Rajon Rondo
When it comes to steals, Rajon Rondo is elite. He’s a rugged defender with long arms and a mean streak. He has no problem going after your ball.

Monta Ellis
Currently the league leader in steals, he has free reign to go after as many steals as he wants since Golden State doesn’t care much about the defensive end.

Trevor Ariza
On the basketball court, few players have as much defensive range as Trevor Ariza. If you pass it, he will come into the picture.

Corey Brewer
At Florida, we remember Corey Brewer as a defensive ace who racked up a lot of steals. He’s starting to do that on the NBA level now.

Rudy Fernandez
If Rudy Fernandez starts getting more minutes — watch out! He doesn’t play much defense but he’s great at anticipating and stacking steals in a hurry.

Monta Ellis likes to score ... and get steals (Image: Zuma Press)

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Recently, Stephen Jackson has been a very good fantasy basketball player. Over his last five games, Jackson is averaging more than 23 points, more than nine assists and nearly six rebounds. Additionally, he’s shooting well from both the field and from the free throw line.

If you have Jackson on your team, obviously you should sit him for Tuesday’s game if you have the chance. While the Warriors have a lot of players who can replace his production, the leading candidates include Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette. If you want to role the dice, you could pick up Kelenna Azubuike or Anthony Randolph and hope for a big game with Jackson out.

Although Don Nelson has indicated that he may rest some of his veteran players down the stretch, Jackson remains a must start in virtually every format. He turns the ball over and he can be streaky from the perimeter, however he’s too explosive and too productive to sit.

Source: Newscom

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Originally, Ellis told the Warriors that he got hurt playing basketball. But after a further investigation, Ellis admitted that he indeed got hurt in a moped accident. Since mopeds are outlawed in NBA contracts, the Warriors ended up suspending him for the first 30 games of the season.

Now that he’s back, he’s a very interesting fantasy basketball option. Last year he was a fantasy basketball sleeper who panned out in a big way. Can he reach his level from last season?

The biggest obstacle will be his health. His injuries were so serious that some in the Warriors’ organization initially worried that the injuries could be career-threatening. Obviously, pickup Monta Ellis if he is on the waiver wire but hold off trading for him until you see him on the court.

If Ellis appears healthy, he could quickly become a very good fantasy option. He plays for a Golden State team that needs help at point guard. Plus, playing for Don Nelson always helps out in the fantasy department. If everything goes well, you can expect Ellis to put up similar stats to last year while starting for the Warriors at point guard.

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Marcus Williams, Golden State Warriors
Being at the helm of the Golden State Warriors’ run and shoot offense should do wonders for Marcus Williams’ fantasy value. As long as he stays healthy and stays in shape, there’s really no reason for him not to be a huge contributor — until at least Monta Ellis is healthy.

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons
As a rookie, Rodney Stuckey flashed superstar potential at times. While he’s still stuck in a log jam, that could change at any given time. A trade or an injury could push Stuckey into the starting lineup where he’d do much fantasy basketball damage.

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee Bucks
Although brief, Ramon Sessions’ stint with the Bucks last season was phenomenal. He looked very good and his stats were off the charts. If he’s given a chance to start during the 2008-09, he might end up the point guard sleeper of all point guard sleepers.

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It may be a while before we see Monta Ellis sky once again.

Rumors are swirling around the internet that Monta Ellis may have suffered a career-ending injury. While the Golden State Warriors are saying that Ellis should be back in three months, he may be sidelined much longer.

The aspect of Ellis’ injury that is the torn deltoid muscle. That is a muscle that is rarely torn during basketball play. For that reason, there isn’t a long list of players who have successfully returned from such an injury.

Ellis recently admitted to the Warriors regarding how he got hurt. At first, Ellis said he got hurt playing basketball in Mississippi. But when the Warriors got word that Ellis had scrapes and scratches all over his legs, it made Chris Mullin and the rest of the staff wonder what the truth was.

