Anklegate: In Hoops, Like Politics, It's the Cover-Up that Hurts

Posted by Adam Lauridsen on September 3rd, 2008 at 9:59 pm

What can $66 million buy? The Warriors certainly hope it can get them the
truth. When the team invested top tier money in Ellis this off-season, it
placed its faith in him as the leader of the team. Whether or not the
accusations regarding his injury are true, it's time for Ellis to break his
silence and clear up any misconceptions - of his own making or from others -
regarding what exactly happened last month in Mississippi. The longer Ellis
lets this story sit unchecked, the more likely the Ellis era in Golden State
will be over before it starts.

First, let's get the disclaimer out of the way: we have no idea what
happened to Monta. All the stories so far have been second or third-hand
anonymous-sourced information. That doesn't mean that they are
automatically wrong. It just means that we need more information before
forming any conclusions. The one thing we can form a conclusion about,
however, is that an air of suspicion now hangs over the player the Warriors
hoped would be their future.

There are two possible ultimate outcomes here - Monta either hurt his ankle
playing in a pick-up basketball game or he didn't. There are very sensible
ways to handle the situation under either scenario. So far, he's chosen
inaction over either one, allowing the story to fester.

Scenario 1: Monta is telling the truth - If Ellis really did hurt himself
playing a pick-up basketball game, then he should have nothing to hide.
Hold a press call, talk about the injury, explain how upset you are to be
missing the first few months of the season, talk about how you feel like you're
letting down the fans - all of these actions would go a long way to
dispelling the notion that you have something to hide. Ellis' silence,
however, has created a vacuum. In it, those of us churning out words on the
internet are able to run with a variety of scenarios. Sometimes those
scenarios come from credible unnamed sources. Sometimes they come from the
unnamed source in the back of a mischievous poster's head. Regardless,
Ellis needs to put an end to the chatter with real statements.

Scenario 2: Monta lied about his injury - As in politics, it may not be the
initial wrong, but the cover-up that causes lasting damage. If Ellis
initially misrepresented to the team what happened, it's not too late for
him to take it back. He can publicly apologize, state that he will accept a
fine (giving the team an easy and sensible option between doing nothing and
voiding his contract), and get back to rehabbing his ankle. The longer he
lets the story continue, however, the harder it'll be for him to explain
away why he kept silent. It'll throw his relationship with not just the
fans and the franchise, but also his teammates in jeopardy. If Ellis is
going to mature from young superstar to seasoned leader, this type of
distraction is the last thing he needs to create doubt as to his commitment
to the team.

No matter what the outcome, the Warriors need to reach some resolution on
the matter soon. Training camp this year was already going to be filled
with enough questions given Davis' departure. A cloud hanging over Monta is
another distraction the healthy - and talented - players left on the team
don't need. This training camp should be about the promise of our youth and
the creativity of our coach, not a basketball themed remake of I Know What
You Did Last Summer. Ellis' body will heal - he's a resilient basketball
player in his mid-20s, not John McCain - but if he's not careful he will
inflict an injury on his reputation and the team's chemistry that may leave
the parties hobbled long after Ellis returns to his high flying ways.