Round 1 - SCORING: Both Ellis and Williams can fill it up in their own way. Williams has a reliable J (especially from deep) and can net 20 on occasion by using his head to exploit a defense. Ellis is more about using his speed and quickness to blow by defenders to the cup. However, playing with LeBron and Shaq, Williams won’t be afforded many opportunities to do so. On the other hand, as the featured guy in Don Nelson’s breakneck system, Ellis will likely see 20-25 points on the regular. Schemes aside, Ellis is the more gifted offensive player who is a dependable jumpshot away from being a 25-ppg scorer. Winner: ELLIS

Round 2 - FLOOR GAME: Both guys are cast as point guards for their respective teams, but neither is one in the traditional sense. Like most 1.5s, their job for most of their career has been to bring the ball across the line and then get theirs. Once again, the Warriors’ open system, unlike Williams’ more structured Cleveland system (not to mention LeBron), allows Ellis to showcase other facets of his game more. We have little doubt Williams’ production would go up in Golden State and vice-versa for Ellis in Cleveland, but for now, this one belongs to Ellis. Winner: ELLIS

Round 3 - DEFENSE: We’d like to make this close, but like Shaq vs. Mark Madsen in a dance-off, this matchup was one-sided. Williams is often asked to shadow the opposition’s playmaking guard and he does it doggedly. Ellis’ lack of bulk pits him at a disadvantage against burlier 1s like Baron Davis who can and will post him up whenever they please. Playing in Nellie’s freewheeling scheme certainly doesn’t help, but for all his athletic gifts, Ellis hasn’t been able to translate them onto the defensive end. Winner: WILLIAMS

Round 4 - CLUTCH: Performing when it counts is tough to quantify for someone as young as Ellis who hasn’t seen many close and/or meaningful games in his previous four seasons since making the jump from high school. He’ll be afforded many chances this season to make a mark, as the ball will undoubtedly be in his hands down the stretch. With #23 as a teammate, Williams won’t have as many looks as Ellis, but he’ll have his opportunities when defenses collapse on James in the critical moments. He’s proven to come up big in the past with Milwaukee and we seem to think he’s got the better make-up for the big moment. Winner: WILLIAMS

Round 5 - LEADERSHIP: With the whole trade-me demands followed by the stripping of his captaincy, Stephen Jackson’s questionable actions have left a void in the Warriors’ leadership. Whether Ellis fills that hole remains to be seen. As the team’s best player, all eyes will be on him, but it’s never a guarantee. Williams, flanked by LeBron and Shaq, seems to be overshadowed, but going into his second year with the team and an All-Star season under his belt, he’ll undoubtedly feel more comfortable handling the reins from time to time. Winner: WILLIAMS

THE VERDICT The Ellis-Williams battle boiled down to talent vs. the things that are harder to quantify. There’s little doubt that Ellis is the superior player from the standpoint of natural skill, but Williams holds the edge in the categories that are based more on effort, focus and experience. While Ellis has the potential to be a perennial All-Star, we give the slight nod to Williams, who is the type of player that makes a championship team.