Keon Ellis’ numbers don’t jump off the page. For the season he’s averaging just 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks in only 11.8 minutes a game. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that when Ellis gets time, he will make an impact.
In last night’s two point victory against the San Antonio Spurs, Ellis came in and played 17 minutes, scoring 11 points to go with 3 rebounds and 2 steals. He was also a team-high +15. The night before against the Lakers he was a +17 in nearly 14 minutes.
Ellis’ ability to come in and make an impact, particularly defensively, hasn’t gone unnoticed by both the fanbase and his teammates.
“When Keon steps on the court good things happen,” De’Aaron Fox said. “He’s a defensive playmaker, he makes things happen on the defensive end. He’s a much better shooter than people give him credit for. We have the confidence in him to shoot the ball.”
Sabonis added, “He’s been amazing. He’s poised. He comes out and just plays the right way. Doesn’t force anything. He’s great on the defensive side of the ball.”
Defense is one of this team’s biggest Achilles heels, so it becomes particularly noticeable when a player like Ellis comes in and makes plays on that end. At nearly 6’5 but with a 6’8.5″ wingspan, Ellis has length and quickness to cover multiple players and make timely switches and closeouts. Last night against the Spurs, Devin Vassell scored 30 points; none of those came with Ellis guarding him. In fact, the only player who did manage to score on Ellis last night was Jeremy Sochan, who went 1-4 despite having a couple inches of height and 30 pounds on Ellis.
Offensively, Ellis doesn’t bring a ton of firepower to the table, but he’s also not going to kill you on that end. For the season he’s shooting 37.8% from three on 2.2 attempts a game, and he’s also a willing passer. He doesn’t force much offensively, either taking open catch and shoot jumpers or moving the ball. But the Kings don’t need Ellis to be an offensive dynamo; They have plenty of weapons on that end. What they don’t have are many playmakers on the other side of the ball and this is where Ellis can carve out a niche for himself.
Ellis’ playing time has been sporadic this season, dating to his time as a two-way player before the Kings signed him to a three-year contract back in February. He’s gone from starting games to DNP-CD for weeks at a time. Part of that’s just the logjam the Kings have at guard: De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter are heavy rotation players, and then there’s Davion Mitchell (who has also been playing well of late) and the occasional minutes from Chris Duarte too.
But it’s becoming clear that Ellis should have a more consistent role and spot in the rotation for what he’s able to provide on the defensive end of the ball. Coach Brown has been using more three guard lineups of late to get Ellis in there these last couple games and it’s worked well:
Sacramento have rolled out a lot of three guard lineups these last two games:
Mitchell/Monk/Ellis (15 mins): 123.5 ORTG — 97.0 DTRG
Fox/Monk/Ellis (60 mins): 115.5 ORTG — 109.4 DRTG
Fox/Monk/Mitchell (47 mins): 109.5 ORTG — 125.0 DRTG— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) March 8, 2024
After last night’s game, Coach Brown praised Ellis and the rest of the bench and said the following: “I’m going to try and keep putting guys and this team in a position to win, and if you earn a right to play, I am going to throw you out there.”
It’s just one man’s humble opinion but to me, Keon Ellis has more than earned the right to play.
Concur 1000%. even though it’s not possible to actually do more than 100%.
I’ve like Ellis since his first summer league a couple of years ago, and just love how smartly he operates on defense. Against LA, he annoyed DeAngelo Russell so much that Russell just shoved Ellis out of the way on one possession, and got called for a charge. As I like to say when he comes in, “Get ’em, Keon.”
And his numbers are going to improve on the offensive side. He left Alabama as a lights-out shooter, and I’m hoping he takes more shots when he’s in position to do so. He’s a smart player, and he’s not going to start Jordan Poole-ing all over the place.
The kid is a real asset, and may make it possible to free up some money in the guard rotation come summer.
I agree 100.01%
I especially like “Jordan Pooing all over the place”
The beauty is that opponents may key on Sabonis, they may key on Fox, they may even key on Fox. But they will never Keon Ellis.
Terrible. One thumbs up for you.
Who’s doing what now?
In the scoring of the front office, the Ellis signing (which occurred about 10 seconds after 2022 draft ended) has turned out to be a very nice feather in their cap.
Seems to me, that for some time, many a poster here had been; asking for more Keon minutes, jazzed that he performed well in the minutes he did get, and then puzzled by the DNP-CD he received.
