Shannon Sharpe Monta Ellis Warriors rings debate

    by Yetundejones: Shannon Sharpe

    Shannon Sharpe pushed back hard on Monta Ellis saying the Warriors would still have all those rings if you swapped him in for Stephen Curry. To Sharpe, that take just flattens what made Curry special. He’s a top 75 guy, and the point guard debate really comes down to him or Magic Johnson. Sharpe made it about more than shooting, Curry’s range warped defenses and his off-ball gravity opened everything up. He also argued Kevin Durant never comes to Golden State if Ellis is there, because Ellis needed the rock in his hands and the system wouldn’t have fit.

    Transcript (en)

    But to replace him and Steph, the role that Steph played? No, sir. No, sir. You can't swap that and say they're going to have the same success. I beg to differ on that. I think you actually downplaying Steph Curry's greatness. Yes. Yeah, I mean. It absolutely is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You downplaying his greatness and how great he was in those championship runs. Bro, he was virtually unstoppable. You would need to, if this man was a top 75 player, maybe I was like, okay, well, maybe. But how are you going to replace a guy, a top 75 guy? By all estimation, he's the first or second greatest point guard. I don't really look at him as a point guard, but I'm saying is he a Magic Johnson that's in the conversation? With that being said, really? All the years. I don't believe because, let me tell you why. Let me tell you why I don't think so. Because he needs the ball. Yeah. If you look at the success that Steph had and KD had when they played together, neither one of those guys needed the ball. Absolutely. Absolutely. I just don't know why guys – it's okay. It is okay for you not to be Steph Curry. Because guess what? No one else is either. Nah. Yeah, I think his greatness – But this man, this man, this man actually said they would have had the same success if you take Steph out and put him in. I have a question. What's the question? I never had the opportunity to watch Monte Ellis play, right? I assuming he talk about the team that was assembled with Kevin Durant and Klay They went to two championships before KD Yeah And KD would have never came there because he was balling He needed a ball. KD wanted to go because nobody dominated the ball there. So you're not going to get KD. Monte Ellis was a point guard, I'm assuming, right? Yeah. More like a two. Masquerading as a two. A two masquerading as a point. Well, Steph is the greatest shooter of all time behind the arc. Yeah, yeah. How close? How close? Because I never watched Monte Ellis play. Obviously, I didn't watch basketball back then. How close was Monte Ellis from the arc? Or just efficiently from the three? He was a downhill, get-to-the-bucket kind of guy. You couldn't keep him out the paint, Ocho. He was athletic, and he played fearless. As far as getting ISO, getting by his man, getting a bucket, he was hell to stop. So he was Russell Westbrook. yeah it's okay similar similar similar he played with that type of force yeah he could shoot he could shoot but he wasn't he wasn't no damn three-point shooter like that like mid-range he was a mid-range assassin yeah and steph not only was he a great three-point shooter but you're talking about two three four steps behind the damn three-pointer man you had to guard this man come across half court yeah so that that extends your defense which allows guys like steph curry if he he runs a lot of pick and rolls to be able to operate in so much space. Man, nah. I mean, don't get me wrong, man. Monte was great, bro. He was great. He wasn't Steph. And what happens is, is that once you start picking him up out there, they start setting the pick out higher. Yep. Now you're ass grass. Yep. And he's a lot more. Cause now you got your big trying to deal with him in all that space. Steph gon' get right on down the hill. Yeah.