Warriors Don't Seem to Understand They NEED Monta Ellis, Threaten to Void His Contract

I think this just about captures the essence of raw, and reckless, and ill-advised. And I'm not talking about Monta Ellis flouting his shiny new contract by riding a scooter. From The Sacramento Bee:

The Warriors are retaining the option to extend the 30-game suspension of guard Monta Ellis, possibly all the way to voiding the six-year, $66 million deal he signed in July. Golden State would only throw that switch if Ellis struggles mightily to recover from an ankle injury that is now expected to sideline him until December or January, and even then would be a tough call, probably in summer 2009 at the earliest. He turns 23 next weekend, and players have come back from much worse.

Am I missing something here? How could the team be any less diplomatic. Here's some fine print, which might make you feel justice is being served, if not in any way that makes the future look bright and rosy: "Ellis would be waived but not go back to his previous status as a restricted free agent in a negotiating advantage for the Warriors. He would be unrestricted."

Wow, that sounds great. Warriors, let me speak directly to you by staring at the camera: YOU NEED MONTA. You should be working with him to make both sides come out looking good. What exactly does your team have without him? And why is this mysterious ankle injury all of a sudden a career-ender? Have I missed the end of all the sentences where they mention that his foot is now gone?

Point blank, this team is done for years without Ellis. Ellis, on the other hand, is at worst looking at a lost season. And believe that, if this nightmare scenario comes to pass, he'll be looking to put his star back on the rise elsewhere. If anyone needed further proof that Don Nelson was the glue and strings holding together the Warriors, well, here it is.

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