Monta Ellis gets Traded. Why is Everybody Crying?

The Warriors finally made the a big move by trading Monta Ellis youngster Ekpe Udoh for C Andrew Bogut and the ghost of Stephen "Captain Jack" Jackson. This wasn't the BIG move that they were calling for, but big enough to get the project underway.

Don't get me wrong, I've always been a big fan of the W's, and want nothing more than for this team to succeed. With that in mind, I've also loved watching Monta do his thing at The Oracle for several years now. However, I'd rather have a chance at winning, than a chance at keeping my high scoring, low efficiency, non-defensive and undersized 2 guard.

Am I saying that Andrew Bogut is the second coming of Bill Russell? No. I'm also not going to say that he's the second coming of Joe Barry Carroll either. Last year he was in the running for the defensive player of the year award. I liked Ekpe too, but Bogut was swatting away 2.6 shots PER GAME last season.

That kind of rim protection must be music to the ears of David Lee. With a healthy Bogut playing defense like a real 7 footer, blocking shots and denying the rim, Lee will be able to excel at what he does best, which is score the basketball and be a weak side rebounder. Lee should easily be at his NY Knick best 20/10 days soon enough.

The most intriguing thing about this deal is the opportunity it opens up for rookie Klay Thompson. He's not going to be able to replace Monta's all-around game right away, nor should he be expected to. He is a completely different player, and his game will prove that out. While not as quick as Monta, Thompson I believe will be more adept at using his bigger body while driving into the lane to create the contact that Monta rarely could. I'm a firm believer in Jerry West, and if he says that Thompson is going to be great, then I tend to believe him.

I recently heard somebody say that Monta Ellis was "Dwayne Wade Light". Nobody scoffed at the notion when it was said, but I had to wonder where exactly the "light" portion came from. He shoots it a little better than Dwayne, but no place else does Ellis compare. He doesn't play defense, he's not as big or strong, he's not a true team leader, and most importantly Ellis rarely visits the free throw line regardless of how many times he wildly drives the lane and scores.

It was reported that even some of the players were questioning the move thinking that "they were giving up on the season." I couldn't disagree more. I understand that the players are prone to thinking that anything is possible, but looking from the outside in, this team wasn't coming close to winning anything substantial with the team that they had.

It is in the best interest of the team for this year anyway, to miss the playoffs (not what many Warrior fans want to hear, but you've waited this long, what's another few months?) and try to hold on to that top 7 pick if they can. With Bogut, Jackson (or whoever they can get by spinning him elsewhere) and a top 7 rookie added to the current roster, this team has a chance to do some real damage in the league next season.

Add to that Coach Mark Jackson can finally get some players on the court who know what it is to play defense. Like him or not, Stephen Jackson instantly becomes the W's best defender, with all due respect to Dom McGuire, Jackson can still get it done in his mid 30's.

Of course all of this is conjecture at this point because we will all have to see how it plays itself out. The team we see this year is going to be different than any team we've seen in the bay area since my early childhood. That's right folks, the last time the Warriors had a true, legitimate center, was Joe Barry Carroll. My sincerest apologies go out to Rony Siekaly, Alton Lister, Todd Fuller, Erick Dampier, and the rest of the group rag tag no names or has beens that have been asked to play here in the past.

Can't wait to see on Friday how the Warriors game plan to stop Monta from putting up a 50 spot on them. They are probably going to use their new found size to beat down the Bucks undersized new backcourt. Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar to me.