Robin Miller
09-01-2008, 02:18 PM
What caused Ellis' injury? The fallout from the fall
Posted by Tim Kawakami on August 30th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Big-time info from MT-2 last night: The Warriors have initiated an
investigation into the cause of Monta Ellis' severe ankle injury because,
sources tell MT-2, the Warriors aren't quite sure they believe Monta's
blurry explanation that he hurt it playing pick-up basketball in
Mississippi.
That's fascinating. That's potentially explosive.
Who knows precisely what the team will find. Really, unless they can dig up
eyewitnesses who dispute/disprove Ellis' story or Ellis' version falls apart
of its own volition, you almost have to go with Ellis' version.
As MT-2 suggests, it's also probably likely the the Warriors find out Ellis
was telling the truth or something similar to the truth or that he actually
hurt it in a non-egregious way.
But the very idea that the Warriors are considering or have already launched
an investigation tells us a few things:
(-ADDED POINT, which I implied when I wrote this but should've officially
included.
(* The Warriors must know or strongly suspect that there is something very
fishy about Ellis' explanation. You don't just barrell down this
course-basically, trying to see if your most important player is a liar and
possibly should be penalized-without SOME suspicions.
(Right there, that's could warp Monta and the Warriors' relationship prett
seriously-BOTH ways-and right there, that's a clue that this is an important
moment for the future of the franchise.)
* They must know this is a very serious injury with effects far more lasting
than the loosely announced "three-plus months."
You don't even contemplate an investigation that may prove your best player
lied unless there are major issues involved and there is major time about to
be missed.
If Ellis' ankle would probably keep him out for just a month or two of the
season: No investigation,
trust Ellis, move on towards recuperation and a return by December.
But by moving to look into the cause of the injury, I think the Warriors are
signalling that bigger things must take place and that Ellis is not likely
to return until February or March.
If he's lying about the causes of a five- or six-month injury, then the
Warriors probably ought to investigate. They're the ones who paid him $66M
and they're the ones who just lived through the Baron Davis
situation-letting one player dictate his own regimen, his own health status,
his own whole agenda.
* Picking up on that point: The Warriors don't want Ellis to start this new
deal thinking he's the New Baron with Baron Control Issues and Baron's
ability to do whatever the hell he wants to his body.
This is self-explanatory. But do you think New Orleans would've liked to
investigate Baron's recovery process just before the Hornets traded him-and
he was sitting out-to the Warriors?
Ellis is young. He's impressionable. He watched Baron own this team for
several seasons. Sometimes it worked fo rthe Warriors, sometimes it didn't.
Now Ellis has gotten hurt in a mysterious way and if the Warriors don't do
anything about their suspicions, this is BD all over again.
* I think the biggest unspoken possibility here is that there was a slight
tear or possible sprain of Monta's ankle that existed before he signed the
deal. and it wasn't revealed to the Warriors.
I asked Chris Mullin that specific question and he said no, Monta seemed
fine the last time he saw him, which was the night before the draft.
Well, that's not quite a definitive answer. I presume Ellis took a physical
before the contract was made valid, but. you never know with ankles.
* As MT-2 said, I'll bet the Warriors don't find any smoking gun-maybe a lot
of unsettling circumstantial evidence, but not enough to do anything-and
Ellis' contract remains untouched. He remains unsuspended and unrebuked.
He goes through this, he comes back in February or whenever, and life goes
on. He remains ultra-rich.
Yet. Ellis could get mad about this. Ellis could get VERY mad at this
action. It's interesting that the Warriors would do this. knowing Ellis
could get insulted.
Posted by Tim Kawakami on August 30th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Big-time info from MT-2 last night: The Warriors have initiated an
investigation into the cause of Monta Ellis' severe ankle injury because,
sources tell MT-2, the Warriors aren't quite sure they believe Monta's
blurry explanation that he hurt it playing pick-up basketball in
Mississippi.
That's fascinating. That's potentially explosive.
Who knows precisely what the team will find. Really, unless they can dig up
eyewitnesses who dispute/disprove Ellis' story or Ellis' version falls apart
of its own volition, you almost have to go with Ellis' version.
As MT-2 suggests, it's also probably likely the the Warriors find out Ellis
was telling the truth or something similar to the truth or that he actually
hurt it in a non-egregious way.
But the very idea that the Warriors are considering or have already launched
an investigation tells us a few things:
(-ADDED POINT, which I implied when I wrote this but should've officially
included.
(* The Warriors must know or strongly suspect that there is something very
fishy about Ellis' explanation. You don't just barrell down this
course-basically, trying to see if your most important player is a liar and
possibly should be penalized-without SOME suspicions.
(Right there, that's could warp Monta and the Warriors' relationship prett
seriously-BOTH ways-and right there, that's a clue that this is an important
moment for the future of the franchise.)
* They must know this is a very serious injury with effects far more lasting
than the loosely announced "three-plus months."
You don't even contemplate an investigation that may prove your best player
lied unless there are major issues involved and there is major time about to
be missed.
If Ellis' ankle would probably keep him out for just a month or two of the
season: No investigation,
trust Ellis, move on towards recuperation and a return by December.
But by moving to look into the cause of the injury, I think the Warriors are
signalling that bigger things must take place and that Ellis is not likely
to return until February or March.
If he's lying about the causes of a five- or six-month injury, then the
Warriors probably ought to investigate. They're the ones who paid him $66M
and they're the ones who just lived through the Baron Davis
situation-letting one player dictate his own regimen, his own health status,
his own whole agenda.
* Picking up on that point: The Warriors don't want Ellis to start this new
deal thinking he's the New Baron with Baron Control Issues and Baron's
ability to do whatever the hell he wants to his body.
This is self-explanatory. But do you think New Orleans would've liked to
investigate Baron's recovery process just before the Hornets traded him-and
he was sitting out-to the Warriors?
Ellis is young. He's impressionable. He watched Baron own this team for
several seasons. Sometimes it worked fo rthe Warriors, sometimes it didn't.
Now Ellis has gotten hurt in a mysterious way and if the Warriors don't do
anything about their suspicions, this is BD all over again.
* I think the biggest unspoken possibility here is that there was a slight
tear or possible sprain of Monta's ankle that existed before he signed the
deal. and it wasn't revealed to the Warriors.
I asked Chris Mullin that specific question and he said no, Monta seemed
fine the last time he saw him, which was the night before the draft.
Well, that's not quite a definitive answer. I presume Ellis took a physical
before the contract was made valid, but. you never know with ankles.
* As MT-2 said, I'll bet the Warriors don't find any smoking gun-maybe a lot
of unsettling circumstantial evidence, but not enough to do anything-and
Ellis' contract remains untouched. He remains unsuspended and unrebuked.
He goes through this, he comes back in February or whenever, and life goes
on. He remains ultra-rich.
Yet. Ellis could get mad about this. Ellis could get VERY mad at this
action. It's interesting that the Warriors would do this. knowing Ellis
could get insulted.