Monta Ellis Assaults Rim. Badly.

Anyone here not see the incredible dunk-a-thon Golden State's Monta Ellis put on Friday night in the Rookies-Sophomores game in Vegas? If so, pull out a chair, order a pizza, and watch these highlights until it arrives. That's how good they are.

I'm thumbing through the dictionary as I type this, in hopes of finding an adjective or two to describe just how awesome Ellis was. It is an exercise in futility. Words don't do justice to the assault Ellis put on the rim last night. In fact, the word on the street is that the rim has hired a lawyer and is comtemplating filing assault charges on Ellis. More at 11.

Perhaps someone can help me - why isn't Ellis in the dunk contest? Sure, he's 5-foot-11 on his best day, but the guy's head was virtually parallel with the rim on several dunks. Forget Dwight Howard raising the rim to 12-feet - why not just have Ellis jump over Yao Ming and Shaq? I'd pay money and the ratings would be Super Bowl-like.

I haven't seen hops like this since Vince Carter in his prime. Right now, if you told me JR Smith and Ellis were going to be in a private dunk contest, only watchable on pay-per-view, and there was zero chance the highlights would turn up anywhere (Youtube, Sportscenter, etc), I'm paying.

And this wasn't some kind of Dee Brown performance. Ellis can shoot, too. Baron Davis is on the shelf (again) and when he returns, Ellis may not be ready to relinquish the starting point guard spot. Maybe now the Warriors can deal Davis and their lottery pick to the man who really wants him - Danny Ainge - for the Celtics first-round pick.