Ranking the Golden State Warriors’ Best Drafts of the Past Decade
By John Kim
No.2: 2005 Draft
Apr 25, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis leaves the court after the Bucks lost to the Miami Heat during game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Monta Ellis could easily be considered the best draft pick of the past decade, but was edged out slightly. In the 2005 draft, Ellis was drafted by the Warriors deep into the second round with the 40th pick. Monta started his career as an underdog and has since transformed to a scorer always on the cusp of stardom.
After the ‘We Believe’ team had all but disbanded, Ellis became the undisputed leader of a struggling Warriors team. And like they did for all other Warriors teams before, the Bay Area faithful rallied behind the undersized Monta. Warriors fans dreaded Monta’s tendency to shoot 30 times a game, and his inability to match up with bigger guards left him ineffective on the defensive end of the court.
Still, despite the frustrations on and off the court (see: moped accident), Ellis was beloved by Warriors fans. Co-owner Joe Lacob was booed unapologetically by fans angry at the Bogut-Ellis trade.
Ellis was constantly surrounded by an embarrassingly bad team and was often the only bright spot for the Warriors franchise between 2007 and 2012. His electric speed and unwavering confidence provided the Warriors with an electric, though unsuccessful, brand of basketball for many years.
The 2005 draft produced great guards in Deron Williams and Chris Paul, but Ellis, taken with the 40th pick, could be considered one of the best picks that year.