Report: Mavericks worried about Monta Ellis’ attitude
The Dallas Mavericks are worried about guard Monta Ellis’ attitude, ESPN’s Tim McMahon reports.
The Mavericks have lost their last two games, and head coach Rick Carlisle called out the team after Sunday’s loss to the Suns. In the loss, Ellis scored 11 points on 4-for-22 shooting.
During his postgame press conference, Carlisle said it is “not a Monta Ellis shooting problem,” but McMahon reports the team is concerned about his impact on the team’s morale.
Regardless of whether anyone will admit it on the record, Ellis is a big part of that problem. Folks in the Mavs organization have been fretting for weeks about the impact Ellis’ moodiness has on the team’s soul.
• Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle rips team after loss to Suns
In his second season in Dallas, Ellis has been in a slump for the last two months. In his last 22 games, he has averaged 15.7 points and 3.4 assists while shooting just 38.5% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc.
The Mavericks are the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and have a six-game cushion in the playoff race. They have lost seven of their last 12 games and host the No. 6 seed Spurs on Tuesday.
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