Position Grades – Shooting Guards

In our next segment of 2013-2014 Dallas Mavericks position grades, we will be taking a look at the shooting guard play throughout the year. The Mavericks three shooting guards were Ricky Ledo, Wayne Ellington, and Monta Ellis. While Ellington filled in from time to time off the bench, this position was held down by Ellis, who didn’t miss one game all year.

Ricky Ledo

While Ledo only appeared in 33 minutes of action this season, he really started to show some progress for the Mavericks D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends. In the last 5 games of the season, he surpassed 20 points in 4 of them, shooting well over 50% from the field , while showing an ability to hit it from deep. The important thing for Ledo was to get his feet wet in a competitive environment, rather than sitting on the end of the bench for the Mavericks all season. Ledo is raw. He could work more on attacking the basket, as he only averaged 3 free throws a game with the Legends. He has an all-around game that just needs developing. If he can prove to knock down that jumper and help on both sides of the ball, he could find himself wearing that Mavericks jersey a lot more next season. He has a ton of potential, and if he can begin to show signs of that, he can be a big “home run” for the Mavericks in the future.

Grade: Incomplete

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Wayne Ellington:

The Mavericks brought in Ellington this season to provide some outside shooting, which is what he has been known for during his 5 year career. During the regular season, he found himself in some games where he provided a nice spark off the bench. He is a streaky shooter, but he doesn’t provide a whole lot else in his play. He struggled a bit finding his shot in some big games this season, so he really didn’t provide much for the team, but he only played 8 minutes a game in 41 total games, so he never really got a chance to get anything going. He is still under contract for one more season, but could be moved in some sort of off-season trade. If not, he will most likely find himself in a similar situation next season.

Grade: D

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Monta Ellis:

The Monta Ellis of old stayed in Milwaukee, and a new man was born once he arrived in Dallas. He had a coach and a superstar that would put him in the best position for him to succeed, which is exactly what he did. He was a more all-around team player this season, and had an uncanny ability to get to the basket, which is something the Mavericks have missed from their guards for many years. He averaged 19.0ppg, 5.7 apg, and almost 2 steals per game, while shooting 45% from the field. He was a threat each night in the pick and roll game with Nowitzki, and the two really fed off one another. Ellis most likely would’ve not even landed on the Mavericks during the summer had it not been for Devin Harris going down with an injury. That allowed the Mavericks to sneak in and snag him. Even the front office would most likely tell you that that they were more than pleased with his performance this season.

While his shooting did improve, his mid-range and 3-point shooting have to improve. In Round 1 against San Antonio, the Spurs repeatedly went underneath the screen, forcing Ellis to have to make that mid-range jumper. When he’s hitting it, he becomes so much more lethal, because opponents don’t know how to play him, because of his ability to attack and get to the rim. This remains Dirk’s team, but Ellis has proven that he is more than capable of being a formidable sidekick. The Mavericks signed him for three years, so he has two remaining. The Mavericks are impressed, but by no means do they think he has peaked.

“I just think Ellis is at a point in his career where he can still make some quantum leaps as a player.” – Rick Carlisle

 

“If he can make that midrange jump shot on a consistent basis, I don’t know how you guard him.” – Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson

He seems to really love the city of Dallas and this organization. He is happy to be in a place where he is comfortable, so I expect him to be more than ready to come guns blazin’ next season. Improving that jump shot will go a long ways in taking not only Ellis further, but the Mavericks as well.

Grade: A-

Projections:

The Mavericks have Monta Ellis going into his second season next season, and will most likely look to continue developing Ricky Ledo, until he is fully ready. The Mavericks will look to free agency, and could maybe bring in a veteran player to play at a low cost.

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