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6th November, 2008 - 10:57 am
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Weekend Scoop: Okafor's Production, Wizards' Offense Woes & More
Looking at Jay Wright's potential as another NCAA to NBA coach, the Wizards awful offense of late, the Western Conference's influence on Okafor's production, the worst case scenario for the Blue Jays, Peyton's endorsement of Tebow for the Colts and more.
PLAYER RANKINGS: NBA Rookie Review – Version 2.0
After a strong run by Brandon Jennings in the first month of the season, Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry as the clear leaders to take home the hardware.
TEAM RANKINGS: NBA Team Rankings For Early March
While the Cavaliers are an immovable force at the top of our rankings, the Jazz are now ranked second ahead of the Celtics, Magic and Lakers.
STANDING 10: The Best 90 NBA Jam Nominees
In what will be (and already is) a hotly-debated topic on basketball and video game sites and forums, let's go through each of the NBA's 30 teams and "suggest" who should be featured in what will be one of the most anticipated games of the year.
MOCK DRAFT: 2009 NBA Mock Draft, Version 11.0 (Draft Day Edition)
How will the 2009 NBA Draft shake out? We're only hours away from finding out.
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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by Buster Gunning
Monta Ellis is still at least a full month away from his return to the court for the Warriors, but he recently called RealGM with an interesting proposition.
He's ready to finally tell the story of exactly what happened on that fateful summer afternoon when he crashed a moped, effectively ruining the 2008-09 season for Golden State.
"You know, I think it's time I came clean with exactly what happened when I got hurt," Ellis told RealGM's Buster Gunning. "We all know it was a mistake for me to put myself in a situation to severely injure myself, but I wasn't alone in making that mistake."
Holding back tears, Ellis slowly, but confidently recounted the events that took place when he set his season back several months.
"The injury itself actually took place well before many people think," Ellis started. "It was a few days before free agency kicked off in July, and I had plans with a few friends to rent mopeds and cruise around to blow off some steam. I think you know who my friends are."
Ellis, probably reconsidering what he was about to do, almost hung up on Gunning before thinking better of it.
"I feel like Jose Canseco," he began, "but it's time everyone knows the truth. I wasn't the only player, let alone member of the Warriors, that used poor judgment that afternoon. It just so happened that I was the only one that injured myself."
He then painted a rather vivid picture of exactly what took place.
"I woke up around noon and called Baron and Elton," Ellis said. "Yes, that Baron [Davis] and Elton [Brand]. You see, the plan was for Baron to re-sign and Elton to join the two of us in Golden State. We were going to be the West Coast version of Boston's 'Big Three'...only better."
However, when the injury occurred, Baron and Elton apparently reconsidered their surprise plans.
"I knew the injury was going to effect my season, but I never imagined that Davis and Brand would completely abandon the plans," Ellis admitted. "But after the incident ... I guess they got scared. They probably knew I'd get suspended or fined when the news broke that I had hurt myself riding a moped, and didn't want to get penalized themselves."
Could it be, that a simple moped accident – something that happens thousands of times every year in the United States – altered the entire course of the next few seasons in Oakland?
"I couldn't believe it a few days later when I heard on RealGM that Baron was bolting to the Clippers and Elton was signing with the Sixers," Ellis continued. "I was depressed, really, because I was still trying to hide my injury from the press. One of my buddies is in medical school, but I'm pretty sure he has no idea how to treat an injury as severe as mine."
Now, roughly four months after the accident, the Warriors are without Baron, Elton and Monta as they stumble out of the gates of the new NBA season.
"I really do hope that the guys can tread water before I return to the floor," Ellis said of his Golden State teammates. "Assuming my ankle is 100%, and that's no guarantee, I'm going to be a force in the second half."
But what about Golden State's struggles at point guard and lack of a viable big man alongside Andris Biedrins?
"I wish Baron and Elton the best of luck, but the karma police will take care of their transgressions," he added. "They shouldn't have gone back on the deal we had. Our dominant season might have started a little later because of my ankle, but we could have done damage this spring."
"Karma is already working it's magic," Ellis smiled. "Baron has dinged up his finger and hip, and there's no way Elton is getting out of the Eastern Conference with the Celtics and Pistons around."
Do you blame Baron and Elton for leaving Monta behind?: Buster.Gunning@RealGM.com
The preceding article was a piece of satirical fiction. |
