Monta Ellis could be the first casualty of the Jerry West experiment inside the Golden State Warriors, reports Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. In a column, Kawakami makes the case that West, the legendary player and general manager who built a number of NBA Championship teams in Los Angeles and recently joined the Warriors front office, will look to trade Ellis for some frontcourt help.
Monta Ellis Trade Reportedly Sought By New Warriors Exec Jerry West
Kawakami says that West has hinted at needing to break up the Ellis-Stephen Curry backcourt to develop a more balanced team. Here’s a recent set of West quotes Kawakami cites:
"I love to watch them play," West said of the Ellis-Curry combo. "They're so much fun to watch play. But at the end of the day, you want to win.
"Monta Ellis, a fierce competitor. He competes his fanny off every night. Love to watch him play. But to me, size helps. Size helps."
The Warriors have David Lee, Andris Biedrins and young Ekpe Udoh up front. Lee was the first high-dollar acquisition of the Joe Lacob era, but saw his numbers slip in his first season away from the New York Knicks. Udoh was limited by injury until midway through the season, but showed defensive promise in February and March. Biedrins has been a massive disappointment since signing a $60 million contract extension three years ago.
For more on the Warriors, visit Golden State Of Mind and SB Nation Bay Area.
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