Rick Carlisle has said that Monta Ellis should be playing in the All-Star game instead of Dallas Mavericks teammate Dirk Nowitzki.
The German, who has averaged 18.3 points per game this season, was called up as a late replacement after Anthony Davis pulled out of the contest with a shoulder injury.
The Mavericks coach told EPSN: "Let's be honest. He should be at the All-Star Game and Dirk should be home. I mean, that's the way this should be going. I'm assuming they go by the vote count, and Dirk may have had one more vote than Monta or something like that. But Monta Ellis should be in the All-Star game.
"He's a tremendous player, and if it continues like this, he may be known as the best player that never made an All-Star game. He is that good. But I really do believe down the road he's got a lot more chances to get in there.
"I'm really disappointed that he's not there, because this was his year to be there after all the things he's done. He's leading the team in minutes played and points, and he's made more big shots down the stretch of games than anybody on the team. And Dirk's made a lot, too. Dirk is certainly deserving. Don't get me wrong. But Monta, this was his time to be there."
Ellis has scored an average of 17.4 points in his appearances for the Mavericks this season.
Sian Cowper
