Monta Ellis & Stephen Curry: 10 Reasons They're the Most Exciting NBA Backcourt
Imagine spending every day for two months straight talking on the phone with the same three or four guys and throwing the same names back and fourth at each other for hours. Sure, a bench piece might slip in here, a draft pick there, but for the most part the talk centers around the same two or three players from each side.
For Larry Riley—and every other NBA general manager—that's reality from November through February. Scouring box scores nightly with one eye still focused on the league standings, general managers attempt to find that one player that will push their team over the top.
The challenge stems from the fact that that player is a different player, depending on whom you ask. For the fans, there's probably a dozen favorite targets. The owners likely have a few players pegged. And the coaching staff and players have their own thoughts.
It's a tightrope walk to say the least. And the tightrope becomes thinner and thinner when you possess, as Riley does, the most electric backcourt in the NBA.
Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis are on every team's radar, and rightfully so. Few teams (San Antonio comes to mind) even come close to the explosiveness of the Warriors' dynamic duo.
So while owners and general managers debate which pieces to keep, perhaps the best thing for fans to do is just sit back and enjoy the talent level that the brass trots out for every game. And for Golden State fans, that should lead to plenty of excitement on any given night.
10. Potential Growth
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As good as these two players are, the scary thing for other NBA teams is the fact these two are just 25 (Ellis) and 22 (Curry) years old.
Stop and digest that fact for a moment. Already the league's most explosive backcourt, these two are just going to get better and better.
If both remain in Oakland after February 24, they'll remain in a comfortable situation for them to develop in. They have good relationships with the coaching staff and with each other.
Also, if the players remain in Oakland, that should signal that Riley and the owners are comfortable with the duo sharing the backcourt. Expect any subsequent changes (to the roster, coaching staff or offensive system) to revolve around improving this tandem.
9. Maturity Level of More Seasoned Veterans
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Can you imagine handing over the keys to your $450 million investment to a group of a dozen 20-somethings with gobs of money and distractions around every corner?
This leap of faith from new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber could have proved disastrous if they had acquired some of the Warriors' previous rosters.
Heck, this deal could have backfired even last year as the team's veteran star (Stephen Jackson) wanted out, the team's up-and-coming star Ellis had problems with the head coach, and highly-touted draft pick Stephen Curry was unsure of his place on the team.
But this summer proved one of maturation for the Warriors organization as a whole. The team finally had an ownership group ready to win at all cost, the team seemed to make nothing but smart deals (sure they overpaid Lee, but it's hard to bring in free agents today without overpaying) and, most importantly, Ellis reached out to Curry and the two believed they could win together.
Their play on the court has shown the benefit of this finally cordial relationship. Both players trust the other to initiate the offense, create for themselves and take the big shot.
Ellis' scoring numbers are virtually the same from last year (25.5 then to 25.8 now), but his All-Star claim comes from his willingness to find his moments in the offense. And the threat of Curry (whether scoring or creating for others) has forced defenses to play more man defense on Ellis than they'd like.
Warriors fans everywhere should thank Juanika Ellis (Monta's wife) for the tremendous impact that she's had on him both on and off the court. My guess is that Curry was the first one to thank her for the change she's helped to bring.
8. Potential Highlights
3 of 10For those of us fortunate enough to grow up in the ESPN era, while some of us may enjoy different sports, we all can say we enjoy one thing from our respective sports: Highlights.
For Warriors fans, those highlights can strike at any moment when either of the two is on the floor. The potential is even greater when they share the floor together.
Ask around for people's favorite Ellis or Curry play, and you're bound to hear 20-plus answers for each. (Personally, I can't decide on Ellis, but I'd definitely go with Curry's shake on Chris Andersen.)
Curry's subtle but very effective shakes are something that can be enjoyed by any NBA fan. And Ellis' attacking style of play, combined with his slight frame, invoke images of a younger Allen Iverson with his seeming disregard for his own well being.
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7. Quick Hands and All Their Benefits
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Much has been made of the deficiencies of Curry and Ellis on the defensive end of the floor. Granted, with both players under 6'4", they are going to have their problems containing today's 6'8" and up shooting guards.
But the basketball gods were aware of this inherited disadvantage, and blessed the players with some of the quickest hands in the league.
Both players rank in the top five in steals (2.2 and third place for Ellis; 1.9 and fifth place for Curry). Say what you want about the effectiveness of this stat (it does show a gambling nature on defense that often will get exposed) but it leads to transition opportunities and easy baskets for them and their teammates.
With coach Keith Smart understanding that this club's best chance of winning as currently constructed is to push the tempo, these steals become key baskets in close games.
