Can Monta Ellis Have It All In The Playoffs?

By Adam McGee | Apr 2, 2015

Mar 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) walks onto the court during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks won 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s funny but ironman was never something that you would have come to associate with Monta Ellis. When you think of Ellis, you get flashbacks to all of the times his attitude has been questioned over the years. Or you think of his gunner style of play, always ready to either shoot a team back into or out of a game.

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They’re not really the type of traits you think of when we talk about the NBA’s hardiest and most durable players, yet up until a few days ago, that was exactly the mix that Monta Ellis found himself in.

Sure DeAndre Jordan may have played well more than 300 games since his last missed game, but Ellis’ mark of 237 was nothing to be sniffed at.

What does that mean? Well, of course, it doesn’t rule out the prospect of a guy dialling it in for many of those nights, but more often than not it shows something more about a player’s character.

The NBA is a physical environment, and as we know too well, injuries have become commonplace. Sure, for the guys who have been able to avoid them there’s a definite element of luck, but at the same time there’s a resilience that’s to be admired.

If we look at Ellis’ style of play, he loves to drive the ball towards the rim. As a guard, and a small one at that, you can’t tell me that that doesn’t lead to Monta receiving his fair share of knocks and bruises when he’s up competing with the trees in the paint. Yet, he’s been an ever-reliable, and that shows toughness.

Now what the Dallas Mavericks need is for Ellis to bring that spark with him, and bring that toughness into the post-season.

Sure, there’s been a championship and a Finals appearance in between, but in five of the last 10 years, the Dallas Mavericks have been subjected to first-round exits. With the team set to enter into this year’s postseason without home-court advantage, the odds are unfortunately stacked in the favor of that becoming reality again.

So how does Dallas combat that? They need to so with a combination of passion and cool heads. No matter what the standings might say, Dallas absolutely has the talent to make an impact in the Playoffs, just like they’ve a coach capable of plotting just that too.

If we look at Ellis again, he’s only appeared in the playoffs three times in his career. Twice he had colossal drop-offs in his production from the regular season to the playoffs, and on the other occasion, he seemed to change his game slightly.

That other occasion was last year as a Maverick, and at times it felt like Ellis went into some type of solo takeover mode. Sure he may have averaged more points than he did in the regular season, but he did so while shooting less efficiently and assisting much less.

Monta needs to treat the playoffs like just another game. If he plays his own way, bringing the toughness that saw him play in 273 straight games, and without forcing the issue more than usual, why can’t he be the impetus for a first-round upset or a surprise playoff run?

Sure, Monta Ellis can have it all, but with Rajon Rondo, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler around him, the last thing Dallas needs is for him to do it all.

Next: Dallas Mavericks: Looking Ahead To The Playoffs

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