How the unlikely emergence of Keon Ellis has become a key to the Sacramento Kings’ season

Harrison Barnes drove into the lane on Paolo Banchero and couldn’t get a shot on the 6-foot-10 forward. He kicked the ball out to Keon Ellis hoping to salvage a stalled possession in a crucial moment for the Sacramento Kings.

Ellis waited for Barnes to come set a screen along the right wing. Ellis dribbled to his left and the Orlando Magic defense switched, putting Banchero on Sacramento’s second-year guard. Ellis saw the shot clock winding down and realized he didn’t have time to get the ball back to Barnes, who had just posted up against 6-foot-2 guard Cole Anthony in a clear mismatch.

Ellis realized he had to make a play. He dribbled to his left, took an exaggerated step back and, with a foot on the 3-point line, made a long, contested jumper over Banchero. It gave the Kings a 106-101 lead with 1:59 remaining in a game they would eventually win 109-108 on Saturday night in Orlando.

“He’s knocked down big shots before and we want him to keep shooting if he has any daylight at all,” Kings coach Mike Brown said afterwards.

Ellis finished the night with a career-best 19 points while hitting four 3-pointers. He added five rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in 37 active minutes. He earned the team’s defensive player of the game crown while continuing to carve out a role for himself down the stretch of Sacramento’s season.

Ellis’ emergence has been one of the most encouraging developments of the Kings’ up-and-down campaign. The timing has coincided with a shoulder injury to Kevin Huerter that is likely to keep Ellis in Sacramento’s starting lineup for the foreseeable future. Huerter suffered a torn labrum and a dislocated left shoulder, which could end his season if he opts for surgery.

“Hitting a shot like that,” Brown said of Ellis’ clutch basket, “can help any young man, especially a young man that’s just getting his footing in this league.”

Said Ellis: “It’s definitely, definitely huge for me going down the road. We have another stretch of tough games, so I definitely think it’s huge to roll into those with the confidence going.”

Defensive skills

Making a tough shot in a critical situation was notable given what happened two nights earlier in Washington, D.C. Ellis turned down open 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of the Kings’ loss to the Wizards, owners of the NBA’s worst record, which led to Brown reiterating a message to his team that’s been prevalent since he took the job before last season.

“What bothered me the most offensively (in Washington) is we passed up some shots,” Brown said. “And we want all of our guys to let it fly, and Keon was one guy who passed up a few. And tonight he didn’t hesitate at all. If he had an open look, he let it go, so that was a big thing offensively.”

For the season, Ellis is shooting 39% from 3-point range while earning praise from his coaches and teammates for what he brings defensively. Ellis went into Saturday’s contest with 21 steals and eight blocks in 10 previous games during March.

“I think he’s been preparing and waiting for this moment, just to be able to show on a consistent basis what he can do,” Barnes said. “There’s some things he does out there, the steals he makes, the blocks he makes ... it’s been great to see him continue to do that and show that consistently.”

Makes the most of opportunity

Kings players have said what Ellis is doing hasn’t surprised them. He has made the most of his opportunity with Sacramento despite going undrafted from Alabama after two years in junior college at Florida Southwestern. He was on a two-way contract bouncing from G-League Stockton to Sacramento until he signed a standard NBA contract in February, making him a full-time NBA player.

With Ellis getting more than 20 minutes of playing time in Sacramento’s last seven games, his defensive chops are making a difference. The Kings during that span are second in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing just 102.7 points per 100 possessions.

“His skill set is unique,” Brown said. “I’ve been in the league 37 years and I can’t fully grasp it because he’s so young, but he plays like an old soul. And his feel is like an old soul. But he’s probably a little bit quicker than you think, a little bit more athletic than you think, arms are a little longer than you think, and his feel and anticipation, hands — it’s early but they might be second to nobody.”

On Saturday, Ellis had about 75 friends and family members at Saturday’s game who made the trip from Ellis’ hometown of Leesburg, Florida, which is 50 miles west of Orlando.

“A lot of people dream of things like this,” Ellis said. “It’s definitely big for me. I wanted to go out and have a big performance, especially at home.”