Le Basketbawl

So you thought that after the Golden State Warriors were able to unload a member of the “NBA TOP TEN PUD LIST” forward Stephen Jackson to the Charlotte Bobcats every thing was going to be all “Nicey-Nice” and calm for the rest of the season, right? Well that does not look like it is going to be the case according to the “San Jose Mercury News.” The Bay Area newspaper is reporting that it looks like another member of the team could be heading out the door sooner than later. According to the reports the Warriors at the request of head coach Don Nelson have been making calls in order to try to trade guard Monta Ellis.

Ellis of course was the center of controversy in the Summer of 2008 when after signing a contract extension with the team worth a reported six years and $66 million he was injured in a moped accident. He had originally claimed that he hurt himself in a pick-up game in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Suspicion surfaced that Ellis may have hurt himself in a non-basketball incident not long after he was hurt. The bruises and scrapes on his leg were not consistent with an accident that occurred on the hardwood.

Ellis underwent surgery after tearing a deltoid ligament and suffering a severe sprain of the left ankle. The accident set up a really Bad Frickin situation within the Warriors organization with Team Owner Chris Cohan and Team President Robert Rowell on one side and General Manager Chris Mullin and head coach Don Nelson on the other. Rowell acting on Cohan’s wishes suspended Ellis 30 games without pay last October.

Mullin and Nelson were of the mind-set that the suspension may have alienated a player that they were looking at as a core piece for the next six years. Cohan’s thoughts were that Ellis should have realized that he was committing a Frickin stupid act  before he violated his contract. The subsequent lying about the incident, only hardened the Team Owner’s decision that Ellis must be punished. Mullin left the Warriors at the conclusion of last season.

Things have only gotten more strained according to reports between the guard and the team. Apparently a pretty deep Frickin rift has developed between Ellis and his coach. Ellis feels that Nelson has embarrassed him in front of reporters and relations are strained. The team has a meeting scheduled for Thursday with Ellis; the last player they had a meeting with was Jackson during the preseason.

They say there are three sides to every story; Your Side, My Side and the Truth. New York Vinnie is not in the Golden State locker room and does not know how well Nelson and Ellis get along. But it does look like Ellis may be seeing his final days as a member of the Warriors. Career wise it may be the best thing that could happen for him.