Amid a triumphant night for the Golden State Warriors, the spotlight shifted to Monta Ellis during a revealing episode of the Dubs Talk podcast. Ellis revisited a fateful episode in his career, a time frozen for an instant—14 years ago. The article looks at this turbulent period, Ellis’ departure, and the rise of Curry-Thompson. With the benefit of hindsight, Ellis today views the franchise’s transformative choices with wisdom and regards his stint with the Warriors as a necessary part of basketball history in the Bay Area.

Rejecting Ellis-Curry duo amid tactical challenges

In 2009, as the Warriors navigated through challenging times, the idea of pairing Monta Ellis and rookie Stephen Curry in the backcourt stirred both excitement and skepticism. Ellis, bluntly declared, “I can’t.”Just can’t.” Those three words reverberated through the league, leaving fans and critics questioning his apparent resistance to joining forces with the emerging star.

Recalling that statement, Ellis doesn’t budge in his thinking. According to NBA Sports Bay area, at the time, he reasoned that the Western Conference was a tough competition, and with two guards of his size in the backcourt, it would be a tactical handicap. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 180 pounds, Ellis expressed concern about the physical mismatches against men like Kobe Bryant, Manu Ginobili, and Baron Davis.

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The situation was further complicated by ownership’s insistence on the Ellis-Curry backcourt duo, which came about from a desire to please fans. The team’s play deteriorated, and the Warriors spent Curry’s first few years with a dismal record. Decisions by then-owner Chris Cohan and team president Bob Rowell, such as the tearing apart of the lovable “We Believe” team, consolidated Ellis’s frustration.

From frustration to wisdom in Warriors’ evolution

In 2008, he was suspended by the franchise for 30 days without salary after breaching contractual clauses. The front never delivered the promised changes and improvements, further increasing Ellis’ sense of emptiness. The Warriors added another small guard to the mix when they selected Stephen Curry in the draft. It was at this point that Ellis couldn’t hide his rage. His disapproval, from a political and personal standpoint, also displayed the chaos in the organization. It wasn’t all about Curry. The failure to keep previous commitments provided an element of betrayal in the entire affair, and Golden State made major adjustments both inside its organization and around its margins before his exit.

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Curry and Ellis played for two seasons before Ellis transferred to Bucks. Once traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2012, Ellis paved the way for the pairing of prolific scorers Curry and Thompson.

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Monta Ellis looks back on those turbulent times in a thoughtful way and says that the decisions the franchise had to make for its transformation were understandable. This is a thread of fate, while the past is made up of unchangeable events. But Ellis’ life with the Warriors remains an important section of the book and history record of Bay Area basketball, full of lessons and challenges that led to a new dynasty for Golden State.