Monta Ellis

After two productive "bounce back" seasons in Dallas, Ellis joins a Pacers squad in desperate need of his scoring and playmaking ability. Last year, Ellis finished his second season in Dallas leading the team in both scoring and assists with 18.9 points and 4.1 assists per game. He played in 80 regular season games and all five of Dallas' postseason contests. Now Ellis must prove he can continue his improved shooting and team-oriented approach without relying on Dallas' innovative offensive schemes. Ellis enters his 11th year in the NBA, joining a Pacers team stuck between rebuilding and going for it in the weak East. With the addition of Ellis and subtraction of David West and Roy Hibbert, the Pacers will clearly want to push the pace much more than they did last year. That will play to Ellis' strengths. In fact, there is a 50/50 chance that Ellis once again leads his team in scoring, depending on how he and returning star Paul George mesh. Either way, look for Ellis to continue to get plenty of scoring opportunities during the 2015-16 season.

Monta Ellis returns for his second season with the Mavericks and his 11th in the league. During his first year in Dallas, Ellis averaged 19.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 37 minutes per game. Ellis played in all 82 games and surprised his critics by considerably improving his shooting numbers. After shooting 42 percent on 17.5 attempts per game during the 2012-13 season, he improved that number to 45 percent from the field on 15.6 attempts per game last season. He also saw a bump in his free-throw percentage (79 percent) with an increase in attempts (5.2 per game). Playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki allowed Ellis to attack the basket, and he finished the season with more drives to the basket than any other player. His high turnover rate (3.2 per game) remains a glaring weakness, and unfortunately, that number could go up with Jose Calderon now playing in New York. However, opportunities to get to the rim will still exist with Nowitzki and new teammates Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler joining in on the attack. Dallas' offense was one of the league's best last season, and Ellis will look to remain the motor that keeps it running.

While he didn't necessarily see a dramatic decline in his counting statistics in 2012-13, Ellis' first full season with the Bucks nonetheless qualified as a disappointment, largely as a result of his atrocious shooting percentages. His 42 percent overall mark was bad enough, but it was his 29 percent clip from three-point range on 4.0 attempts per game that really undermined his utility. Ellis ended up declining an offer from the Bucks in the offseason that would have paid him a reported $36 million over three years, ultimately signing with the Mavericks for $11 million less. He'll be plugged in at shooting guard for the Mavericks and will be asked to fill the minutes vacated by O.J. Mayo while assuming a top scoring role on the perimeter in the process. Ellis can likely be counted on to more or less maintain his production across most categories, but his horrendous percentages knock him down a peg when compared to the upper-tier players at his position. If he can show more discipline in cutting out the threes in his game while embracing what he does best (using his prolific agility to take defenders off the dribble and get to the rim), Ellis could regain some prominence in the fantasy game.

Ellis was traded to Milwaukee mid-season, and despite moving from the West Coast to the Midwest, his on-court situation was fairly linear. He moved from playing an undersized shooting guard with one young, three-point shooting point guard in Golden State (Stephen Curry) to another in Milwaukee (Brandon Jennings). As such, Ellis’ numbers in 21 games with Milwaukee were virtually identical to his previous 37 games with Golden State last season. With Jennings healthy (as compared to the oft-injured Curry missing games), Ellis did give way in his scoring a little, and having the ball out of his hands more helped reduce his turnovers. His points per game fell from 21.9 to 17.6 following the trade, though some of that decline can be attributed to adjusting to a new system, teammates, and role. He found his place in April, notching three 30-point games and shooting 46.2 percent from the field during the month. A more positive trend was Ellis’ improved turnover rate, as the less frenetic pace of the Bucks’ offense helped him drop his turnovers from 3.3 per game with the Warriors to 2.6 with the Bucks. The improvement gave Ellis to the best assist-to-turnover ratio of his career (1.95). With a full offseason to get acclimated to his team, Ellis could reasonably be expected to reclaim his status as a 20-point scorer given the underwhelming wing and frontcourt scoring options on the roster. His productivity in points, assists, and steals, and his improving turnover rate, should see him remain a top-tier shooting guard this season.

Ellis has put up comparable stats to some of the league’s most highly-touted shooting guards the last two seasons, but the Warriors’ struggles, and his propensity for turning the ball over, have kept him a tier below the top guys like Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Experts thought the presence and growth of second-year guard Stephen Curry was going to hurt Ellis’ value last season, but it turned out to be Curry who took a back seat to Ellis in coach Keith Smart’s offense. The Warriors hired Mark Jackson to be their new head coach, a move that will likely change the dynamic in the Warriors’ backcourt some. While Jackson has stated an eagerness to coach both Ellis and Curry, it’s Curry who is widely considered to be the future of Golden State. As such, it may be just a matter of time before Ellis is traded or used in a reduced role. That said, Ellis’ talent for putting up gaudy stats in both offensive and defensive categories will keep him well worth his draft position this year. He’ll be just 26 years old entering this season, leaving open the potential for him to improve even further on his already impressive numbers.

