Monta Ellis was so far in the dumps after the New York game, his body language so telling, that Scott Skiles felt compelled to have a talk Tuesday with the newest Buck.

"He's a little down right now because his shot isn't going in for him," the coach said. "I told him he's too good a player to get down."

It's good that Ellis is conscientious to the point that he said he felt he let the team down Monday night in a really bad loss to the Knicks. He took responsibility for his 2-of-14 shooting in a game that the Bucks needed to have against the shorthanded team just north of them in the standings. You want a guy who cares.

But only to a point.