Kings' Mike Brown Sounds Off on Keon Ellis After Win vs. Bucks
After coming up short in the fifteen games against the Milwaukee Bucks before Tuesday night, the Sacramento Kings finally ended their eight-year losing streak against the franchise in a 94-129 win. It effectively takes the Kings ten wins above .500 at 37-27, strengthening their bid to secure a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
A big part of Tuesday's win was the defensive tenacity of second-year guard Keon Ellis. Keegan Murray was deemed inactive for this contest, ultimately giving Ellis the nod into the starting five. In 27 minutes, his counting stats finished at seven points, four rebounds, and four assists alongside three steals.
Head coach Mike Brown spoke after the game to praise Ellis's impact, describing that he has the potential to be a special defender in the NBA:
"He's got an uncanny ability to defend the pick and roll, to be a great weak side help defender, strong side help defender. He's really, really elusive and really quick back to the ball, and what people don't realize is how long his arms are. Then, he's got a motor where he just keeps pursuing, keeps pursuing, and keeps pursuing, and you need to have that relentless attitude if you want to be a great defender or an elite defender, and he definitely has it. I know there's probably somebody out there that I've been around that's been like him, not many guys though, but he has a chance to be a special defender...
I'm happy for him. I'm happy that he's stepping up. I'm happy that we rewarded him with a regular contract, and he's showing that he's more than worth what we gave him."
Ellis re-upped with the Kings in the middle of this season to a three-year deal that keeps him in town until the end of 2026 if Sacramento decides to accept his club option. As Brown sees it, the team got a bargain for their new perimeter lockdown.
Across the final quarter of this season, Ellis will need to continue to bring that intensity on the defensive end to help this Kings squad reach its full potential.
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