Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns and Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors, two 2005 summer league standouts in Las Vegas, have quickly become two of the games quickest and most lethal scorers at the guard position. Both players have been key pieces in helping to lead their teams to the post-season, with each collecting some hardware along the way.

Barbosa was recently awarded the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, becoming the fourth Suns’ player to win the award, joining Eddie Johnson, Danny Manning and Rodney Rogers. The award presented one day after Barbosa helped lead the Suns’ to a Game 1 victory in their opening round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, in which matched his playoff career-high 26 points.

Though his speed impressed everyone, most teams were worried about Barbosa’s almost non-existent English, his awkward-looking shot and the lack of competition he had seen in Brazil. The Suns’ and their former general manager Bryan Colangelo saw something special in Barbosa and felt as though he was one of the steals of the 2003 draft when he was taken with the 28th and final pick in the first round (a pick that had been acquired through a trade with the San Antonio Spurs).

At the 2005 summer league, Barbosa showed flashes of greatness, posting a high of 32 in one game and finishing with averages of 18.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists a game. He finished the summer eighth in scoring and was named second team All-Summer League.

This season, he averaged a career-high 18.1 points while shooting an impressive 43 percent from 3-point range. However, his stats continued to improve throughout the first round of the playoffs. Heading into Game 5 of the opening series, Barbosa was averaging 22 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals a night. He credits his recent success to Suns’ assistant coach Dan D’Antoni, brother of head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Dan D’Antoni joined the coaching staff two seasons ago, the summer in which Barbosa participated in summer league. “He’s such a good guy and needed someone in his corner,” said D’Antoni. “What I brought maybe was to slow him down a little bit. He got more sure of himself. That in turn made him a better player.” 

Barbosa is well liked by his teammates and coaches. “You get really privileged to coach certain (guys) and this is one of the good guys in the league,” said Mike. “I think this is the first step of a lot that he can do.”

In his native land of Brazil, Barbosa has achieved one-name status, known simply as “Leandro.” Although he’s not there quite yet in the US, he is being called the “Brazilian Blur” due to his blazing speed.

“I’m very happy,” said Barbosa. “I’ve never been happy like I am right now in my life.”

Monta Ellis, another standout from the 2005 summer league in Vegas, was also recently honored as the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Ellis edged out Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Martin, the third-leading scorer from the Vegas Summer League 2005, in the closest voting in the award’s history. 

Ellis is the second Golden State player selected in the second round to win the award in the past five years; Washington Wizard star Gilbert Arenas being the other.

Ellis made the jump straight from high school to the NBA back in 2005, in what now is the last prep-to-pro class. Like most prep stars, Ellis, who hails from Jackson, Miss’ Lanier High School, had visions of instant stardom in the NBA, however; he was not selected until the 40^th pick in the second round by the Golden State.

In his rookie season, Ellis averaged 6.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds under a different coach and a different system. With new coach Don Nelson taking the reigns last August, Ellis improved his numbers drastically, averaging 16.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds.

The jump from 6.8 points to 16.5 points was the largest in the NBA this season and most among second-year players; only New Orleans’ Chris Paul averaged more points per game at 17.2.

While playing at the summer league in 2005, Ellis averaged 15.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and being named second team All-Summer League in Vegas. 

“Playing in the (rookie) game (at the NBA’s Las Vegas All-Star Weekend), getting this award and making the playoffs in the same year, I really can’t explain it,” said Ellis. “I worked so hard this summer to put myself in this position to win this award, and I just want to thank everybody around me for giving me the opportunity and keeping me on my toes.”

Ellis started 53 games this past season and has excelled under Nelson’s style of play, with his slashing speed and quick release. 

“I think Monta is just scratching the surface, really,” Nelson said. “I gave him an opportunity, because he was one of my best players. That he was just 20-years-old didn’t matter to me, because he could flat-out play.” 

The Warriors have shown confidence in Ellis from day one throughout the organization; from the coaching staff to his teammates to upper level management.

“When we watched him come out of high school, he had a lot of things he’s showing now,” said Warriors top executive Chris Mullin. “Not as refined, but as a high-school player you always have to keep working and keep improving, and he’s done that.”

Leandro Barbosa and Monta Ellis were two players who flew under the radar, and now, after putting in the work in the off-season and being given the opportunity have begun to mature into stars. With such a deep draft this year, who will be this years Leandro Barbosa or Monta Ellis?