6. Outside Shot to Complement Driving Ability
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Monta Ellis is a tough matchup when he's consistently attacking the basket.
Curry can be a nightmare when his three-point shot is falling.
But these players reach unstoppable levels when they score from all angles.
Ellis showed signs of a mid-range jumper seasons back, but that shot has become next to impossible to stop this season (just watch what he did in consecutive games against the Pacers and the Kings). He's even added a three-point shot (he's hit 37 percent of his 200 attempts) moving him into one of the game's elites on the offensive end.
And when Curry goes in to attack mode, he beats defenses in so many ways. His pull-up jumper is still developing, but when it's falling, the hoop becomes more of a black hole. And Curry has the ability to find his open teammates at any point in the drive, or finish at the rim himself, often while absorbing contact and converting and-one opportunities.
5. West Coast Offense
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More specifically, a Don Nelson office, even if Nelson is enjoying a cigar somewhere on Maui right about now.
Coach Smart tried—he really tried—to make this team more of a slow pace, half-court offense that performed at both ends of the floor. But Smart soon realized that this team is not built for that type of game; it just doesn't have the players (shot blockers and post scorers specifically) to succeed with that style.
So Smart did what any good basketball coach would do: he adapted to find the best option for his current roster. And possessing these two scoring machines, Smart opened up the offense and let these two score at will.
Curry has responded with two 30-point outings in two of his last four games and Ellis has entrenched himself into the battle to be the league's scoring champion (currently fourth with 25.8 points per game).
4. Handles
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They may not possess the crossover of a Derrick Rose or Deron Williams (but really, who else does?), but Ellis and Curry both have vastly underrated handles.
Curry and Ellis have been maligned this season for their problems with turnovers (2.89 and 3.33 respectively) but their turnovers come from ill-advised passes and the fact that both initiate the offense, but neither one is a natural point guard.
Ellis' first step and Curry's change of direction and subtle fakes are often all they need to create the distance they seek. And the fact that they know how to score after their ball handling gets them to the right spot is something that too many of this And 1 generation struggle with.
3. Ability to Interchange Roles
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The fact that this team still does not have a natural point guard on the team (sorry Acie Law) has been something of a blessing and a curse for this team.
The curse stems from the scoring droughts that this team suffers with, especially when matched up with the league's elite teams.
But it's also a blessing because of the abilities of these two players. The way that they are able to seamlessly interchange between facilitator and scorer is something that even basketball purists who hate run-and-gun basketball would appreciate.
Without the skill set of these two players, this offense would be in shambles and this would be another cellar-dwelling season for the Warriors.
2. Taking Over Games
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Look, every team in the NBA does not possess the talent level of a Los Angeles Lakers or a Miami Heat. In other words, teams don't typically possess multiple closers and many struggle to find just one.
But Curry and Ellis have both shown the ability to put their team on their shoulders and carry them to a victory. Enough has been said about the scoring and overall offensive punch about these two, but watching one of them (or both) display these abilities with the game on the line is often a thing of beauty.
Curry has shown the natural instinct to understand when his teammates are struggling and he needs to become more aggressive to compete in ball games. When Curry sees that green light and starts to take over, it's hard to fathom that this guy dropped all the way to seventh in last year's draft.
For Ellis, it's been more of a yellow light that has really allowed this ability to shine through. He no longer feels like he must be the go-to-scorer for the whole game, and this extra energy makes him that much tougher to guard down the stretch. He's simply a scorer, a closer, an All-Star, and potential MVP candidate if Riley can give him the tools to make a lengthy postseason run.
1. Bay Area's Hidden Secret
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With all of the great things about these players already discussed on this list, perhaps the most exciting thing is that the talent level feels uniquely shared to West Coast fans (i.e., the rest of the NBA does not yet realize how good these players are.)
If Monta Ellis does not make the All-Star game this year, he will get absolutely robbed. Although, he certainly would not be the first Warriors player to get snubbed from the game (many names come to mind, but Baron Davis most recently).
However, the scarier thing for Warriors fans than Ellis simply getting overlooked, is the possible fact that Ellis and Curry might follow a different, all-too-familiar route for rising Warriors stars: They might be shipped before the rest of the NBA (or even just the Bay Area for that matter) can see what they were actually capable of. Run TMC was shipped out too before reaching their prime; Chris Webber left after one season; even the 2007 squad that upset then top-seeded Dallas was dismantled over the course of two seasons.
So this duo is the most exciting backcourt in the NBA because they are the most talented, they belong to the Bay, they are appreciated by the Bay, and hopefully (thanks to new owners and a wiser front office) they will remain in the Bay and have the opportunity to show the casual NBA fans just how talented they can become.
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