Monta Ellis Out for Tuesday’s Game at Kings

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Marcus Thompson

Warriors guard Monta Ellis will not play Tuesday night at Sacramento, the team announced during Monday evening’s practice.

His sprained right ankle is severe enough top keep him out for the second consecutive game. Ellis was at practice, but in sweats. He is listed as day-to-day. The Warriors host Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, then Stephen Jackson and the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday.

Ellis sprained his ankle midway through the first quarter, according to several accounts. But he didn’t ask to come out of the game until early in the third quarter. Ellis headed straight to the locker room and didn’t return. He missed Saturday’s game at Phoenix. X-Rays were negative. Ellis was re-evaluated on Sunday and Monday before he was ruled out against the Kings.

Guard C.J. Watson, who returned from a four-game absence Saturday, will likely get the start in Ellis’ spot. Saturday, NBA Development League call-up Cartier Martin started at shooting guard in place of Ellis. Watson and rookie guard Stephen Curry are the only guards the Warriors have available.

Shooting guard Anthony Morrow did not practice Monday night, just got up shots on the side. He didn’t look to be favoring his sprained right knee. The Warriors said he would be out for 1 to 2 weeks. Friday’s game at New Jersey was one week.

Marcus Thompson

Earl Monroe

Marcus,
Any validity, to Ellis for Ray Allen? Any other players involved?
On the surface it does not make sense, how many more years is Allen going to play?
Can they resign Allen? Perhaps freeing up some money for another 2 guard?

The realization that Curry is a good decision maker and needs the ball in his hands
seem to be a correct assessment.
sportsblood96

Earl,
Ray Allen’s contact is up after this year which would free up around $19 million if the warriors trade Ellis and another 7-8ish million player(most likely expiring contract like). So truly if we trade Ellis away just to make more cap space for some crazy bid at a free agent or two next offseason, then this could be the end for Don Nelson? If you get a different coach in after Nellie gets his record and a new staff and front office has $32ish million (with the ellis and another player for Ray Allen)to play with and for a team, then you could build around Curry as your pointgaurd, morrow coming off the bench as a fantastic shooting threat, magette as your small forward, randolph and B Wright splitting time at the power slot and Dre at forward with Ronnie as the backup. Throw in a veteran gaurd who plays D and has size, another big body and you really could be onto something. You would be losing the current face of your franchise and a borderline allstar player, but would a shakeup be all for the bad? Curry could be an allstar in a couple of years and be a bigger contributor than Ellis is right now. I don’t think you can give curry the keys full time, but with the money you free up you can bring in someone with veteran experience and with a new coach who knows what could happen.
Oregonguy

I hate that phrase ‘X-rays were negative’ whenever the question is ligament damage. X-rays refer to bones not softer tissue and actually oft times a broken bone is preferable to a torn ligament. You put on a cast, wait 6 weeks and good as new. Ligament damage if severe, can linger far longer and cause much more heartache for the player AND the fans.
The Sear

Trading a rising star like Ellis for a washed up over the hill shooter, who has lost a step would be an disaster in the wake of all the other disasters..

This smells like a fire sale by Cohan before he sells the team..I am so sick of hearing about what we would save in salary cap money because no good free agent would come and play with Curry, Magette and the stiffs anyway if we had 100 million under the cap..

I can’t wait to hear the backlash if they make this deal..How does Nelly feel about this?? He might not get his 12 victories for a couple of years..

New Jersey Nets here we come..
OliverStone

First blush this deal seems like an “IRS” deal? Get Allens expiring $19 mil contract, jettison the approximately $44 mil left on Montas contract.

That should help Cohans tax problem a litte?

More about the coin than raising the team talent level?
Blackgsd

Well said Oregon guy, but the typical response from a fan is a that a sprain is no big deal but a broken bone takes time that that player could be using to help the team win. Stupid.
earl monroe

The way this team is constructed right now, they don’t have the right pieces anyway, perhaps they know something about Ellis we don’t, interesting times in the NBA with regards to trades and player value and loyalty. Completely a new era.
Essentially its not so much trading for Allen as trading for the cap room to sign the right player.

