HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Monta Ellis and Andre Iguodala are two players that have been mentioned in trade scenarios regularly since entering the league. Because they have played well on struggling teams and have tradable contracts, their names are often tossed around and included in the rumor mill by fans and media alike.

Now, the two players are back in the headlines, but this time the rumors have some legs. After all, Iguodala and Ellis are more likely to be dealt now than ever before.

That’s because they both find themselves in logjams with top ten picks that are ready to take on bigger roles. Many wonder if Stephen Curry and Ellis can co-exist in Golden State’s backcourt, just as there is concern in Philadelphia that Evan Turner won’t be able to blossom with Iguodala in the way.

That’s what makes the latest trade rumor involving these two players so interesting.

According to Ric Bucher of ESPN, the Warriors and Sixers have discussed a trade that would swap Ellis and Iguodala. Because their contracts are within 125 percent of each other, the two could be traded straight up without involving any other players.

Philadelphia would receive a shooting guard to place alongside Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner on the perimeter. They would also land an elite scorer, which they lacked last year when Elton Brand led the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game. Ellis is also two years younger than Iguodala, which means he would likely reach his prime around the same time as Philadelphia’s core.

Sources close to Iguodala have suggested that he would welcome a trade.

Golden State would add size, athleticism and give Curry another offensive weapon. They would also acquire one the top perimeter defenders in the league, which goes along with the defense-first approach that new head coach Mark Jackson pitched to management while interviewing for the job. The Warriors have also made it clear that they want to win now and expect to make the playoffs next season. Bringing in Iguodala could speed along that process.

When the Warriors hired Jerry West, he made several comments that seemed to foreshadow an Ellis trade.

“I’ve seen teams trade players that score tons of points and people say, ‘How in the world can you trade that player?’ ” West said. “Because he might score tons of points and the team doesn’t win.”

“Monta Ellis is a fierce competitor,” he later added. “He competes his fanny off every night. I love to watch him play, but to me, size helps. Size helps.”

Last season, Ellis averaged 24.4 points, 5.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Iguodala averaged 14.1 points, 6.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

While the deal is far from imminent, it’s a rumor that seems to make sense for both teams.

Warriors Hire Mark Jackson: Speaking of the Golden State Warriors, they have concluded their head coaching search and hired Mark Jackson.

This will be Jackson’s first time coaching, but he played in the NBA for 17 years. During his playing days, he was always known as a tremendous leader and his teams were successful, making the playoffs all but three times during the course of his career.

This season, Jackson has worked for ESPN and ABC as a color commentator alongside Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen.

“I am really elated about this opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenge of building the Warriors into a perennial contender,” said Jackson.  “I cannot tell you how impressed I was with the organization during our meetings, beginning at the top with Joe Lacob and, of course, with Larry Riley, Bob Myers and Jerry West. I have sensed that Joe is committed to winning and building a team and a culture the right way.”

“I think we all witnessed that with some of the recent front office additions as well and some of the other positive things that have been done in recent months,” he continued. “This is an incredible opportunity and I am honored and thank God that I have been chosen to be the next coach of the Warriors. The Bay Area has always had some of the best fans in the NBA and I look forward to being a part of that incredible atmosphere at Oracle Arena, along with my wife, my kids and my church family, who are thrilled as well.”

Jackson pitched a focus on defense and displayed his leadership skills during interviews. While he doesn’t have the experience that the other finalists – Brian Shaw, Dwane Casey and Lawrence Frank – possess, he has been coached by some of the all-time greats. He played for five Hall of Fame coaches during his collegiate and professional careers: Lou Carnesecca, Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan, Pat Riley and Larry Brown.

“After an extensive search and a great deal of consideration, we have come to the conclusion that Mark Jackson is the best coach for this team,” said Warriors’ General Manager Larry Riley. “He will bring a youthful and fresh approach to our team and the fact that he enjoyed a stellar playing career, where he served most of that time as the leader of some very successful teams, will prove invaluable in the long run. We were looking for a coach with leadership ability and a strong personality and believe Mark possesses those qualities. He’s very well respected in NBA circles, is a consummate professional and his knowledge and background will be an incredible asset for our team and organization.”

