Can Monta Ellis be the Robin to A Superstar's Batman?

Batman and......... Ellis?

In the right situation, Monta Ellis could be a valuable side kick to one of the superstars in this current free agent class....

Is Monta Ellis truely a superstar, as the GS Warriors seem to believe, or is he in fact better suited to play along side a current superstar in a supporting role?

Short answer: Its possible. Long answer: It could work if a team was built to cover Monta's weaknesses.

The case for Monta as a second tier superstar.

Ellis can flat out score. Anytime. Anywhere. He cannot be stoped driving to the basket and when his mid range jumper is connecting he can routinely drop 30 points each night.

There were concerns post ankle surgery thatEellis would loose his explosiveness. However, not only did he return with the same explosiveness that awarded him his generous 5 year contract, but he also showed off a supremely effective mid-range game.

The knocks on Ellis are his size, defense and handles. These critiques are somewhat warranted but they are also magnified by playing on an uptempo team that does not emphasize defense the defensive end of the floor.

Contrary to popular belief, Ellis can D up when motivated. There were stretches during last season were Monta locked up bigger, stronger stars such as Brandon Roy and Danny Granger. Additionally, many have forgotten that Ellis was a key defensive component during the "We Believe" playoff run of 2007. He is excellent at jump starting a fastbreak by playing the passing lanes, and has been one of the leaders in steals each of his 5 years int he NBA.

Ellis' handles have been bashed ad-nauseum by the bay area media, but while playing on good teams in 2007 and 2008, Ellis had respectable assist to turnover ratios. No one in the league carried more responsibility with the ball than Ellis last year, who frequently played 48 minutes a game and was counted on to both score and distribute the ball. As evidenced by his time running alongside Baron Davis, Ellis is most effective finishing fast breaks from the wing and attacking from scoring positons set up by a point guard.

...out of time... more on this topic coming soon!