Keon Ellis got the minutes and gave Kings' fans exactly what they asked for

The Sacramento Kings just wrapped up a dismal home stand and are hitting the road for the next few games. Hopefully, they continue to give Keon Ellis better minutes because he showed up in a big way against the Hawks. It was the exact performance the fans demanded from him.

After a few games of Ellis riding the bench for 75% of each outing, Kings' fans had had enough. They quite literally started asking for him by name, the Golden 1 Center erupting when he finally got put in the game. Ellis definitely noticed that and appreciated the love.

It really shouldn't have come to that. Despite their supposed focus on defense, the Kings' coaching staff left Keon to ride the pine. He is definitely one of their top defenders, if not the best on the team. Only putting him in the game for "garbage time minutes" made little to no sense.

Those kinds of decisions are exactly what's driving fans nuts. It's hard to rationalize a defensive strategy that forces shooters to play defense and leaves defensive players on the bench. But that's exactly what the Kings have been doing, and it's shockingly illogical.

Keon Ellis hits the court

With Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Keegan Murray all out against the Hawks, Keon Ellis finally got some big minutes before the fourth quarter. In fact, he and Nique Clifford tied for the most minutes on the court for the Kings, each clocking out with 30:33.

Keon made the most of those minutes, too. He finished the game with 20 points and was the highest scorer for Sacramento. Ellis shot seven of 14 from the field and six of 11 from three. Weirdly, he didn't collect a single rebound but did get one assist and two steals.

Regardless of what the numbers show, Ellis played some reasonably solid defense, keeping in mind there's only so much one person can do. The whole team, which totaled seven steals, has to pitch in to make the defense effective. He was responsible for nearly 30% of the Kings' steals.

Ellis has what it takes to be a great player for the Kings. But he still needs time and reps to develop properly. Still, he has proven more than once that he can deliver when he's given the opportunity, which is why Kings' fans are more than happy to get vocal in support of him.