During the 2009-10 season, the average NBA team recorded about 93 possessions over the course of a regulation game. As for the Warriors? They averaged just over 100 per game, a full three more than the second-fastest Pacers and over five more than the notoriously pacey Suns and Knicks. Obviously, Golden State's running ways help any player who can find the floor, but the players bound to be most benefited are those who use the majority of those possessions. Other than Stephen Curry, who broke out during his rookie season last year, the most active player for Golden Stae is Ellis. After missing most of the 2008-09 season due to a moped-related ankle injury, Ellis played up to his potential last season, producing like a first-round player on a per-game basis. Besides his conspicuous scoring abilities (25.5 points per game), Ellis was actually most valuable in the steals category, where he finished second only to Rajon Rondo with 2.2 per game. Interestingly, teammate Curry also finished among the league leaders in this category, suggesting that – in addition to the sheer number of minutes played by both – ball-hawking might be a team-mandated priority. As for drawbacks, they're twofold for Ellis. First, there's the issue of durability. Ellis missed 18 more games last season, which does little to inspire confidence in his ability to top the 70-game threshold anytime soon. Second, for those owners in 9-cat leagues, there's Ellis's turnover numbers (3.8 per game), which drop him from second-round territory down to the fourth or fifth.

Ellis missed the majority of last season with a torn ligament in his left ankle that he suffered during the offseason in a low-speed moped accident. He underwent successful surgery shortly thereafter and went on to return in late-January to play 25 games. Ellis was electric during that 25-game stretch, putting up averages of 23.5 points, 4.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 14 games after the All-Star break. He went on to suffer another major setback in April though, when he took a shot to his surgically-repaired ankle that resulted in a bone bruise and inflammation. He sat out the final seven games of the season to rest the ankle and prepare for this upcoming season. While it was encouraging to see Ellis return to being the dominant player that he was in 2007-08, his ankle injury is worrisome and makes him a risky proposition moving forward. The per-game potential is there, but there’s really no telling how long he will be able to stay healthy and on the court. His game is built on the explosiveness and lateral movement that is generated from his lower body, his legs and feet in particular, so this is something to keep a close eye on during training camp.

In mid-August, our biggest concern about Ellis was how he would handle the transition from scoring guard to point guard. Now, all we can do is wonder about the torn ligament in his left ankle – and the subsequent reports he hurt the ankle performing prohibited non-basketball activity. If the reports are true, the Warriors are within their rights to void Ellis’ six-year deal he signed in the offseason. Golden State probably wouldn’t go that far, but a fine is a possibility. Prior to the injury, which is expected to keep him out of action until early December, Ellis was one of the most exciting young players in the league with great explosion to the basket. He still needs to develop his point-guard skills, but that growth will be stunted by this setback. And it might be for the best because Ellis is such a good scorer from the two-guard slot, even if his 3-point shooting needs work. Ellis’ speed makes him an ideal fit for coach Don Nelson’s wide-open attack, but the injury will limit him to 50-55 games.

The draft-night trade of Jason Richardson officially made the Warriors’ Monta Ellis’ team. Probably the biggest surprise of the 2006-07 season, Ellis set new career-highs in just about every category even though he spent a good portion of the year in a time-share with Jason Richardson or playing out-of-position at the point. He has the quickness and handle to get to the rim more or less at will, and a jumper that keeps defenses honest and creates space for him to drive. His experience running the point will help create assist opportunities, and he’ll even grab a board or two. With a clearer role this season, look for another set of career highs to be established.

With Baron Davis injured last year, Ellis got a chance to play major minutes at the end of the season and showed flashes of why the Warriors drafted him straight out of high school last year. He averaged 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 11 games in April. Ellis should inherit the backup point guard job now that Derek Fisher is in Utah and could be worth keeping an eye on, especially if Baron Davis gets hurt.

Ellis put up insane numbers last year in high school averaging 38.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. Of course, making the jump to the pros is no easy feat and this high schooler will most likely marinate on the Warriors bench this year as he learns the pro game. At 6'3, he lacks the size and strength to play the conventional two guard in the NBA and doesn't possess the ball handling skills to play the point. His athleticism and upside are unquestioned but it's unlikely he will get a lot of playing time this season.