Two years ago, Monta Ellis slid down the draft and everyone had pretty much forgotten about him.
However, now the NBA knows everything about this young point guard for the Golden State Warriors. He has been awarded Most Improved Player for turning from an unrecognized high schooler from Mississippi to a fast-paced scoring threat for the Warriors.
This was the closest voting in the award’s history. Ellis won by a narrow margin of three points over Kevin Martin of the Sacramento Kings. Ellis received 47 votes and 352 points from the media panel, while Martin received 44 votes and 349 points.
This season under new coach Don Nelson, Ellis is averaging 16.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds. He was part of the team that was instrumental in getting the Warriors back to the playoffs after a 12-year gap.
Ellis was selected in the second round of the draft and during his rookie season he averaged 6.8 points. This year, his improvement in scoring was the biggest increase in the NBA. He came to the forefront of the nation in the Rookie Challenge during All Star weekend, where he scored 28 points.
In his second season, Ellis turned out to be a major contributor to the Warriors’ fast-paced offense. He not only earned the trust of his teammates and played key situations, he also learned how to play point guard at Nelson’s request. Only New Orleans’ Chris Paul at 17.2 points has averaged more points per game this season among second-year pros.