While the media hasn’t gotten wind of how Ellis actually got hurt, rumors have pointed to either a motorcycle accident or a skydiving accident being two of the more likely scenarios. To tear the deltoid muscle, a violent impact needs to be made.

Keep an eye on Ellis and see if he is showing any signs of progress over the next month. If he doesn’t, it might be best to avoid him in upcoming fantasy basketball drafts. If the rumors are true, Ellis could very well be out for the season and possibly his career.

Photo: Newscom

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This is bad news for Ellis, especially considering that this forthcoming season was planned to be his breakout season. With Baron Davis gone to the Los Angeles Clippers, Ellis was expected to take over as the team’s starting point guard. Those plans, for now at least, will have to wait.

The players this could help next season are Marcus Williams and Marco Belinelli. Williams will likely start at point guard. The former New Jersey Nets player could begin next season off strong and should be able to produce a high amount of assists. If he plays well enough, Don Nelson may elect to keep him as the starter even once Ellis returns. Belinelli, who is coming off of a disappointing rookie season, also might get a chance to run some point guard.

Expect Ellis to be back somewhere around the first week of December if his rehab goes smoothly. Until then, you can remember his game by watching this Monta Ellis highlight video:

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With Baron Davis signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, Ellis will likely shift over to point guard for the Warriors. If Ellis plays big minutes and is able to up his assists, he could be a top flight fantasy basketball player for the 2008-09 season. However, be sure to see how he transitions to point guard. It’s a lot easier to play shooting guard next to Davis than to lead the show.

If Ellis is able to make a successful transition to point guard, he’s a player who could average 20 points and six assists per night. His stats would be comparable to Tony Parker with more rebounds and more steals.

Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors

Photo: Newscom

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Points Per Game
1. Gerald Wallace CHA – 21.0
2. Allen Iverson DEN – 21.0
3. Kevin Martin SAC – 20.3
4. Bostjan Nachbar NJ – 19.8
5. LaMarcus Aldridge POR – 19.5

Gerald Wallace Mix …

Rebounds Per Game
1. Marcus Camby DEN – 15.0
2. Al Jefferson MIN - 13.4
3. Kevin Garnett BOS – 10.6
4. Shawn Marion PHO – 9.6
5. Jeff Foster IND – 9.2

Assists Per Game
1. Steve Nash PHO – 9.5
2. TJ Ford TOR – 7.6
3. Chris Paul NO – 7.0
4. Earl Watson SEA – 6.3
5. Delonte West SEA – 6.2

Blocks Per Game
1. Dwight Howard ORL – 3.0
2. Pau Gasol MEM – 2.8
3. Theo Ratliff MIN – 2.8
4. Alonzo Mourning MIA – 2.5
5. Josh Smith ATL – 2.4

Steals Per Game
1. Monta Ellis GS – 3.0
2. Andre Iguodala PHI – 2.6
3. Rajon Rondo BOS – 2.4
4. Ronnie Brewer UTA – 2.4
5. Esteban Batista BOS – 2.0

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Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
Martin had wonderful stats last season and was a great story, He’ll continue being an important part of the Kings’ attack, That said, he’s not a top ten fantasy shooting guard as some are stating, He doesn’t do enough other than score and even his scoring dipped as the season went on last year, Look for other options rather than Martin this year.

Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors
Ellis was another feel good story last season as he won the Most Improved Player award, While that was a great accomplishment, he shouldn’t be considered a top 20 shooting guard prospect, He’s going to likely come off the bench for the Warriors and in the playoffs, some of his weaknesses were exposed last season, Let someone else draft Ellis.

Ricky Davis, Minnesota Timberwolves
Davis is getting a lot of looks by fantasy players who see him as a top 20 fantasy shooting guard, I couldn’t disagree with that assessment more, The Timberwolves are in a rebuilding mode and won’t feature Davis, Davis could very well get traded, at which point his fantasy status will have to be reevaluated.

Remember when Ricky Davis intentional missed a shot to get a rebound and his triple-double?
(Ignore the lame stuff at the end of this video.)

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