Buried deep in today's real actual basketball news is some great non-basketball news. Congratulations go out to Warriors shooting guard Monta Ellis, the proud pop of Monta, Jr., born this June 6 in Memphis, Tennessee. Rusty Simmons reports on his Chronicle blog that Monta, Jr. weighed in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and is 20.5 inches long.
He'll be projected as an undersized point guard who can also play the two and create his own shot.
It's not always big news when an NBA player becomes a dad. For all I know Shawn Kemp had two more kids just in the time you've been reading this. But the real actual basketball news is the unusual part.
Not a week after Monta, Jr. was born, Don Nelson and new general manager Larry Riley flew down to Memphis to pay Ellis a visit. Multiple reports since the visit cite that Nellie and Riley were there to reassure Ellis that they did not intend to draft a point guard to compete for his role.
Tim Kawakami is like Fox Mulder on this one, laying out multiple conspiracy theories in his Mercury News blog on what it all means.
While Ellis doesn't even really play point guard, Kawakami's sources indicate Ellis is unhappy the team is considering drafting a point guard to perform his role on offense. These sources say Ellis was indeed reassured by the Warriors they wouldn't draft a point guard.
If the reaction at Golden State of Mind is any indication, fans don't feels Monta merits any sort of reassurance guarantees from the team right now. And some of those point guards they'd be passing up for him are awfully good.
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Next time, Don Nelson, just hand the new dad a box of cigars or a gift-wrapped mobile. He can be reassured of his role on the team by earning it on the court.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer of NBA scouting reports on newborns and infants.