I am glad for more excitement around making Keon Ellis a permanent staple of the rotation as he continues to perform – but am also perplexed as to why it took this long to get him out there consistently in the first place.
Kudos to him for rising to the challenge.
I don’t think Huerter is a good match defensively with the starting unit. His inability to stay in front of the opponent combined with the lack of rim protection is a bad combo.
Overall, I don’t think his contributions outweigh his deficiencies.
Start Keon, give Huerter some minutes off the bench and if his shot looks off sit him quick.
Keon gives the starting unit more of what it lacks; perimeter defense, the little winning plays, toughness, ability to affect a game without shots, etc.
And those shots that would go to Huerter can go to Murray.
That is the key piece, for me, in getting Keegan more involved. Let him run more of the DHO and P/R that Kevin might be doing instead.
Kevin can come in off the bench and just try to get hot for spurts.
Especially when he can defensively take the pressure off Murray i Keegan more time on offense.
If I recall correctly, Keon earned minutes in the first Fox absence against Houston in “garbage time”, and played very well for a couple of weeks. He then picked up a Tech and was subsequently ejected from the game, and from the rotation. He played sparingly for almost a month or so, which was a ridiculous coaching decision, imo.
The team needs defense, the coach always says they need to defend better, yet he wasn’t playing one of their best defenders for long stretches of the season.
Keep Keon in there and let’s see what he can do the rest of the season.
I agree, very confusing. Do you want better defense or not?
This is one area where I completely question Brown.
And Keon is a good shooter too, so it’s not like playing KZ Okpala to start last season. He gives solid offense while being a good defender, with good size.
Mind boggling.
Wildly off topic from discussion here, But looking for tips and advice, for my birthday im taking my wife and kids to the memphis game on the 18th. My 10 year old daughter loves the kings and i fully expect her to cheer with me the whole game. my 12 year old daughter is way more interested in the experience. Has anyone brought their kids before and can drop some advice on what to expect? we are going to be section 216 so in the upper area, but row B so still a great view.
Any tips? things to make sure i do with them?
If you can get there early you can walk the concourse – that experience and buzz alone should be really cool for your daughters if they have never been. Maybe peruse the team store. The pre-game talking heads are right inside the main entry doors, and they might like trying to get on camera.
I have found the food options in the arena to be both good and reasonably priced (when you factor in the venue). The beer prices are insane, but that better not be a problem as it pertains to your girls, Kevin.
If it’s a good game, the vibe will carry them both through. The arena can be ARCO arena loud at times, and there’s usually something going on during the timeouts with Slamson or the dancers to keep your girls engaged.
If it’s their first game, recall your first game (mine was a Giants game with my pops and the opening of the mezzanine doors at Candlestick was a Wizard of Oz moment for me). It’s magical, right? Just keep ’em fed and hydrated and let them take you on the adventure. It’s what life is all about. Consume every second of it!
What do you recommend parking wise?
Parkwhiz app
I like 829 J, but I’m in Rocklin & that lot puts my on the proper side of the exodus. The Old Sac. garage on the railroad museum end served me well during the NCAAs.
I use SacPark. There are so many options but it all comes down to where you are coming from and/or how you want to leave.
awesome, thanks for the tips Rob, i’ll be sure to report back.
And i totally agree, first major sports events are unforgettable.
thanks for keeping it in perspective
We did this last year with our 10-yo son. There are quite alot to experience. We did the photo booth and got a “First Kings Game” certificate from one of desks setup there. There were a few more pre-game stuff going on but we didn’t have time to check all of it. I was pleasantly surprised.
Wear edible shoes and enjoy yourselves, Kevin!
SacPark app, use the Old Sac garage, arrive early for the outdoor vibe which is real nice at sunset.
You could also park near a light rail station and take the train to and from, I like the Butterfield station. Drops you off at G1C’s back door and the train will be full of fans. If you have an overtime game you have to watch the train schedule closely.
The team store at DOCO (not inside G1C) is kind of fun, people like to gaze in there for a few minutes, they have a kid’s section. I can kills some time in there before I go in for sure.
I usually eat before going in and just buy one drink while there. I don’t really care about the food there anymore, I’ve been to a lot of games.
Looking back I think much of the “walking around fun” is now outside. Inside, if you hang out near the front doors by the broadcast area during pregame you can sometimes see a player doing a promotion, Kevin Heurter was welcoming fans the last game I went to, it was probably 45 minutes before kick off. Morgan Ragan seems to like interacting with fans so you might pay attention at the broadcast center, your kids might like that.
