Before Stephen Curry made the Golden State Warriors point guard position his own in 2009, the franchise had Monta Ellis handling the duties. He was the team’s best player from his third season in 2007-08 until he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in February 2012. Ellis wasn’t just blessed with scoring ability but also had incredible self-belief, which he rather boastfully showcased in an interview in 2012, comparing himself to Dwyane Wade.
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Ellis had claimed he was as good as the Miami Heat icon, who had just won his second championship at the time. He believed there was little difference between the two outside of playoff success. The then-Bucks guard said:
“To be honest, I would put myself in the same category as D-Wade. I mean, at the end of the day, the only thing that he has that I don’t have is more wins and two championships. That’s it. As far as playing at the same level? Competing every night? Both ends? Shooting inside and outside? Fast break? Transition? Monta Ellis have it all.”
As far as playing styles go, Ellis and Wade were comparable. Both could score from anywhere on the court, were terrific ball-handlers, and could singlehandedly lead their teams to victory. However, the gap in the level they operated at was too wide.
Wade was streets ahead of Ellis
Ellis had a respectable eight-year stretch from 2007 to 2015, where he was, at worst, the second option on his team. In that span, he averaged 20.8 points on 45.3% shooting from the field, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.8 steals.
As good as those numbers are, they pale in comparison to Wade’s impact. From his second season in the league to his 11th, the Heat superstar averaged 25.1 points on 49.4% shooting, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. Wade also earned 10 All-Star nods and was in the MVP race nine times during the period. In his stellar career, Wade made it to 13 All-Star rosters. He wasn’t only a better player, but also a superior playoff performer.
Ellis made it past the first round of the playoffs in his rookie year with the Warriors. He never advanced that far again.
Wade, meanwhile, led the Heat to their maiden championship in his third season in the league, and was named the Finals MVP. He played a pivotal role in two more title wins in 2012 and 2013 and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest shooting guards in history.
Ellis was a terrific player, who could have had a much better career had he not bounced around with teams that weren’t equipped to win the championship. He was, with all due respect, a budget version of Wade.