It also says a lot about the value of Ellis, can the Warriors not get another player in return, that fits in the long term plans?

If we get to see Allen and Curry together for half a season, that might be interesting for us, may not be so interesting for Ray Allen though.

Sportsblood, your take could be correct, but not so sure Nelson doesn’t have his prints all over this one, I think if Nelson can get a couple of vets he likes and put them around Curry, he may be around for another year. He liked this team, before the injuries and the Jackson implosion, and I think he likes Maggette now, loves Curry, medium to mild on Randolph, so if he can get Bell back for one year, pick up a star not necessarily a superstar, he might be good with that.

And don’t forget Gilbert is going to be free agent zero this summer.
http://feltbot.com/ feltbot

Nellie likes big, defensive-minded two guards. I’m guessing Kelenna Azubuike is in his plans for next year.

As to what the Warriors would do with expirings… I hope we can take Riley at his word that the Warriors are in the market for a stud big man.

OG – I’m guessing it wasn’t the sprained ankle that was X-rayed :0 And one of my doctor acquaintances doesn’t like the long-term prognosis for Monta’s ankle injury.
Deftoned40oz

If getting a combo of Ellis’ money, Maggette’s money and/or Beadrins’ money off the books was the deciding factor in a Larry Ellison purchase of the franchise then f*** it, I’m in…
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Optimus

The best that we can hope for is a stud in the draft and a healthy team next year.

Big Men out the daft take a while to develop so the best we can do is sign one during the offseason. Randolph is not the answer at PF. He may be at some point, but he is just not there right now.
petaluman

Marcus,

Regarding this article: http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_14268058?nclick_check=1

You should know better than this. If the Warriors simply let all the expiring contracts lapse, they’ll still have 10 players on contract next year for $53M. This is right around the projected salary cap. The only way they have more than the MLE to offer FAs is if Radmanovic opts out of his final year at 6.9M (not likely to happen).

Their best chance to acquire another solid player is via trading away expiring contracts. Unfortunately, our 2 biggest ones are for currently inactive players (Claxton & Bell @ 5.2M each). Any word yet on Raja’s projected return date?
deano

Conspiracy theories aside, Monta’s injury is a blessing. It will probably keep him out for only ten days, and he very much needed the rest. Hopefully, he’s back at full strength for the upcoming pride games against Chris Paul and Stephen Jackson. And yes, even the Warriors have pride. It shows in their continuing to hustle, despite all of the losses. BTW, the fans who still go to the games deserve praise, not derision.
Marcus Thompson

Petaluman,

Never said they would be under the cap. Nor did I say signing a free agent was their best chance. Letting the expirings go would give them the “potential” to sign a free agent. They’d be one salary-dumping move away from being under enough to sign a $7-8-9 million free agent. They won’t have cap holds they wouldn’t mind renouncing. It won’t be Vlad. He’s not opting out. But if they move Maggette and the pick, or Biedrins and the pick, while getting little back, they’d be in the ball park. But its obvious a sign-and-trade or a trade is more likely.
Usually Lurking

I don’t think $7-$9M is going to be enough to get LeBron, Wade, Bosh, or any other top-tier free agent that I’m forgetting (Dirk?). Yeah, the market is likely to be down, but $7-$9M ain’t gonna do it… that’s closer to Corey Maggette territory.
petaluman

Marcus,

Thanks for the clarification. You can see how

The Warriors have some $12 million in expiring contracts on their roster in guards Raja Bell and Speedy Claxton, forward Devean George and center Chris Hunter. If they stand pat, that money will come off the cap, giving them the potential to sign a free agent

could be misleading, though?

FWIW, there will be so many FAs this year that the Warriors may be able to get a decent piece for the MLE. Given their standing in the league, though, I believe the best value they can get in a quality veteran is via a trade.
jay

I officially HATE the Kings more than ever now.