A King's revival: The importance of Keon Ellis

Why Keon Ellis should start for the Sacramento Kings...

Following a last-minute loss to the Detroit Pistons, Coach Mike Brown, recipient of the Coach of the Year award for the 2022/23 season, was fired by the Sacramento Kings.

After a woeful start to the season, the Kings could only manage a meager 13-18 record at the time of Mike Brown’s firing. Although many fans and fellow coaches were outraged by the Kings’ decision to part ways with their head coach, his departure allowed for a shadowed young guard to come into the light.

The appointment of former Kings player Doug Christie as the new head coach saw some changes to the rotation. The primary beneficiary of these changes is Keon Ellis, the 3rd year guard out of Alabama, who saw an increase from 19 minutes a night under Mike Brown to 29 minutes under Coach Christie. This includes an electrifying performance in a double-overtime win to the Miami Heat, in which Ellis recorded 48 minutes, tallying 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block on 55% from the field (6/11).

The Kings overcame a game-high 17-point deficit in the 4th quarter, much thanks to back-to-back triples from Ellis, which cut the lead down to 9 with just under 7 minutes left in the game. Ellis was a game-best +14 in this period.

However, the point of discussion amongst Kings fans has not been Ellis’ offensive production but rather his eager and hounding defensive presence. Keon finished the game with 3 steals, 1 block, and 14 deflections, a testament to his unwavering and pestering playstyle on the defensive end.

On the topic of defense, out of all 5-man lineups for the Kings this season with at least 48 minutes played, Ellis features in 3 of the top 5 for DEFRTG (defensive rating). This includes the best lineup by defensive rating, with a staggering 91.3 DEFRTG. Moreover, Ellis is also part of the top three lineups for NETRTG (net rating). If that isn’t enough, Ellis also takes part in the best Kings lineup by plus/minus with an impressive +76.4. However, this lineup was only on the floor together for 12 total minutes this season.

With a regression in Kevin Huerter’s play, who is shooting a career low 31.5% from beyond the arc, the Kings should look to further increase Ellis’ minutes and implement him as a regular in the rotation. Sacramento should even consider starting Ellis, who is a +47 in his 8 starts this season, with the Kings’ record being 6-2 in those games.

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