*** Official 2007-08 Golden State Warriors Thread ***

[AllinDan]

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Based on what?

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I haven't watched K-mart as much as Monta, and I'm obviously biased and a die hard Warriors fan, but this is why:

Kevin Martin: born 2/1/1983
Monta Ellis: born 10/26/1985

also, here's an awesome feature from 1.5 years ago about Monta:



LINK

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. . .Reaching the top would deliver Ellis from Jackson. He grew up in a section of town considered gang turf, living in his grandparents' house with his mother, Rosa, and his two brothers. Drug peddlers plied their trade in the open; gunplay interrupted the drone of cicadas. As a youngster, wary of walking alone to a nearby basketball court, Monta built a makeshift hoop by nailing a milk crate to a light post in front of the house. He would shoot baskets into the evening, finally quitting when his mother ordered him to bed.

In later years, Antwain brought his younger brother along to pickup games, where Monta learned that even big kids stop talking smack when you blow past them. He revered Antwain, a member of Lanier's 1999 state title team, whose 6-foot-8 frame and shooting touch stirred talk of a possible pro career, until a teammate's murder derailed his ambition.

The teenager, a close friend of Antwain's, died over a $30 dope deal, an incident that pushed Antwain into chronic depression. His NBA aspirations long since faded, he lives with his mother and her husband in Jackson, "not doing much of anything," Rosa says.

His brother's unraveling "opened my eyes to how much you can lose," Monta Ellis says, while giving him tunnel vision to pursue his own hoop dreams. He devoted himself to working with Billups, the uncle of Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups. Beyond refining Ellis' shooting form and teaching him to read the entire court, the coach instilled in the high-schooler a passion for defense, a rare trait among young players. Billups also provided reassurance when one senior questioned the decision to hand the team's reins to a freshman.

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[kidcolin]

meh.. the age thing is nice and all, I'll believe it when Ellis is actually the next Billups. So far Martin is really the guy putting insane amounts of work into his game. Each year he's got something new, and his improvement from an unknown scrub out of Western Carolina to a bonafide stud 3 years later has been startling.

Didn't know Ellis was out of Jackson. I spent a week there 4 years ago. Place is messed up. Whole sections of the city were dilapidated and seemingly abandoned. And totally segregated of course.

[kidcolin]

Jesus man..

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I think Monta will be better than Michael Redd, though obviously a different type of player and probably a worse rebounder. (And 6'3 instead of 6'6)

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All I can say is prepared to be disappointed. I was actually thinking it'd be awesome if Martin reaches Redd's level (who is currently peaking). I'll poop my pants if Monta ever has that kind of impact.

[BobboFitos]

YES CAPTAIN JACK !!!! ANYONE ELSE WATCHING THIS? TWO [censored] HUGE 3s IN A ROW

[AllinDan]

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Jesus man..

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I think Monta will be better than Michael Redd, though obviously a different type of player and probably a worse rebounder. (And 6'3 instead of 6'6)

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All I can say is prepared to be disappointed. I was actually thinking it'd be awesome if Martin reaches Redd's level (who is currently peaking). I'll poop my pants if Monta ever has that kind of impact.

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Eh, I think I have a lower opinion on Redd than you do. He's a great shooter with range, and a great ft shooter, but not all that great on the boards or on D. Martin is already at his level and Monta will be. They may not be scoring 26/game, but Martin certainly would be given 19 shots/game, and Monta will get there, and will do more on D and create more for his teammates.

[kidcolin]

dan,

Not counting this season, I'm largely with you on Redd. I think Martin now is about the same as the Redd of the past couple of years, or darn close at least. Granted it's a small sample size, but Redd is taking it to a new level so far. Grabbing 6 boards and dishing out 4 dimes. I guess he's in a lot better shape this season and has committed to being more well rounded. I guess we'll see in April.