Despite the constant rumors of the Kings wanting to trade him and Doug Christie’s reported dislike of the young player, Keon Ellis played an incredible game for the Sacramento Kings last night. His defensive prowess was on full display, further proving how ridiculous trading him is.
Facing off against the Denver Nuggets for the fourth time in less than two months, fans expected a tough fight. And they got one. Nikola Jokic and friends went to work, ultimately defeating the Kings 136 to 105. Keep in mind Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and Dennis Schroder were all injured.
That meant other players got increased playing time, including Keon Ellis. The Kings’ young 3&D guard has struggled to find minutes, reportedly due to Doug Christie’s lack of belief in him. Scott Perry has tried to distance the organization from this rumor, but it’s not going well.
Last night was the first time that Ellis not only got big minutes with the Kings but also had good usage. The Kings put him to work on defense and got him shots at the three-point line. In return, he gave them what might have been his best performance of the season so far.
Keon Ellis does what Keon Ellis does
In over 31 minutes of play, Ellis collected eight points, two rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block. His shooting wasn’t great, only three for nine from the field and one for seven from three. But he can be forgiven for that since he needs more reps to get his three-point stroke back in shape.
Honestly, it was just nice to see him on the court and taking shots. The more time and chances the Kings give him, the better he is going to get. Sacramento has talked about needing good 3&D players, yet they already have one in Keon Ellis, provided they develop him properly.
Even more impressive are his defensive stats. After Keegan Murray, Ellis is considered to be the next best defender on the team. It’s hard to show that when you spend most of your time on the bench. In the court time he got against the Nuggets, he certainly proved he’s got the chops the Kings need.
It’s getting harder and harder to justify trading Keon Ellis, given how much potential he has and how many boxes he ticks on the Kings’ rebuild checklist. A rebuild doesn’t have to mean getting rid of everyone. Sometimes, it can mean utilizing current assets better.