Monta Ellis can play point guard ... but how well?

July 13, 10:34 AMGolden State Warriors ExaminerMatt Steinmetz

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Monta Ellis: PG for now

The question isn't whether or not Monta Ellis can play point guard.

Of course he can.

The question is whether or not playing Ellis at point guard will allow both the Warriors and Ellis to be at their best.

We don’t know the answer to that.

Ellis can do lots of point guard things, including bringing the ball upcourt, initiating the offense, knowing the teams’ plays and sets. I’ve seen him direct traffic at times and even get vocal with teammates.

He very well also may be able to recognize when to run and when to hold it up, when to feed the hot hand, when to take over and where to go on certain mismatches. All in all, he’s a pretty smart player and has shown improvement and the willingness to adapt in his first three years.

I really like him as a player.

It’s just that asking Ellis to play the point goes against his instincts and strengths as a basketball player. I don’t doubt for a moment Ellis can turn into a 20-plus point, eight-assist guy, it’s just that I’m more concerned with what’s accompanying those numbers.

Will he be making teammates better? Will his passes that don’t result in assists (“the pass that leads to the pass”) be the right ones?

Will he fully be able to understand the offense? Not just knowing the plays but knowing where every teammate needs to be at any given time and where certain defensive breakdowns might mandate a split-second change of plans.

That’s not the same as the obvious improvising Ellis can do on his way to the hole on a drive. But those are two different things.

Speedy Claxton was one of the best Warriors I’ve ever seen at getting into the paint. Not as good as Ellis, but not too far behind. But one of the reasons Claxton was never able to take his game to the next level was that he never developed the consistent skill of penetrating and kicking.

Before this goes any further I’m not comparing Ellis to Claxton as players, I’m comparing an aspect of their games.

Tough as it is to say because he was a player to be admired, Claxton never really helped the Warriors except when he was “getting his.”

That’s one of the worries I have with Ellis at the point. It’s not that Ellis is unwilling to play the point or is unwilling to share the ball or is unwilling to sacrifice his game or anything like that.

But my worry is that asking him to do all those things may detract from what he's best at as a player. Ellis' natural creativity and free-flowing game are what make him the unique and special player he is.

I’m not saying Ellis can’t do it, I’m saying it’s a bold challenge for any player.