Keon Tyrese Ellis
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
I think Keons got better hands, which is crazy to say. I've been watching NBA pretty closely since the glory year kings and very few defenders pop with the same anticipation Keon does when he swipes at the ball.
To me, as a 30 MPG player, he's on the short list year over year to make all defensive teams. Eye test and analytics both make that very obvious
To me, as a 30 MPG player, he's on the short list year over year to make all defensive teams. Eye test and analytics both make that very obvious
I came here to say the same thing. DC was bigger, longer, and stronger. And in an era when teams still went into the post often, his ability to contest at the perimeter but also defend the pass to the big was phenomenal.
But Keon definitely has better hands, which is really saying something. I'm amazed at how often he gets his hands on the basketball for strips and blocks that I didn't even think were available to him.
Both Ellis and Christie are/were very smart defenders who play the passing lanes and know where to be to take away options from offensive players.
But Keon definitely has better hands, which is really saying something. I'm amazed at how often he gets his hands on the basketball for strips and blocks that I didn't even think were available to him.
Both Ellis and Christie are/were very smart defenders who play the passing lanes and know where to be to take away options from offensive players.
It's wild when you consider that Keon has said he hated playing defense at lower levels of competition, but recognized that locking in defensively was the only way he was going to see regular court time. A guy who will do the thing he hates in order to compete is a guy I want on my team. It certainly helps that he's clearly got the instincts, reaction time, and agility to match his relentless drive.
Some of my favorite advice that current and former players give is when they go on the "Only 15 players in the NBA get to do whatever they want on the floor offensively" speech. Basically saying it doesn't matter at all if you dropped 30 in high school and 20 in college; if you don't defend, if you don't rebound, if you don't impact the game without touching the ball, you're not going to make the league because you absolutely will not be a #1 or #2 option.
Keon's really taken that to heart and now he's going to have a super long career and make 100+ million dollars by the time he hangs them up.
Keon's really taken that to heart and now he's going to have a super long career and make 100+ million dollars by the time he hangs them up.
Love to see Keon up on that list, but the thing that pops out most for me is that that every guy on there other than Wemby, Ausar Thompson and Cason Wallace are guys I wanted the Kings to draft and/or trade for.
Wemby (and to a lesser extent either of the Thompson twins) because the Kings didn't have the capital to trade up to draft them and Wallace because my pre-draft read on him was definitely off. I didn't think he'd be as good as he is. Tari was a major draft crush for me and BBall Paul was who I wanted with the pick Monte used on Jahmi’us Ramsey.
Herb Jones would probably make this list if he'd been healthy this season, and I know several of us on the board were mad when he went a few picks before the Kings pick in the 2nd round in 2021.
Wemby (and to a lesser extent either of the Thompson twins) because the Kings didn't have the capital to trade up to draft them and Wallace because my pre-draft read on him was definitely off. I didn't think he'd be as good as he is. Tari was a major draft crush for me and BBall Paul was who I wanted with the pick Monte used on Jahmi’us Ramsey.
Herb Jones would probably make this list if he'd been healthy this season, and I know several of us on the board were mad when he went a few picks before the Kings pick in the 2nd round in 2021.
Well deserved. I believe it was in his first summer league game that he snatched a ball shot by a jump shooter out of the air like a cat snatching a fly. At that point it was, "Whoa, you don't see that every day. This a boy to keep your eye on." He and Christie are absolutely perfect for each other.
Yeah that was ridiculous!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IdQgryX44Lc
Reminded me of this c-webb play:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IdQgryX44Lc
Reminded me of this c-webb play: