Trading Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut
Monta Ellis will go down as one of the most loved Warriors of all-time. He made it clear though, Steph Curry and him could not play together. As much as the Warriors tried to think that they could, they couldn’t. As much as the fan-base did not want to pick between the two undersized guards, it came down to that and they had no choice.
Ellis worked hard and played with several role players throughout his tenure with the Warriors. He was rewarded with a generous contract, but lost some of it due to an immature moped incident off the court that cost him a chunk of the season.
He was never able to lead the Warriors to much success. To no surprise though, rarely will you see a 6-foot-3 shooting guard do much in the league. It’s just a sad truth. Allen Iverson never won a ring, and he’s on a much higher tier than Ellis ever was.
In an unpopular decision, the Warriors boldly traded fan favorite Monta Ellis for an injured Andrew Bogut in 2012. At the time, the move was questionable because Bogut was a risk. He had numerous injuries and carried a soft label. He was a former number one pick by the Milwaukee Bucks and didn’t live up that selection in his first several years of his career.
While Ellis has faded into mediocrity, Bogut plays a significant role for Golden State. He missed the playoffs in 2014 and the Warriors did not advance past the first round. With him healthy this postseason, the Dubs won the NBA title and it’s obvious that he is a huge part of the team and they can’t go far unless he is healthy.
He appeared in 67 games this season and the Warriors had a far better record in games he played in compared to ones he sat out due to injury or rest. He made 2nd Team All-Defense and is one of the best defensive centers in the league, if not the best.
He is an excellent passer for his position, sets hard screens, is one of the toughest players on the squad, and has superior defensive and rebounding skills. His rim protection is bar none. He doesn’t have a scoring mentality and could care less about stats. Everything he does is for one reason: winning.
The trade let Curry control the team and make it his own; it shipped out a shoot first combo guard, and brought in one of the few good defensive centers remaining in the league.
This trade was one of the most important to the current Warriors team. It wouldn’t be assembled the same without the 7-footer who brings the toughness on a nightly basis.