Monta Ellis Cleared to Resume Playing

The news keeps getting better for Monta Ellis. Originally feared to have suffered a major neck injury when he collided with teammate Brandon Wright earlier in training camp, he was eventually diagnosed with only having a sprained neck. And now, he's officially on his way to getting back on the court. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

A Warriors spokesman said guard Monta Ellis (sprained neck) has received medical clearance to play and that it is now up to Ellis to decide on his return date. Ellis, who experienced tingling in his arms after a scary collision with Wright in Hawaii, declined to answer questions.

I can understand if Ellis wants to take some more time off -- flirting with an injury that was not only potentially career-threatening but also life-altering must have been an extremely disconcerting, to say the least. But assuming he returns in the next week or two, he still has an excellent chance to start this year.

It wasn't too long ago that Don Nelson was hyping Marco Belinelli over Ellis as his choice at shooting guard, saying that Ellis would have to earn minutes as the backup point guard, but oddly enough, it's Ellis' injury that might help his case to start. As Nelson tells Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, there's just not enough time to get Ellis comfortable running the point, which means he's still the leading contender to replace Jason Richardson at the two.

(via HOOPSWORLD)