The front row of the second level is actually a pretty good view. There is that one set of escalators with all the artwork that’s kind of groovy. Otherwise there isn’t much of interest on the concourse as I maybe once thought. I tend to poke around outside until the last second and then walk in, the vibe outside is great. They did a great job with the whole “public gathering space”, it evolved over the first few seasons and now it’s a fantastic feature IMHO.
Sorry for spamming, but I’m posting this gif every game in the hope MB does not invoke his mysterious DNP-CD calls
Well, I just hope he dosn’t fall into the MB rotation Bermuda Triangle, where a player has a good stretch of games then inexplicably vanishes from the rotation.
I am rooting for Keon. I’ve been waiting(!) for the Kings to hit on 2nd rounders or undrafted players a la the Heat. Giving away IT still hurts my soul
I’m happy Keon is getting his flowers. I’m more of a casual fan and watch when I can try to catch a game when I’m up in Sac but I never really understood why he wasn’t playing. The scouting report was “great shooter with nice length and defensive intensity” basically. And it seemed pretty obvious that this was exactly the player we were desperate for…sometimes the simple solution is the best one.
Really pumped that Monte gave him an absolute steal of a deal (for the kings…hope he gets some sweet endorsements and can make some money!)
give some credit to Will Griffith for discovering Keon, albeit in an unintended way. Will told us all to check out Tari Eason’s game against Alabama which was an insane highlight reel for Tari. However there was this unknown Alabama guy who stole the ball from him 3 times, and got into it a bit with him after Tari decked him at half court going for a steal (and decked another Alabama player with an elbow), and then made a bunch of plays in the closing minute to win the game. Who was that guy?
Keon definitely deserves a better role, but with Davion suddenly turning competent on offense this team is swimming in guards-with-limitations. Maybe because I grew up in a hockey town, but I’m in favor of doing energy swapping a lot more than most NBA teams have ever done – your #3 guy on fresh legs is likely better than your #2 on tired legs – and a more proper rotation on the Huerter-Davion-Ellis axis would definitely be worth a shot. If someone gets a hot hand by all means let them stay in but otherwise just see what is working.
yeah, coach Brown has plenty of good options, depending on the night, the matchups, who’s playing well, etc.
fun fact: Davion is shooting 49% from three in the last 21 games since he was put back in the rotation.
Saying there’s a “rotation” with Heurter is a bit disingenuous, at the moment. He’s just a starter. When he comes out of the game, he comes out of the game. I don’t see his shelf life as a King to be a very long one at this point if things continue the way they are.
I love me some Ellis….. Keon’s lookin pretty sharp too.
Username
checks outstill is 3 Ellises short.LOL. Another classic.
Y’all came in through Ellis Island?
Trivia to just kick this around:
https://champsorchumps.us/records/best-nba-regular-season-records-to-miss-playoffs
The best records to miss the playoffs.
Notice that it goes as high as a 49 win season; a 50’win team has never missed the playoffs. Of course, the Play-In just adds a new wrinkle to that statistic.
Keon’s defense on Branham, meeting him at half-court, is what led to the Sabonis steal.
He had to call out Collins which allowed Sabonis to pounce. There is no stat for that but I’m sure everyone noticed. I bet Pop wished he called a time out after Monk’s three.
Some of the best defenders in the league don’t show up in box scores, and I kind of like that. The stats of guys like Thybulle, Caruso, Dort, Herb Jones, etc. don’t jump off the page but I’m damn certain the very valuable to their team.
Will it finally be the Kings turn to find an undrafted gem?
OKC has Dort, Lakers have Reeves (and had Caruso), Minny has Naz Reid, Pels have Alvarado AND Marshall, and Miami makes a living on drafted players. Hopefully Ellis is our guy!
Also, is there no better time to be an undrated player in this league. They seem to be making an impact more than ever. The second round is for chumps!
Keon’s emergence has been valuable for this team, and come playoff time, might help the team advance to the second round. all of the sudden, the Kings are deep at the guard position, including two defensive specialists. let’s take a look at some of the possible playoff matchups: (Booker, Ant-Man, Shai, Jamal Murray, Curry, McCollum, Kyrie). um, yeah. nice to have Keon as an option.
Keon and Davion both have been playing really well of late. 40+ points and improved defensive results off the bench night in and night out is a really solid gear to have going in to the playoffs.
Badge Legend