Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) gets by Sacramento Kings’ Ray McCallum (3) and Carl Landry, bottom left, for a score in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014, in Dallas. (Tony Gutierrez, The Associated Press )
Spotlight on… Monta Ellis, guard, Mavericks
When: You need to look no farther than the state of Texas to find one of the hottest teams in the NBA — the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are off to a fast start this season, and Monta Ellis, The Denver Post’s NBA player of the week, is a huge reason.
What’s up: Ellis was superb during the evaluation period of Nov. 15-21 with averages of 25.5 points and 4.8 assists in four games for the Mavericks, all wins. Eills shot 50.7 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from 3-point range and 85.7 percent from the charity stripe. He was a plus-16.8 in those contests going into Saturday’s game against in-state rival Houston.
Background: Ellis has been a steady and dynamic scorer for the Mavericks since signing as a free agent in 2013. In two seasons, he’s averaging 19.1 points per game and has become a more efficient scorer. His shot attempts are the lowest of his career with any team (averaging 15.5), but his field-goal accuracy is high — over 45 percent — and he’s going to the free-throw line at the highest rate of his career.
Dempsey’s take: The move to Dallas has been the best professional decision Ellis ever made. He had a lot more to give a team as a lead scorer, and under the watchful eye of Rick Carlisle, one of the NBA’s most underrated coaches, he has blossomed into an attack-minded player who picks and chooses his attempts with the most discerning eye of his career.
