Kings guard could gain “national” attention, according to NBA expert

The Sacramento Kings fell short to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener at the Golden1 Center by just two points. Mike Brown’s team will look to bounce back against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday and will need depth to face an LA team playing for the second night in a row.

On the bench of the Kings, the guard stands out Keon Ellisa player who burst onto the scene earlier this year following an injury to himself Kevin Huerter. After stepping up to the plate last season, CBS Sports analyst Colin Ward-Henninger sees Ellis as the best candidate for the new NBA season.

On a roster full of established talent, Ellis seems like the most likely candidate to become a more household name in NBA national circles. He has the inside track as the starting shooting guard in a lineup full of scoring talent, so Ellis’ offensive numbers probably won’t jump off the page, but his defensive contributions (chasing Steph Curry all over court), basketball IQ and timely shooting make him a key role in Sacramento’s offense.

– Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports

While Ellis lost his starting spot to Huerter before the season began, his impact on the field will not be lost. Huerter plays the spaceman role for the Kings and helps draw defenders to the perimeter to make room for slashers like De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan. On the other hand, Ellis is a defensive specialist who will certainly help close out games when needed.

Keon Ellis talks about how he approaches returning to a bench role after filling in as a starter, what he sees from the Timberwolves with the loss of Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and the excitement of closing out the season tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/fErgoryb7i

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) October 23, 2024

Even though he stands out on one side of the court, Ellis is still an effective shooter. Last year, Ellis made 42 percent of his three-point attempts while playing alongside Fox and Domantas Sabonis. If he can maintain this number, he will surely gain more and more confidence from the coaching staff.

In the season opener, Ellis only logged 11 minutes, but still managed to grab two steals and two points in limited minutes. For a team that needs to focus on rushing defense, Ellis is a tool that shouldn’t be left out by Mike Brown. Keep an eye on how much playing time Ellis gets when he faces a serious Lakers team that’s off to a 2-0 start in October.

Keon Ellis must play more than 11 minutes

— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) October 25, 2024

The Kings will take on the Lakers at 7:30 pm PT.

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