For all the talk from the Sacramento Kings about needing a defensive identity, the coaches sure don't seem to like playing Keon Ellis. The fan favorite player is one of the best defenders on the team, yet he can't get on the court. And judging by the last home game, the fans are tired of it.
“We want Keon” chants for Keon Ellis at Golden 1 Center. pic.twitter.com/95gFTkRwB5
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) November 10, 2025
The last two games have seen the Kings utterly dominated by OKC and the Timberwolves. Their next game is unlikely to produce a victory either as they're taking on the Nuggets, potentially without Domantas Sabonis. There is talk that his rib injury is still causing him problems.
That means that Drew Eubanks may start and will probably draw the unenviable assignment of defending Nikola Jokic. Eubanks has proven to be a competent backup to Sabonis, though he is a better defender than he is a scorer. Still, Jokic is going to eat Drew alive.
To even make a game of of it, Sacramento is going to have to mount some sort of defense. Eubanks will not be able to hold Jokic back on his own. As such, the Kings are going to need all of their best defenders in the mix. For some reason, that hasn't been the case for Keon Ellis.
The Kings keep making the same mistake
Despite head coach Doug Christie's claims that defense is the new focus for the Kings, Ellis has sat on the bench for six of the last eight quarters. He has only gotten minutes in the fourth quarter, after each beatdown has been out of reach. Still, the Sactown faithful are always happy to see him.
Keon Ellis gets a huge ovation when his name is announced.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) November 10, 2025
Like everyone else, Sacramento fans cannot figure out why Ellis is riding the bench so much. He can be a sparkplug on offense, and is key to the Kings' defensive presence, such as it is. Yet, the fans literally have to demand Ellis gets subbed into the game by name before he gets time.
Christie has been trying to play this off in the media as part of the plan. From the outside, there doesn't seem to be much of a plan in place. The Kings are arguably worse on defense than they've ever been, allowing 276 points against them in the last two games.
Keon Ellis alone isn't going to turn the tide. The Kings' problems are much bigger than one player can solve. At the same time, it makes no sense to leave such a talented defensive presence on the bench when your team is struggling to even be competitive.