Monk or Ellis? Kings excited for starting shooting guard competition

Monk or Ellis? Kings excited for starting shooting guard competition originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – The biggest question looming over the Kings as they enter training camp Tuesday is who will be the starting two guard for the 2024-25 NBA season.

If Kings coach Mike Brown and the rest of the team made one thing clear, it’s that the competition is a welcome sight.

Kevin Huerter has been the guy over the past two seasons. That changed at the end of last year only after he sustained a season-ending injury. Insert Keon Ellis.

From undrafted to the G League to a two-way player to a starter in the NBA Play-In Tournament – Ellis was the epitome of making the most of an opportunity and running with it. When he originally was supposed to just be a “fill-in,” his impact and success in the lineup now present Brown with a difficult decision.

Do you start Ellis, a player who – in a relatively small sample size – has proven he not only belongs in the NBA but can impact winning on a team with playoff aspirations? Not to mention a team that long has aimed at improving defensively – where Ellis excels most.

Or do you look at Malik Monk, the player who willingly took a pay cut this summer to remain in Sacramento and build upon his belief in the team’s potential?

Huerter’s still rehabbing his shoulder injury, and will be re-evaluated in mid-October. But once he’s back, whenever that might be, is he an option to reclaim his position?

For Brown, despite it being a tough decision, he’s grateful for the amount of options he has and looking forward to how the competition plays out.

“The first thing I will say is this: I want guys on my team to not only want to start, but want to be the best,” Brown said Monday at Media Day. “You want everybody on your team to want to have a commitment to being their best, and you want everybody to want to be at their highest level in a group. But obviously not everybody can start. So I’m excited that Malik wants to start. I know his teammates are excited that he’s that type of competitor, but I also know that Malik is about the team, and he wouldn’t do…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/monk-ellis-kings-excited-starting-033144180.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-10-01 03:31:44

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