Two Kings players are secret to team’s suddenly improved defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Programming Note: Tune into “Kings Pregame Live” at 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday on NBC Sports California before the Kings and Mavericks tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Kings Postgame Live.”
SACRAMENTO – There has been plenty to talk about when discussing the Kings’ 2024-25 NBA season, from the early-season firing of Mike Brown to the trade for mercurial scorer Zach LaVine or the double-doubles that Domantas Sabonis collects like stamps.
One thing that hasn’t received nearly the level of attention that it should has been the defense of Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray.
All season the two have been right up front on the battle lines of Sacramento’s defense. Ellis is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who led the Kings with a career-high 121 steals this season, nearly 60 more than the guy who was second with 66 steals – former franchise star De’Aaron Fox.
Ellis also set a career high with 63 blocks, second on the Kings only to Murray, who swatted away 69 opponent shots.
“That’s kind of my role out there and what I’m out there to do,” Ellis said after the Kings’ win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at Golden 1 Center. “Definitely glad that I can perform at that level on that end. Good to see all the preparation or the way that I think about the defensive end is working out.”
Murray, Sacramento’s 6-foot-8 power forward, hasn’t met a matchup yet that he’s incapable of handling. When he’s not matched up against players near his size, Murray frequently can be seen trying to body up and muscle his way against opposing centers who often have a 4- or 5-inch height advantage.
As a team, the Kings have had a fairly mediocre defense, although it has been trending upward lately.
Sacramento owns a 115.3 defensive rating for the season, 22nd in the NBA. Over the last two weeks, however, the Kings have been playing with a top-10 defense.
Most of that improvement is a result of how well the two K’s – Keon and Keegan – have been playing as stoppers.
In turn, that has made it easier at times for interim coach Doug Christie to get his message through.
“What I’m trying to get across is there’s fun in defense, and that’s a hard thing,” Christie said. “When I think of Keon and think of Keegan, I’m going to continue to say it: I think they’re all-league defenders. But then you add Jake [LaRavia] and [rookie Devin Carter] to that, now you have one, two, three defenders on the floor and people feel the gravity, they feel the physicality.
“Keegan and Keon set the tone for that.”
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Two Kings players are secret to team’s suddenly improved defense
Programming Note: Tune into “Kings Pregame Live” at 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday on NBC Sports California before the Kings and Mavericks tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Kings Postgame Live.”
SACRAMENTO – There has been plenty to talk about when discussing the Kings’ 2024-25 NBA season, from the early-season firing of Mike Brown to the trade for mercurial scorer Zach LaVine or the double-doubles that Domantas Sabonis collects like stamps.
One thing that hasn’t received nearly the level of attention that it should has been the defense of Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray.
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All season the two have been right up front on the battle lines of Sacramento’s defense. Ellis is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who led the Kings with a career-high 121 steals this season, nearly 60 more than the guy who was second with 66 steals – former franchise star De’Aaron Fox.
Ellis also set a career high with 63 blocks, second on the Kings only to Murray, who swatted away 69 opponent shots.
“That’s kind of my role out there and what I’m out there to do,” Ellis said after the Kings’ win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at Golden 1 Center. “Definitely glad that I can perform at that level on that end. Good to see all the preparation or the way that I think about the defensive end is working out.”
Murray, Sacramento’s 6-foot-8 power forward, hasn’t met a matchup yet that he’s incapable of handling. When he’s not matched up against players near his size, Murray frequently can be seen trying to body up and muscle his way against opposing centers who often have a 4- or 5-inch height advantage.
NBA
As a team, the Kings have had a fairly mediocre defense, although it has been trending upward lately.
Sacramento owns a 115.3 defensive rating for the season, 22nd in the NBA. Over the last two weeks, however, the Kings have been playing with a top-10 defense.
Most of that improvement is a result of how well the two K’s – Keon and Keegan – have been playing as stoppers.
In turn, that has made it easier at times for interim coach Doug Christie to get his message through.
“What I’m trying to get across is there’s fun in defense, and that’s a hard thing,” Christie said. “When I think of Keon and think of Keegan, I’m going to continue to say it: I think they’re all-league defenders. But then you add Jake [LaRavia] and [rookie Devin Carter] to that, now you have one, two, three defenders on the floor and people feel the gravity, they feel the physicality.
“Keegan and Keon set the tone for that.”
