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Monta Ellis: A Look Back On His Time In Dallas

By Cole Mentzel

Mar 13, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) brings the ball up court during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) brings the ball up court during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Monta Ellis will opt out of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks and become a free agent this summer. It was already known that he would not be back with Dallas because reports came out that said the Mavs would have looked to trade him if he opted in. Teams such as the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks are expected to be in the running for Ellis this summer.

Ellis signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Mavericks back in the summer of 2013. He was left on the free agent market for longer than normal because many teams were uncertain of his ability to contribute after a mediocre season in Milwaukee with the Bucks.

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After missing out on Dwight Howard, the Mavs were moving fast to try to find another big name who could help Dirk Nowitzki out. At that point, Jose Calderon was the only new starter that had been signed and the Mavs still needed a shooting guard and center so they were basically looking for the best options on the market.

In his first regular season game in Dallas, Ellis scored 32 points and he never let up from that point forward. He immediately formed some chemistry with Dirk Nowitzki and that showed up in a November game against the Houston Rockets. Ellis and Nowitzki combined for 72 points in a huge come-from-behind victory over a Rockets team that was not liked in Dallas.

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From that moment on, fans went all in for Ellis. It was obvious that he was forming a bond with the Mavs fan base and he had the opportunity to changed how other teams viewed him. He solidified his place in Dallas when he hit a game-winner in Portland as time expired. People were starting to see how valuable he was going to be in the system in Dallas.

Ellis ended the regular season averaging 19.0 points and 5.7 assists per game and the Mavs faced a tough test in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs, a team wanting to make it back to the Finals. That didn’t stop him from going all out in the first round.

He played one of the most incredible series that I had seen from a Mavs player not named Dirk Nowitzki. Ellis scored 29 points in Games 3 and 6, both Mavs wins, and went on offensive onslaughts in the final minutes to will the Mavericks to victory.

Though the Mavs eventually fell to San Antonio in seven games, Ellis played insane basketball throughout the whole series and helped the Mavs stay competitive.

Coming into the 2014-15 season, Ellis was going to be in a different situation. The Mavs had signed Chandler Parsons, which created more offense–meaning Ellis wouldn’t be the only one supporting Dirk. With a much deeper lineup, the Mavs and Ellis, were expected to be much more balanced.

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    • Through the first few months of the season, Ellis had some vintage performances including a 38-point thriller against the Bulls, another 38-point game against the Spurs and a game-winner against his old team in Milwaukee. He was even being considered a potential All-Star but the depth of the Western Conference prohibited him from making the team.

    Things changed in late December. After the Mavs traded for Rajon Rondo, he was never the same. Though Ellis had some of his normal high-scoring games, he seemed limited playing in the backcourt with Rondo. His scoring totals went down a few points and there were nights where he really struggled to get some rhythm going.

    Eventually, Rondo and the Mavs separated after Game 2 of their playoff series against the Rockets and Ellis opened back up again scoring 34, 31 and 25 in the last three games before elimination. After that, of course, he headed into an offseason of uncertainty in which he ultimately opted out of his deal.

    So what can the Mavs take from Ellis’ time in Dallas? One thing is for sure. Whether he was in a scoring mood or an assisting mood, he always helped the team and, in some cases, kept them afloat in the Western Conference. It will be difficult for the Mavs to find a replacement for such a unique player since his speed, ability to finish and clutch plays were truly unmatched.

    If there’s one thing Mavs fans won’t forget about Monta Ellis, it’s this: he truly did have it all.

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