Write back at you: Monta Ellis has better chance of staying if Chris Mullin is around

November 17, 10:29 AMGolden State Warriors ExaminerMatt Steinmetz

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Monta Ellis: Mully's guy more than Nellie's guy

Apparently I struck a chord when it comes to the possibility of trading Monta Ellis. ...

REAL WARRIOR FAN WROTE: "OK, you're an idiot. You talk about "getting in" on the free agent party in 2010 by trading away Ellis to try to land some other big name free agent. That's about the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

M.S.: I knew Ellis was a fan favorite, but I guess I didn't know he was this big of one. There are reasons, though, you must be open to trading Ellis.

First, when healthy, he may be the Warriors' best player, making him one of the team's most valuable assets. Anytime you have a valuable asset, you have to be willing to hear people out.

But here's a bigger issue: Reality.

All the people out there who love Ellis better hope that the Warriors and executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin are able to work things out.

Why? Because if Mullin isn't around, the odds of Ellis getting traded are a lot higher. A lot.

Ellis is Mullin's guy, plain and simple. Mullin drafted him, Mullin has hung by him and Mullin believes Ellis has that something special of an elite player.

Warriors coach Don Nelson doesn't exactly share that sentiment. Nelson has come around some on Ellis, but in the grand scheme of things Ellis isn't one of Nellie's favorites.

If you'll notice, Nelson frequently talks about how good Ellis can be. Yet, he seldom gives credit to Ellis for how good he is now.

If Mullin isn't a factor, there is no doubt that the Warriors _ read: Nelson, etc. _ will be more aggressive in moving Monta.

Baron Davis: Troublesome teammates

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SQUALL WROTE: Phew ... thank god I'm not a Clippers fan.

M.S.: Well, that's not a question but I'm going to use it as a springboard for admitting a mistake. A few weeks back I had the Clippers finishing ahead of the Warriors in the Pacific Division.

Can I take that back? It's not just because the Warriors smoked the Clippers on Saturday, it's for a whole host of reasons.

First and foremost, this is team made up of veteran players who aren't exactly in the "sacrifice for the greater good" mode.

Cuttino Mobley, Tim Thomas, Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, Ricky Davis. I just don't see a lot of inner fire there.

And throw in the early sparks of a troublesome relationship between Baron Davis and Mike Dunleavy and ... it's going to be a long year for the Clippers, and probably a long couple of years. 

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Chris Mullin: Uncertain future

A TOMORROW WROTE: Hey, Steinmetz, good job. I l ike your unselfishness, linking to other writers' articles. And, of course you know your Warriors.

M.S.: Thanks, Tomorrow. The newspaper business and the internet are completely different entities and it's taken some getting used to.

For example, in the newspaper business, you're taught to horde information and NOT to share. The goal is to break stories.

The internet is different. Most of the time you're rewarded for sharing links or sending viewers to other sites. It's a completely different mindset.

The idea is to try to put as much good stuff on your page as possible. There's a lot of good stuff out there, and I've always tried to be a big assist guy.