Fans React to Keon Ellis’ DNP in Kings Loss to Lakers

Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis logged zero minutes in Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mar 25, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) reviews a call with head coach Mike Brown during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings took a tough 127-131 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, falling to 0-2 to kick off their 2024-25 campaign.

The Kings have held their own against two of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, but good performances have turned into heartbreaking losses both times.

Sacramento's new big three of DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and De'Aaron Fox shined, combining for 80 points and 23 assists, so what prevented them from leaving L.A. with a win?

Many Kings fans have pointed fingers at sharpshooter Kevin Huerter, who dropped 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field but finished with a plus/minus of -29 through 26 minutes.

Huerter is put into the starting lineup to help with floor spacing, but with many defensive lapses in Saturday's loss, most of the fanbase has advocated for a more defensive-minded guard to take his place.

24-year-old guard Keon Ellis earned the starting spot in training camp following an impressive end to the 2023-24 season but lost the position when Huerter returned from injury. Many expected Ellis to make an impact off the bench, but Kings head coach Mike Brown made a blasphemous decision on Saturday.

Ellis, despite proving himself as one of the league's top up-and-coming guard defenders, logged zero minutes in Saturday's loss to the Lakers. For whatever reason, Ellis did not touch the court in a game where the Kings allowed 131 points, 44 in the fourth quarter.

Fans and media outlets were not so happy about this decision, as they went to X and voiced their frustrations:

Trying to figure out how Keon Ellis went from putting Steph into a torture chamber to being a healthy scratch

I understand the importance of spacing with the addition of a player who mostly eats within the midrange, but Keon is a career 42.2% shooter 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mUwtlWMpNy

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 27, 2024

How does Keon Ellis go from a starter down the stretch of last season — which drastically improved the defense to above the middle-of-the-pack — to getting 11 mins and a DNP the first two games of the season?

— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) October 27, 2024

I understand that the Lakers forwards/bigs were the main problem, but I still can't wrap my mind around the logic of not playing Keon Ellis at all last night.

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 27, 2024

Keon Ellis got DNP-CD’d in a game in which they allowed 131 points. I have a lot of rotation questions for the Kings right now. If I were an opposing GM I’d be calling them every 45 minutes asking if they’d trade Keon. https://t.co/dWn2PPhC78

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) October 27, 2024

Mike Brown is a great coach and I trust his judgement 99.99% of the time, but his treatment of Keon Ellis is so strange to me man I really don’t understand it

— 🐟 (@itsabestill) October 27, 2024

keon ellis being a healthy scratch tonight is mind boggling. what on earth are the kings thinking

— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) October 27, 2024

---

Follow Sacramento Kings on SI on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!