start it, but I’mma finish it. I’m not 50 Cent, but I’m Jay-Z, I’ll finish it. (laughs)”

Other Monta moments:
– He nailed a fade-away jumper and ran halfway down the other end of the court talking trash

– He found himself behind Maggette in the post. Corey’s turnaround jumper missed, and Monta sprinted down court the other way shouting “Let’s Go! Let’s Go!”

- Monta, dribbling out top, split a double team with a quick spin move, though his pull-up jumper banged off the front rim. Again, a sign he’s not thinking about the ankle.

- Monta stripped the ball away from Maggette out by the 3-point line, then dove on the floor for the loose ball, beating Maggette to it. Corey fell on top of Monta, then helped him up.

After practice, Monta zipped by the media and PR director Raymond Ridder. He did, however, come back out and talk to us. He was already talking when I got done with Nellie. I came in on …

“Trying to bring my voice to get everybody going and just try to have a great practice.”

These are your games right now. Is this where you need to get your competitive juices going?
“That’s what I’m saying. That’s I said it starts with practice. Then practice carry over into games. So we’ve got to do whatever we can. Like I said, we can still make the playoffs if we make this run, get a couple wins under our belt and see how it goes.”

Did you know you were going to go today? What’s the process right now?
“We’re just going day by day, see how it feels the next day. Continue to do what we’ve been doing. Like I said, I’m just glad to be back on the court.”

Have you noticed anything?
“No pain. No swelling. Nothing. Everything feels good. It’s just I’ve been trying to get back safely.”

What speed would you say you’re at right now?
“I’m not going to put a speed on it. Just going to take it day by day?”

How’s your conditioning? Were you winded out there?
“C’mon, man. It’s been nine months. Anybody try to come back after nine months and play this game, they ain’t gone have it. Like I said, I’mma work hard every day, try and get that back. See how it goes.”

Is your ankle 100 percent strength wise?
“Yeah. Strength wise? Yeah. Right now it ain’t even ankle. It’s the condition work, getting back in the flow of things. It’s been nine months since I played basketball. Like I said, I’mma take it day by day, continue to work hard, keep moving forward.”

Is there anything you can’t do?
“I could do whatever I could do before I left.”

(Crawford comes over and stands alongside the media to listen to the interview)

How are you handling it mentally?
“It’s over with. It’s done. I did everything to get it strong. I can’t worry about that because once I worry about that, I’m just going to hurt it again. So just go out and play basketball. Whatever happens, happens.”

How about that Crawford guy?
“Ahh, man. He’s a bum.”
(laughs. Crawford walks away smiling)

“Naw, for real though. I just can’t wait for us to play aside each other and see how it goes.”

Is there a day on the calendar you’re looking at?
“Like I said, I’m taking it day by day.”

Are you starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel?
“The light’s been on. Like I said, I’m just glad to be back out there to even play five-on-five, to be at practice the whole time and get through it no pain. Like I said, I’m just going to have to take it day by day. I don’t know when I’m coming back. I’m not going to say what percentage I am. I’m just going to continue to work hard, continue doing the things I’ve been doing to get to this point and get on over with it.”

I want to give you a chance to respond to something that’s out there about you …
“Listen. Listen.”

Go ahead
“Whatever it is about me leaving, wanting to go, I don’t want to play for Nellie – that never came from my mouth. I don’t know where they got that from. But I’m here for the next six years. I’m a Warrior. I’m always going to be a Warrior. Whoever put that out there, they did it because they wanted a story. I’m making it known right now. I’m a Warrior. I love playing for Nellie. I never said that not one time. So you don’t have to worry about that.”

Are you glad I’ve given you a chance to clear that up? (laughs)
“I was going to do that anyway before this interview was over with. It shocked me when I read it. But I never said that. I’m here for the next six years. The only thing I’m worried about is getting back on the basketball court. Everything else is irrelevant.”

Is it true that you were talking about coming back already, that you wanted to be playing games by now?
“I don’t know where you get that from either. Like I said, I’ve just been working hard. It probably ran across my mind that yeah I think this and think that. But once you get on the court and see that it wasn’t ready, you just had to step back. But I’m here now and that’s all I’m worried about. Everything else is behind me.”

Is that the most fun you’ve had in a while?
“Oh yeah. I haven’t been doing nothing. I’ve been limited. I’ve been doing nothing. It’s to be back and going back and forth with the guys, making everybody play hard, everybody laughing, everybody having a great practice.”

Are you planning to surprise everybody with your return, just pop up one day in the lineup?
“I don’t know. I can’t say. I want to play, bad. At the same time, with this, I have to take my time and make smart decisions. So when that time comes, I’ll let everybody know when Monta Ellis is back in the starting lineup.”

