Keon Ellis is still getting his bearings in Brooklyn, and not just on the court.
At Barclays Center recently, the new Nets guard had an easy solution for the kind of problem that comes with a fresh stop in a new city: he trailed Michael Porter Jr. and let someone else lead the way. A few months into his Brooklyn stint, Ellis is still learning the building’s layout.
“I was lucky to pull up right behind Mike, so I just followed him,” Ellis said Tuesday. “But yeah, I don’t know where I’m going for sure.”
The map may still be a work in progress, but Ellis’ place in the rotation has looked clearer. He started all four of Brooklyn’s preseason games, an early indication that the Nets may be ready to give him the steady chance he has not always had.
The defense-first guard averaged eight points in 19.8 minutes while shooting 44% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range, highlighted by a 15-point game against the Washington Wizards. He closed the preseason with a scoreless showing on 0-for-7 shooting against the Miami Heat.
Starting games, Ellis said, naturally changes how the offense flows his way.
“I think when you’re starting, the ball does just find you more,” Ellis said. “I don’t think it’s like I’m out there and we’re necessarily calling plays for me.
I just think the opportunity is there. And, I mean, it’s been there too at times in my career too, but we’ll see what it looks like this year.”
That opportunity played a big part in why Ellis landed with Brooklyn in the first place.
“To be able to spread my wings a little bit here as well,” Ellis said at Media Day. “And so, I think that opportunity probably above all was kind of what stood out too.”
There’s also a familiar face waiting on the sideline. Ellis and head coach Jordi Fernández already know each other from Fernández’s time with the Sacramento Kings, and Ellis says the coach’s mood can be difficult to read, even if the vision is obvious.
“It’s tough to tell with Jordi because he’s not like an expressive guy,” Ellis said. “I know he’s excited just because that’s what we’re here for, long summer.
New guys, new team, new look. So, it’ll be interesting and fun to put it together.”
For Ellis, the real keyword is consistency. In 2024-25 with Sacramento, he hit 43.3% from 3-point range and averaged 8.3 points in 24.4 minutes.
Last season, split between the Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers, he dropped to 6.7 points in 20.5 minutes while connecting on 36.3% from deep, and his starts slipped from 28 to 11. He said the earlier stretch felt much more stable.
“During that year, everything was just so consistent. You knew what was going to happen, when it was going to happen,” Ellis said. “In the past year, obviously there were a lot of ups and downs.”
He’s not fixated on whether he’s in the starting five or coming off the bench. What matters more is knowing the rhythm of the night and the group around him.
“Whenever you’re out there, you just gotta make the most of it,” Ellis said. “But I think the consistency of knowing where you’re going to play, who you’re going in the game with, the rhythm that you guys have… that all matters and it goes hand in hand with how the team plays, how one individual plays.”
Brooklyn knows exactly what it has on the defensive end. Ellis is a point-of-attack defender who takes pride in making ball handlers uncomfortable, and that skill set fits the Nets’ desire to bring more pressure on the perimeter.
Off the floor, the adjustment has been a little more routine. Getting around New York has been easier than Sacramento, though he hasn’t exactly fallen in love with the traffic.
Most of his time has been spent at home, but he is looking forward to something bigger than the commute: the atmosphere at Barclays Center. Brooklyn’s only preseason home game gave him a preview, and he wants more of that energy.
For now, Ellis is keeping his approach simple.
“Day by day, man. I go out there, just play hard, do the right things.
I just let everything take care of itself,” he said. “Obviously you want to play good… and I expect myself to do that.
But I definitely want to play well.”
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