L.A. Lakers: Why Kobe Bryant Plus Monta Ellis Equals a Bad Idea

On paper the rumored trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors that would bring guard Monta Ellis to Hollywood looks great from a Lakers fan perspective, but is Ellis really the type of player that the Lakers need?

There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Ellis and the possibility that he might be traded and the latest deals with a rumored rift between Ellis and Warriors power forward David Lee.

CBSsports.com reported today that Ellis and Lee have never really gotten along since Lee was acquired from the New York Knicks, which doesn't look so good for Ellis since Lee and Warriors owner Joe Lacob supposedly have established a strong player/owner bond.

There does seem to be some truth behind the rumors since former Lakers great Jerry West accepted a position within the Warriors organization, and Golden State recently hired former NBA all-star point guard Mark Jackson to be their next coach.

Jackson is reportedly very fond of point guard Stephen Curry and is looking to build his new offensive attack behind Curry's substantial scoring ability, which would seem to make Ellis the odd Warrior out.

But that doesn't mean that the Lakers should be in such a hurry to throw their bid into the fray for Ellis' services if he does become available.

I am well aware that many Lakers fans are held in a trance at the thought of a backcourt that features Ellis and Lakers star Kobe Bryant, but those same fans should also consider the perils that could manifest in that union.

For one, has anyone considered the fact that both Ellis and Bryant play the same position?

Ellis has been called on to play the point guard position at times for the Warriors and he has filled in admirably when Curry has missed time due to injury, but it doesn't change the fact that he needs to dominate the ball in order to be effective.

And the five or six assists per game that Ellis averages can't hide the truth of his talent.

Ellis is a scorer by heart, word, thought and deed and that could present some challenges when paired with one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history.

And for those of you thinking that Ellis would change his nature for the opportunity to play with one of the most successful NBA franchises of all time have not been paying that much attention to his career.

Ellis' clashes with authority are almost as famous as his feathery jump shot, and if you travel back to the days of his infamous moped accident and go forward, one would have to detect a pattern.

If you can't remember Ellis crashed his moped and injured himself shortly after signing a huge contract extension with the Warriors, which caused him to miss some significant time on the court, and then he berated Warriors management for not paying enough attention to his needs.

Next came the incident where Ellis publicly questioned the Warriors decision to draft Curry, and declared a backcourt featuring Curry and himself was destined to fail.

I guess Ellis can be forgiven for those transgressions, but what about the other incidents such as his sulking on the bench during a national telecast against the Boston Celtics and refusing to support his teammates when they went on a run to eventually seal the win?

And now there are the latest rumors about Ellis' dislike of Lee, and my question is if Ellis can find so many reasons to be disgruntled on a team where he is clearly the alpha male, what happens when he is forced to play second fiddle to Bryant?

Ellis has shown nothing in his career which suggests that he has the maturity to play in a highly structured system, and with the Lakers breaking in a new coach in Mike Brown, a move to acquire him could potentially end in disaster.

Not to mention the Lakers would likely have to part with a player like forward Lamar Odom just to acquire Ellis, and although his scoring ability is very impressive I would choose Odom's versatility every time.

I do agree that the Lakers desperately need help in their backcourt, but they need very specific help, and in this instance Ellis doesn't fit the bill.

A true point guard who has the ability to score but would rather pass is what the Lakers really need, and someone should tell Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak that unless Curry is available he will not find that player in the Bay Area.