Kings Guard Could Earn 'National' Attention According to NBA Pundit

The Sacramento Kings have a hidden star on their roster heading into the 2024-25 NBA season.

Oct 9, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) pushes the ball up the court during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings fell short to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener at Golden1 Center by just two points. Mike Brown's crew will look to bounce back against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday and will need depth players to step up against an LA team playing for the second consecutive night.

Standing out on the Kings' bench is guard Keon Ellis, a player who burst onto the scene earlier this year following an injury to Kevin Huerter. After stepping up to the plate last season, CBS Sports analyst Colin Ward-Henninger sees Ellis as the top breakout candidate for the new NBA season.

On a roster full of established talent, Ellis seems like the most likely candidate to become a more familiar name around national NBA circles. He has the inside track as the starting shooting guard in a lineup filled with scoring talent, so Ellis' offensive numbers likely won't jump off the page, but his defensive contributions (chasing Steph Curry all around the court comes to mind), basketball IQ and timely shooting make him a key cog in Sacramento's attack.

- Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports

While Ellis did lose his starting spot to Huerter before the season tipped off, his impact on the court won't be lost. Huerter is playing the role as a spacer for the Kings and helps draw defenders to the perimeter to give room for slashers like De'Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan. On the other hand, Ellis is a defensive specialist who will surely help close out games when necessary.

Keon Ellis chats about how he approaches stepping back into a bench role after filling in as a starter, what he sees from the Timberwolves with the loss of Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, and the excitement to tip-off the season tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/fErgoryb7i

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) October 23, 2024

Even though he stands out on one side of the court, Ellis is still an efficient shooter. Last year, Ellis cashed in on 42% of his three-point attempts while playing alongside Fox and Domantas Sabonis. If he can keep that number up, he'll surely earn more and more trust from the coaching staff.

In the season opener, Ellis clocked only 11 minutes but still managed to grab two steals and two points in limited minutes. For a team that needs to be focused on fast-tempo defense, Ellis is a tool that shouldn't be put aside by Mike Brown. Keep an eye on how much game time Ellis gets when they take on a gritty Lakers squad that has started 2-0 this October.

Keon Ellis needs to be playing more than 11 minutes

— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) October 25, 2024

The Kings will tip off against the Lakers at 7:30 p.m. PT.

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