So, you’re ruling yourself out for tomorrow night?
“Ok. Yeah. (laughs) One game at a time? Yeah. I’m out for tomorrow. I’m not playing. (laughs)”

So you’re not willing to come off the bench?
“Oh, naw. (laughs)”

So you’re not coming back until you’re ready to start?
“Yeah.”

So you’re at the point where you’re one game at a time?
“It’s been like that since I had the screws out. Like I said, it’s a process. You’ve got to take it day by day.”

Are there any last final check-ups you need to go through?
“I can’t go out and play tomorrow. My ankle won’t let me do that. I’m not fixing to go out there and hurt my team just going out there not in shape with just my presence. I’m not going to do that. I’m going to take my time and get everything back 100 percent.”

Looking back at rehab, was it harder than you thought? Easier? More frustrating?
“Nothing easy about it. It was frustrating. But he (Mark Grabow, the Warriors’ director of athletic development) kept me on the right path and told me what, let me look at the good things, I mean the positive things. (He told me,) ‘Just take your time. You’re going to come back. It’s a long season, you’ve got a long career ahead of you. Just take your time and when you’re ready, you’re ready.’”

You were really vocal. What was that about, you being more of a leader?
“More like bringing the joy back to basketball, to Warriors basketball. When I’m on the bench or watching the game, it seems like some players get down on themselves too easy. (I’m) just talking and just lifting them up, keeping them going the whole game. Don’t let down, you’re going to make mistakes. Just move on and continue to play basketball.”

You pick up any hobbies? Collecting stamps or something?
“Nope.”

You’ve been bored to death?
“Yep.”

How many tats have you added since you last were on the court?
“Two.”

Two times how many?
“Naw, just two. I don’t know what y’all talking ’bout.”

* The Randolph at starting PF experience didn’t go well. As has been the case with Brandan Wright, Randolph got in foul trouble early. Three fouls in the first eight minutes of the game.
Nellie went with every possible PF he had to avoid going with Randolph again. He even gave Jamareo Davidson the nod.

* Say what you want about Maggette, he looked good tonight. The Warriors were down big and they needed him to score, and he did it with ease. He had 16 of his 25 in the second half. He took just 15 shots and knocked down 7 of 8 from the line.
Afterward, he was focused on something else, though.
Corey: “I didn’t have a choice really. Me and Jamal were the only 20-point scorers out there. … Thing with me is I got careless with the ball. I need to cut back on my turnovers. If I don’t get that turnover (bad pass at 9:55 mark in 4th, led to Portland basket and 12-point deficit), we have a better chance of winning.”
This goes to show that him coming off the bench is where he can be at his best. Maggette is a scoring machine because he gets to the line so much. He literally stopped Portland’s runs on his own. Not only because he scored, but he stopped their momentum by getting to the line, drew fouls on their big men and forced them to adjust their defense. That’s so much better than quick jumpers.

* Davidson fits right in, by the way. He checked in with 1:50 left in the third. His first shot came with 1:30 left in the third. He missed the 14-footer though.
“And I was fouled on that, too,” he said.

* Turiaf’s jumper was on. He hit a 20-footer in the first quarter. He was 3-for-3 in the third quarter (A 9-footer, a turn-around baseline jumper and a 19-footer). He got a dunk before nailing one-more jumper, another 20-footer to cut the Blazers lead to 106-98 with 2:18 left.
And he had seven assists and six rebounds.

*You know whose jumper wasn’t on? Belinelli. He was 2-for-8, 0-for-2 from 3. So in his last five games, he’s 14-for-44 from the field (31.8 percent). He’s 5-for-15 from 3 in that span, so that’s 9-for-29 from inside the arc. The good news: he’s getting to play through it. He needs to learn how to get through slumps and figure out ways to contribute when he’s not knocking down shots.

* Anthony Randolph got his first career start, which was a bit of a surprise. Not that he’s starting over Rob Kurz, but that he’s starting over Maggette. Nelson said he wanted Maggette to come off the bench, but that was when everyone’s healthy. I didn’t ask him before the game, but I am guessing he is keeping Corey off the bench because he wants him to get comfortable in his role-to-be.
Anyway, how far has Randolph come in a short time, from not NBA ready to starting.

* Thank Jamal Crawford for the Brandan Roy sighting. The two are best friends and Roy, no doubt, targeted this game to come back so he could play against his friend. Though Crawford said it was wiered playing against his boy.

* With Belinelli in the lineup, swingman Kelenna Azubuike is starting at SF. That matches him up with 6-8 rookie forward Nicolas Batum. (Builke is listed at 6-5). Yes, Batum starts and Travis Outlaw comes off the bench.

I’m debuting a new feature. You may not know that media is allowed to view the final 15 minutes or so of practice before being allowed to do interviews. After practice, preferrably sooner than today, I will fill you in on the day’s practice. Anything interesting, anything informative, anything odd, I will bring it straight to you.

Monta
Today was all about Monta Ellis. He danced with his teammates for the first time all season. He didn’t do anything especially physical. He just ran up and down the court with us and got off some shots.

Nelson: “That’s not a practice and it was very little contact. It’s probably the lightest (practice) that we do.”

As he has whenever I’ve watched him, Ellis looked excellent. Though he’s not doing much, he doesn’t look limited at all. He’s got a bounce in his step gait and, even at less than 100 percent, his quickness stands out.

Nellie: “Way better than I thought. He’s an amazing athlete. … Very encouraged … He really looked good. He’s quick. He can do things normal guys can’t do. Not many people can play at his level.”

After getting a light run in with his teammates, Ellis went back to shooting on the side. I’ve been watching him a lot, every time he’s working out and I’m there. Today was the first time I saw him struggle with his shot. Especially when he got to that 20-foot range in the left corner. He couldn’t buy one.
He probably was a bit tired from, as it was towards the end of practice. But until today, his J had been looking super smooth. You know his midrange was already solid. It has looked even better, and his 3-point stroke looks far more comfortable and fluid than it did last year.

MWill
Little used PG Marcus Williams was not at practice, and is not making the trip, because of the flu. I talked to someone from his camp. Apparently, he really has the flu and not the Al Harrington bug.

Mags hurting – emotionally
Swingman Corey Maggette lost a friend. He left the team to attend a wake and will miss the game while attending the funeral.

Slim at 4
The Warriors are hurting at PF with Brandan Wright out at least three weeks with a dislocated shoulder and Maggette on personal leave. That leaves rookie Anthony Randolph, whose just working his way out of Nellie’s doghouse, and rookie Rob Kurz, who Nellie disclosed has been dealing with knee issues. He said Thursday, Kurz looked 100 percent for the first time.
Nellie said Randolph had another good practice and he think the lesson is learned. Good bet Randolph will be back on the rotation.

Nellie: “I think we got his attention. He’s playing the way we want him to play.”

What Nellie said he didn’t want to do at the four is play Ronny Turiaf. If you remember, earlier in the year, Ronny and Andris together on the court proved to be productive. But Nellie said that tandem only works as an occasional gimmick and not as a steady plan.
Reason 1: Ronny doesn’t score well enough.
Reason 2: Ronny doesn’t rebound well enough.
Reason 3: He likes having Ronny backing up Andris, giving him what he thinks is a solidified center position.

Nellie: “I really need him as the back-up. Not saying I won’t do that (play Ronny with Biedrins). It’s been successful at times, but on a limited basis, and unsuccessful at other times because he’s just not a scorer. … When we try to overdo that and think that he can be the PF alongside Goose (Biedrins) a long period of time, it backfires.”

Another Warriors’ injury to report.
Brandan Wright sustained a partially dislocated left shoulder late in the second quarter. He was trying to contest a dunk by Lakers forward Pau Gasol, and grabbed his left shoulder immediately after the play. He is not returning.

Here is the release the Warriors gave us just before tip off:

Warriors guard Monta Ellis underwent a strength test yesterday and was examined by Dr. John Belzer prior to tonight’s game. Based on the test and the follow-up examination, Monta has been given approval to advance to the “end stage” of his rehabilitation (before practicing), which will include more strenuous running and sprinting, various jumping-related exercises and other elements related to increasing his explosiveness and power. He will also continue to proceed with his basketball skill work (shooting, etc.) in an individual setting.
The next step – at a date to be determined – will be to advance to some form of practice, such as 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 simulated games.

His MRI revealed a strained right hamstring. Instead of trying to play through it like Corey Maggette did, causing him to eventually miss 15 consecutive games, Jackson is going to sit out for two weeks and see how the hamstring feels.
Members of the organization are saying this is another sign of their bad luck with injuries this season. But I’m of the mind this is a good thing. They are on pace to win 25 games. What’s the point of having Jax and Mags play 38 minutes a night. I’d much rather have Azubuike, Belinelli and Morrow get minutes to devleop. When Monta returns, having the full complement of players is necessary so the Warriors can see what they’re working with. But until then, these injuries are a good thing. It keeps Nellie from running a seven-man rotation.
And don’t be surprised if Jackson is out a month. Why do I say so? For one, the Warriors have been sketchy about injury timetables all season. It seems like everyone has been out for longer than expected, that or the Warriors have gone out of their way to not set expectations, which makes absences seem so much longer. Plus, as we learned with Maggette, hamstrings are so unpredictable. Two weeks from now, he may still be tender or he may suffer another set back in practice or something.
Reason No. 3: Maggette missed a month with strained hamstring. Same training staff. Same injury. Same time on the shelf.