2 Things Kings fans should root for, 2 to root against to close the season
By Elaine Blum
Kings fans should root for continued growth from Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis
Losing two of your main players to serious injuries amid the final stretch of the playoff race is terrible. It might even keep the Kings out of the playoffs. If you want to find a bright spot in this situation, it is the opportunities opening up for some of the younger players.
Keon Ellis is the poster child for making the best of every chance he gets. Early in the season, Coach Mike Brown didn’t like what he was seeing from Davion Mitchell and gave Ellis a chance. He capitalized, earned himself a standard NBA contract, and now has a chance to start in Kevin Huerter’s place.
Ellis has been a revelation defensively and just keeps getting better with every game. With Malik Monk out as well now, he will get more looks offensively as well. Whether you are a Keon Ellis fan or not, every Kings fan should root for continued development from him.
Not only could it help the Kings stay afloat for the rest of the season but it will also be important for their future. Ellis is on an incredibly cheap contract and is looking more and more like the kind of 3-and-D player Mike Brown likes to have around his main guys.
If developed correctly, he could be a big part of this Kings team for a while and make it much more bearable to lose Huerter or Mitchell in a potential trade this summer because he is ready to step in and contribute to winning basketball.
Ellis isn’t the only one getting a huge chance, however. With Monk, the Kings’ lost their third-leading scorer, their third star if you will. Someone has to pick up the slack, and it should be Keegan Murray. This is his chance to show that he truly has the All-Star potential the Kings’ front office believes he has.
He will get more touches offensively, more chances to score, and more opportunities to make plays. Despite some shooting struggles, Murray has already come a long way this season, improving significantly as a defender and expanding his offensive arsenal. Hopefully, he will continue that growth over this final stretch and get one step closer to being the third All-Star the Kings so desperately need.