Former Golden State Warriors star Monta Ellis dealt with some issues during his NBA career and he now has some advice for Draymond Green. Draymond has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA and Ellis was recently asked about the situation.
"I don't know too much about that situation," Ellis said. "Only thing I can tell Draymond is, 'Be real with yourself.' Understand the position that you're in. What you bring to this team and this organization and take yourself out of the equation."
Ellis says Draymond has a great support system, but ultimately it all comes down to him holding himself accountable.
"He got great brothers in Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) and all those guys to be able to help him get the necessary help and get back on track," Ellis continued. "But, it's gonna take within yourself. Look in the mirror, and hold yourself accountable and just build off of it. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody goes through things but in order for you to able to overcome those things, you have to be real with yourself."
That is some pretty sound advice from Ellis. Green has to look at himself in the mirror and realize he needs to change. Over the years, he has gotten very defensive when called out over his antics and has stubbornly stated this is who he is and everyone just has to deal with it.
The NBA and the Warriors can attempt to give the 33-year-old the best possible help in order to get him back in a good space but ultimately, it all comes down to what Draymond wants.
Steve Kerr's Thoughts On Draymond's Suspension
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had been one of Green's staunchest supporters over the years. He had always come to the four-time All-Star's defense, but Kerr agreed with the decision to suspend Draymond.
“It’s about more than basketball. It’s about helping Draymond. It’s an opportunity for Draymond to step away and make a change … the answer is not to pick a number (of games). The answer is to help Draymond. Give him the opportunity to make a change and help him for the rest of his life. It's not just an outburst on the court... The one who choked Rudy, the one who took a wild flail, the one who punched Jordan (Poole) last year, that’s the guy who needs to change.”
There just have been one too many incidents as Kerr pointed out there. Any one of them alone would have been concerning, but add them all up and you've got a real problem on your hands. We can only hope Draymond takes this opportunity to change himself for the better.
Monta Ellis' Time With The Warriors
As for Ellis, he was speaking ahead of the Warriors' home game against the Brooklyn Nets, which he was in attendance for. The 38-year-old witnessed a Stephen Curry masterclass, as the two-time MVP scored 37 points to lead the Warriors to a 124-120 win.
While Curry is now obviously the biggest star on the Warriors, Ellis was the top dog before him. The Warriors selected Ellis with the 40th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft and in a couple of years, he became their best player.
The 2009-10 season would prove to be his personal best, as he averaged 25.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. Despite that, his days with the team were numbered, as they had drafted Curry in 2009.
The two of them as a backcourt would be an absolute disaster defensively and the Warriors decided to part with Ellis and keep Curry in 2012. It was not a popular decision at the time but it sure worked out.
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