Kings Young Guard Duo Could Emerge as NBA Rising Stars

Despite an 0-3 start to the 2023 NBA preseason, the Sacramento Kings have many positives to take away from three consecutive losses. The All-NBA duo of G De'Aaron Fox and C Domantas Sabonis seem to pick up where they left off last season, with the supporting cast doing their jobs as well.

Besides the stars on this Kings squad, Sacramento fans have witnessed some of the young guys stepping up. Outside of sophomore F Keegan Murray, who has started almost every game as a King since entering the league, we have seen impressive preseason performances from two other young Kings:

G Keon Ellis

Keon Ellis, 23, has proven to be an elite two-way presence. In Sunday's loss to the Golden State Warriors, Ellis came in and scored 11 consecutive points in the fourth quarter for Sacramento.

While those were his only points of the night, Ellis shined on the defensive side of the ball, making multiple clutch stops to force the game into overtime. Ellis' clutch gene was on full display Sunday night despite a Kings loss.

Ellis played most of the 2022-23 NBA season for the Stockton Kings in the G League, averaging 16.8 points, 3.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on impressive 51/44/78 shooting splits.

If Ellis continues to play at the level he played in Sunday night's loss, he should see the court in regular-season action. The Kings coaching staff have told him how he can evolve his game and earn more opportunities if he can play both point guard and off-ball roles.

“They’ve talked about, if I show I can run the point then that adds a lot of opportunity just for me basketball wise.”

- Keon Ellis pic.twitter.com/wqLsc3E5Z1
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 16, 2023

G Colby Jones

Colby Jones, 21, was a highly-recognized prospect heading into the 2023 NBA Draft. Jones was seen as "NBA-ready" and a "Swiss army knife" by many scouts, but he managed to fall to the second round. The Kings ultimately traded up to the 34th overall pick to select Jones, and the rookie has shown promise ever since.

Jones, similar to Ellis, has shown elite tendencies on both sides of the ball. While Jones might not be the scorer that Ellis is, his playmaking, defense, and high IQ make up for it.

In Sunday's loss to the Warriors, Jones finished with eight points and two assists in just 15 minutes of action. Jones played a portion of the game with the second unit and looked impressive in that lineup.

Jones will need to continue to improve his jump shot, but his ability to make plays on offense and defense should earn him some regular season minutes.

Kings HC Mike Brown has switched between Jones and Ellis playing point guard, looking to get more opportunities for both of them. Jones told reporters how he feels about the position switch-off (via @James_HamNBA / X):

"It's been good, I feel like neither one of us has really played that position. It's been something new for both of us so we're kind of going through the same thing... Anywhere that I can come in and make an impact on the game and I know Keon's the same way. We're really just trying to go out there and do whatever it is to help the team."

As Jones and Ellis continue to get comfortable and gain more opportunities, the Kings could have two rising stars. Both young guards are extremely impressive on both sides of the ball, and Sacramento needs their type of defensive intensity.

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