While the Sacramento Kings suffered a tough loss to the Celtics on New Year's Day, there were some big positives in the game. A major one was Keon Ellis, who had a great showing on both offense and defense. Once again, he proved his value to the Kings and how big he could be for the team.
As part of the upcoming rebuild, the Kings are looking to addt reliable 3&D players to bolster their defensive presence and space the floor better. The crazy part is they have a player like that in Keon Ellis, who is one of the league's best young 3&D players out there today.
There's no question that Ellis has a consistency issue, tending to run really hot and cold. Part of the reason for that is the inconsistent development he has gotten, not to mention his ill-defined role on the team. It doesn't help that the current head coach, Doug Christie, doesn't want to work with him.
When Keon is on, he's on, and he was definitely on against the Celtics. In almost 27 minutes, he scored 16 points on six of 10 shooting from the field and three of six from the three-point arc. Plus, he had one rebound, one assist, and one steal.
Keon Ellis matters to the Kings
Look, those aren't the best stats, but it's impossible to deny that he had a solid night of shooting. And while the numbers don't reflect this, Ellis did play well on defense against the Celtics. Not everything a player like him does is reflected by the stats.
With Zach LaVine still out injured, it's likely that Ellis will continue to pick up more minutes. To be more precise, Keon should continue to pick up more minutes regardless of LaVine's injury status. The Kings need his shooting, but they need his defense even more.
Plus, Ellis needs the time to both find his rhythm and grow his consistency on the court. If the Kings put that effort in, they'll have the 3&D player they're looking for without having to negotiate a major trade involving one of the most compelling young prospects in the league.
Wherever Ellis ends up, he will be a key part of that team. Hopefully, the Kings have the foresight to see that and don't make the bad long-term decision to let him walk. For now, what matters is that Keon Ellis makes good use of the minutes he does get.