Are we sleeping on Monta Ellis?

The Dallas Mavericks brought in Chandler Parsons, Tyson Chandler, Jameer Nelson, and others during this offseason.

Much of the hoopla has been around Parsons and Chandler, but are we forgetting about last season’s big pickup?

After opting out of the final year of his deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis joined the Mavs on a 3-year, $25 million deal.

Many questioned the signing and fit of Mr. Have It All, but in his first season with the Mavs, Ellis quieted many of the naysayers, as he became Dirk Nowitzki‘s sidekick. He averaged 19 points, 5.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 3.2 turnovers, and shot 45.1% from the field.

So, are we sleeping on the Mavs starting shooting guard, with the focus being on the Mavs recent additions?

Bailey Rogers: I could see things going one of two ways with Monta. Either he will feel overshadowed by the Parsons hoopla and revert back into the selfish, ball-hogging chucker we all feared he would be when the Mavs first signed him. Or he will continue buying into what Carlisle has been selling and continue to grow into a more efficient basketball player. Based on the couple of interviews I’ve heard him give on local radio right after all the Parsons madness went down, I feel confident that the latter is more likely. Parsons and Monta should make each other better.

And Monta’s assist numbers should also go up solely from replacing Dalembert, since Chandler can actually catch a dump off pass under the basket. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Monta was a double-double threat in nearly every game he plays this season.

Ace Feltman: Monta Ellis is going to really blossom with an offensively capable small forward in the lineup. No disrespect to Trix or Jae Crowder, but Parsons/RJ/Rashard Lewis are all easily better from downtown…blindfolded. 20/6/3 steals could be a baseline for Monta, but it’s all about the team not the player on the stat sheet of course. Develop your game, #Montakedatwitchu, but remember your place Padawan.

Sameer Moosa: I see Monta flourishing beside Tyson Chandler Parsons. His assist numbers are likely going to skyrocket since Parsons is such a good shooter and Tyson Chandler doesn’t have stone hands like Dalembert. Monta’s scoring could benefit too with more attention being paid on Parsons since last year, Marion wasn’t much of a threat on the offensive end.

Like Bailey said, Monta could very well be a threat for a double-double every game, and he’ll likely have some huge scoring outings as well. With Carlisle, Monta can be the best player he is capable of being, which showed last year. With an even better supporting cast, which is what he has now, Monta could finally make that hump to the all-star game.

Brian Gosset: He’s going to have an even bigger year than last. Something that I think is being overlooked is his defense. He came to Dallas with defense being one of his weaknesses, but he vastly improved as last season finished. He took more charges, and I think his defense will be even better this year. His scoring will stay the same and he has a great chance at becoming an all star for the first time in his career.

Rami Michail: You can make the case that Monta is the Mavs most important player this upcoming season. Despite being another year older, we have a good guess at what we’ll get from Dirk and Tyson. Parsons is the big addition, but I expect him to be behind Dirk and Monta as the lead guy.

The Mavs will need Monta to not just replicate last season, but to improve, even if it’s a small amount. If Monta can up his field goal percentage and assists by a small number, while also cutting down his turnovers by at least one, then they’d consider it a successful season for him.

That being said, I think Monta does have a big season. Not sure he’ll lead the Mavs in scoring, but he’ll be around 19 ppg again. As many stated, having Tyson Chandler will greatly help him on both ends of the court.

He’s still the ONLY Mav who can create for himself and others and get to the basket at anytime.

Expect a big year from Mr. Have It All!