How an undrafted player helped Kings transform their defense into one of the NBA’s best

Kings guard Keon Ellis came off the bench to play the final 76 seconds in a season-opening win over the Utah Jazz and did not play at all in the next three games, but the situation in Sacramento has changed.

Ellis, an undrafted player from Alabama who was still on a two-way contract in February, will be in the starting lineup when the Kings try to punch their ticket to the playoffs Friday night in New Orleans.

Ellis was thrust into the lineup after Kevin Huerter suffered a season-ending injury. He has played a big part in Sacramento’s defensive transformation over the past two months and he will play a key role when the Kings face the New Orleans Pelicans in a play-in tournament elimination game at Smoothie King Center.

“Keon Ellis, the confidence he has and the swag he brings to this team for a young guy who was on a two-way in February, it’s unbelievable, but it’s a lot of fun to watch,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “He just goes out — night after night after night after night — and shows he can help us get it done on both ends of the floor.”

Brown was asked about Ellis’ readiness as the Kings prepared to play the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the play-in tournament Tuesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Ellis did not play when the Kings lost to the Warriors in a first-round playoff series last season, but now he was being asked to defend future Hall of Famers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

“Keon’s done a fantastic job adjusting to his new role,” Brown said. “He’s not afraid of the moment and he has been ready since Day 1, so I think Keon will be ready to step up tonight and play his role.”

Ready, willing and able.

Ellis finished with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range with four rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocked shots in a 118-94 whipping of the Warriors. Curry was held to 22 points and Thompson went scoreless on 0-of-10 shooting.

Ellis, a long and athletic 6-foot-3 guard with a 6-8 ½ wingspan, was named the team’s defensive player of the game.

“He does things to guys that you don’t really see guys in the league do,” Brown said. “... We saw signs of it early. There was no way I could tell you he’d be in the position he’s in right now, but every time we give him an opportunity, he just keeps getting better and better.”

Teammates praised Ellis for rising to the occasion.

“That was kind of his first big game in a way,” Kings forward Keegan Murray said. “... He wasn’t shying away from the moment.”

Ellis moved into the starting lineup after Huerter suffered a torn labrum that required season-ending surgery. The Kings were dealt another big blow 11 days later when Malik Monk went down with a sprained MCL.

Ellis started the last 15 games of the season, averaging 9.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 47.2% from the field and 44.6% from 3-point range. His ability to make shots is important to the team’s floor spacing, but his defense has been a game changer for Sacramento.

The Kings ranked No. 18 in defensive rating before the All-Star break (116.1). They ranked ninth after the All-Star break (110.9) and sixth in the 15 games Ellis started at the end of the season (108.8).

“Obviously, when guys go down, it’s hard to just fill in that type of scoring, two guys (Huerter and Monk) who basically average 15 points,” Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “Thirty points a game, gone. It’s like where does it come from, but I think since they’ve been out, having someone like Keon stepping into that starting lineup and being able to guard the best guys in this league, and doing a great job on guys as well, obviously helps us as a whole.”

Brown credited Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox for bringing Ellis into the organization on a two-way contract and converting him to a standard NBA contract on Feb. 10.

“I’m excited about his growth potential,” Brown said. “It’s great that he performed on a stage like this and everybody out there in the NBA world is starting to know who he is, but sometimes you’ve got to find diamonds in the rough.

“To find guys like that who can be impactful whether they’re a starter or even a rotational player, it’s huge,” Brown said. “I give Monte and Wes a lot of credit because he’s helped us tremendously, and obviously he’s going to have an opportunity to help us going forward for many years.”