One of Jackson’s biggest supports has been Larry Brown, who coached the point guard in Indiana. In his book Bird Watching, Bird praised Jackson’s leadership and suggested that he had all of the qualities necessary to eventually be a head coach.

“After a couple of months it became obvious to me that our leader was Mark Jackson,” Bird wrote. “He wasn’t the most talented guy on our team, but guys responded to him. What Mark did was get these guys in the right frame of mind. He was the one who earned their respect. When he was in the huddle and said, ‘Look, we’ve got five minutes left, and we’re down by four points, let’s shut them down,’ you could see their eyes getting bigger. That was all they needed to hear, sometimes, to get them all fired up.”

“He’s the one who, if we lost a big game or something, would get everyone together and give them a talk,” he added. “It really helped the younger guys. They really reacted to it.”

Former point guards usually fare well as head coaches because they’re comfortable with leading a team and knowing where every player should be on the floor.

“We are tremendously excited about the addition of Mark Jackson as our new head coach,” said Warriors’ Owner Joe Lacob. “He epitomized leadership as a player in this league for 17 seasons and we think that characteristic – and many other positive traits – will translate very well into his coaching duties with our young team. He was a leader and a winner both on and off the floor in this league and we’re convinced that he is the right person to guide this team into the future and help us achieve the success that we are striving for as an organization.”

The Warriors have hired New Orleans Hornets assistant Mike Malone as Jackson’s top aide. This is yet another bold move by Golden State’s new ownership, but it was only a matter of time until Jackson was given the opportunity to prove himself as a head coach in the NBA.

Nowitzki Needs Some Help: During this postseason, Dirk Nowitzki has been incredible.

He has climbed the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list, led his team further than anyone expected and turned many people into fans of the Dallas Mavericks.

However, in Game 3, Nowitzki continued to be a one-man show. He finished with 34 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in the losing effort. He scored nine straight points in the fourth quarter, but it still wasn’t enough for the Mavericks to get the win.

Even when Nowitzki is incredible, it’s clear that he needs help from his supporting cast. He’s facing a double team on most possessions, and he must be able to trust his open shooters. Through three games, that hasn’t been the case.

{AUTHOR_BOX}”Somebody else has to step up and help him on the offensive end,” Jason Kidd said during Monday’s practice. “We have to make baskets. We had some great looks that didn’t go down for us, especially late in the game. We have to continue taking those wide open looks and hopefully in Game 4 they go down for us.”

Outside of Nowitzki, Dallas shot 34 percent from the field and 31 percent from behind the arc. J.J. Barea, who went 2-8 from the field, thinks that the group’s struggles have irritated Nowitzki.

“Maybe a little,” Barea told reporters. “He’s great. He has confidence in us, he’s going to keep pulling for us and we want to help him.  He’s doing a great job of being the leader, but we have to step up too.

“In the first three games, we didn’t do that,” he continued. “I think if you see the first three rounds, we were doing that.  Everybody was helping.  That’s what got us here.  We’ll see.  We need to provide more help.”

Jason Terry, who went 5-13 from the field on Sunday, has been struggling throughout this series. He failed to score in the fourth quarters of Games 1 and 3, which is out of character for Terry, who finished with the third-highest fourth quarter scoring total in the league during the regular season. He has been disappointed with himself and understands that he must elevate his game.

“I take it to heart,” Terry said. “Obviously the success of this team is predicated in the fourth quarter with myself and Dirk being opportunistic with the basketball.  He’s had a lot of opportunity and gotten it done.  Two out of three games I have not.  He needs some help.  I’ll be there to lend him a hand the rest of the way.”

“Right now they are loading up on Dirk,” Tyson Chandler added. “They are double teaming him.  We have to do a better job of getting opportunities and making things a little easier.”

If the Mavericks can help Nowitzki, they’ll have a chance to even the series tonight. If not, the one-man show can only take them so far.

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