Some say the apocalypse is coming in a few years, and at times you can't help but buy into some of the morbid hype. The Mayan Calender, Super Volcanoes, Asteroids, whatever... With rumblings in the Monta Ellis circle of a possible trade demand within the next few months comes my first inklings of a world, (no, not Poot's World) falling apart.
After Monta injured his ankle severely this summer and yes, lied about it, everyone was curious to see what was to come next from the warriors execs, let me emphasize curious. No big deal, my dad and I agreed, everyone has seen this guy play and knows that the last thing the warriors would want to do is lose him. Issue a Rad-Man snowboard type penalty and send him a get-well card, but don't blow this thing up. Monta is the future and one of those players that comes around about once every millennium.
However, at the time, I was surprisingly unfamiliar with team president, Robert Rowell. Tim Kawakami wrote an article last week detailing Rowell's prevalence as the teams primary cover-spread the past 2 years, despite much bigger things going on with the franchise, player-wise. This guy is in power, and wants people to know it. Adding to the ego are Rowell's questionable dealings. It was this douche-bag who x'd a3 year Mullin-Baron agreement thought to be set in stone in the early summer, and he expounded getting rid of the most beloved player since Tim Hardaway, and sole reason for the 2007 playoff victory, by denying that he nixed the deal. When called out on it, Rowell angrily contested that he doesn't take the "popularity" of his decisions into account. He is now feuding with former coach Mike Montgomery over an unpaid 1,000,000 dollars, and has been taking cheap shots at Chris Mullin over the teams future.
Coming to an understanding that there are now 2 Al Davis' in Oakland, the Monta question becomes much more pressing. When Rowell came out with the 30 game suspension for Ellis with a 3 million dollar contract loss, it was an uncompassionate but fitting punishment. However, Rowell decided to go further, into the territory which my dad and I discussed, but never in our wildest dreams thought the Warriors would go forward with. Rowell incited that if Monta struggled to regain form after his injury, his contract could be voided.
Writers discuss the punishment as Double Jeopardy, which despite the its severity, for me, still evokes images of Ashley Judd getting chased by her murderous husband, and a vague memory of Mike telling me how much he wanted to see it over a Dr. Pepper in the hot tub. What I get from it is that Monta basically has the potential to get fucked twice by his injury, once with his ongoing suspension, and the other with Rowell's finger over his head the next 5 years of his contract.
An issue that started with a youngster's mistake, has fallen into the hands of a ruthless number-cruncher, devoid in what seems in any love for the game. What Monta did was retarded, we all know, but jeez, when did riding a moped become career threatening? It is fair to conjure the notion that the quickest player in the league and one who greatly relies on his lateral quickness could be greatly hampered by a shattered ankle, but only time will tell. Monta is young and certainly has the will to recover, and aggravating him by discussing contract termination so early in the recovery process is the product of a true numb skull.
Due to terrible choices in management, a severely broken ankle on a moped has transformed itself into Jason Williams on a street bike. This post started as a plea for Monta to bear with this stuff, but has turned into a shout for Rowell's head. This guy's a one-of-a-kind douche bag Chris Cohan, if you wanted to pull an instant replay of the bay area 07 Mav's victory celebration, just fire him.
Everyone keeps dropping the line that if this goes where it is heading with Monta, then we'll have to live with another 13 year playoff drought, and i couldn't agree more; but, more comes to mind with Monta in a Grizzlies jersey. His picture perfect transition jumpers, contortions surrounded by 2 bigs around the rim, sick cross-overs, Mississippi drawl, and confidence, just scream for more of the most entertaining basketball the NBA has to offer. I don't even think playoffs anymore, it happened already, and never will again in such spectacular fashion, so why not revel in the beautiful pandemonium the Warriors have to offer? I've said it before and I will again, the Warriors are a show. With Baron they were the Suns fast style with a Rucker Park attitude who reinvented the definition of a 3 pointer. And even at 1-3 with Baron and Monta gone, I still love this team, they bring it every night, are young, and got style.But part of that love still contains within it that light at the end of the tunnel when Monta hits the floor in late December, and if these restrictions and threats continue, I won't even be able to blame the guy when he's gone.
I know Poot has got the Mandy leg-humping fetish for Josh Smith, and the same is probably more true for me and Monta, but this kid was the best young player in the league before the injury, and its absolutely devesating watching a front-office cyborg dismantle this rising star. So here's to the next few months Rowell, the world, as all warriors fans know it, rests in your grubby little hands. Maybe if you can get some sense and listen to the fans, you can set things right and save this franchise after all; and Monta, a big shout-out from Poot's World, because we too, know all too well, the aftermath of poorly driven 2-wheel vehicles (Michael).
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if he doesn't develop a deadly 3pt shot in the next 5 years, monta will be washed up by age 29. nobody is that athletic much past 27. his natural instinct is second to few, but to keep those 26ppg numbers that we are expecting, the 3pt shot must be mastered at his height.
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