DALLAS — The reeducation of Monta Ellis began in August, in a Houston gym, where he was confronted with a sobering portrait, a detailed profile of every glitch in his game and every perceived flaw in his character.
Over eight NBA seasons, Ellis had assumed the aura of a prototypical gunner—his shot count high, his accuracy low, his judgment questionable, his conscience undetectable. Selfish. A bad teammate.
That was how fans had come to view Ellis, and that was the stinging image painted by Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle last summer, shortly after Ellis signed a three-year, $25 million free-agent contract.
"He gave me a rundown of what was said about me," Ellis said in an interview with Bleacher Report last week. "Me being all about offense. Didn't want to practice. Really wasn't a vocal leader. Didn't want to buy into systems."
There was more.
"And then," Ellis said, "he told me what he sees for me with this team."
A partnership with Dirk Nowitzki. A devastating two-man game. Open lanes to attack the basket. A cast of savvy veterans: Vince Carter, Sha ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Howard Beck
The Evolution of Monta Ellis: Mercurial Former "Chucker" Is Thriving in Dallas
December 24th, 2013 by Howard Beck Leave a reply »
Advertisement