Monta Ellis and Dwyane Wade are both guards. They both have more than seven years of experience in the NBA. Both men have led their teams in scoring. While there are a number of characteristics that make the two similar, very few people would argue that Ellis is nearly as good a player as Wade. Ellis is one of those few.
During a recent interview that Pro Basketball Talk passed along, Ellis said he would put himself on the same level as Wade.
“To be honest, I would put myself in the same category as D-Wade,” Ellis said. “I mean, at the end of the day, the only thing that he has that I don’t have is more wins and two championships. That’s it. As far as playing at the same level? Competing every night? Both ends? Shooting inside and outside? Fast break? Transition? Monta Ellis have it all.”
The only thing he doesn’t have is more wins and two championships — that’s it. No biggie. Ellis scored 14 points and added 9 assists and 5 steals during the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. He is an above-average player, but he’s nowhere near Wade’s class. His scoring numbers are inflated by the number of shots he takes (he took 18 on Friday night), and his shooting has been erratic over the past few seasons. Hey, I applaud his confidence.
Given the reputation that D-Wade is starting to develop lately, Ellis is probably better off not being compared to him anyway.
