What became clear when Boogie Ellis presented the Kings roster in a defeat

July 19, 2024

What became clear when Boogie Ellis presented the Kings roster in a defeat

For Thursday's Summer League game against the Washington Wizards at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, the Kings were severely lacking in one of their best players when it came to scoring and creating plays. As a result, Sacramento struggled and made several mistakes that led to a 73-69 loss.

One of the Kings' most reliable offensive players this summer, Keon Ellis, did not participate in the game and instead sat at the end of the bench decked out in street clothes.

Boogie Ellis, the other Ellis in Sacramento, took advantage of the opportunity to try to improve his standing. The 6-foot-3 guard scored a team-high 15 points, including three 3-pointers, to cap off his performance.

Along with two steals, three blocks, and 12 points and ten rebounds, Isaac Jones recorded a double-double. With two steals, four rebounds, and 11 points, Drew Timme contributed. Mason Jones finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals in an excellent all-around performance.

The Kings got off to a quick lead but were trailing 43–35 at the half after failing to maintain it. Prior to the fourth quarter, Sacramento had narrowed the deficit to two points. However, in the closing minutes, they mounted a late comeback to create a small amount of drama.

With 1:04 left, Mason Jones made a layup to give the Kings a 69-68 lead, but that was the last basket Sacramento scored.

With 29 seconds left, Mason Jones attempted an airball 3-point attempt after Boogie Ellis forced a turnover, and the Kings were called for a shot clock violation.

With 17 seconds left, Patrick Baldwin Jr.'s 3-pointer gave the Wizards a lead again, but the Kings mishandled their next possession and were unable to get a shot off. With 5.9 seconds remaining, Jules Bernard of Washington converted two free throws to secure the victory.

Sacramento, which has dropped three of its four games in Las Vegas, isn't able to go to the playoffs, but on Saturday, it will play its last summer league matchup against the Phoenix Suns.

What we learned from Thursday's game is as follows:

boogie boogies down in the opening frame
The Kings looked to Boogie Ellis to handle some of the scoring because Keon Ellis was sitting out, and he performed admirably in the opening minutes.

Ellis scored most of his points in the first quarter alone, almost double his scoring average from the first three Summer League games Sacramento had played. In the first ten minutes, he scored ten points and made two 3-pointers, one of which he banked in just before the shot clock ran out.

Teams can never have too many scorers, and if Ellis makes it into the regular-season roster, he could be a huge spark off the bench for the Kings, who already have a loaded backcourt.

varying opinions about the defense
The Kings showed glimpses of their ability to sell out defensively against the Wizards, continuing a trend started by head coach Doug Christie during the Summer League.

When Sacramento clamped down on Alexandre Sarr, the second overall choice in the 2024 NBA Draft, they caused six turnovers and restricted Washington to just 33 percent shooting in the first quarter.

However, the Kings were unable to maintain that level of effort all night.

Sacramento tightened the screws once more and shut it down, limiting Washington to 30 points in the second half, while the Wizards overcame their sluggish start and got their offense going with a 26-point second quarter.

Problems with turnover
Because of the inexperience of the players, ball security is a constant problem in the Summer League. While it hadn't posed much of an issue for the Kings, it undoubtedly played a part in their defeat over the Wizards.

The Kings struggled to keep the ball in their possession without Keon Ellis. Nine turnovers were committed by Sacramento in only the first half. Washington made 11 points out of those.

The Kings turned the ball over 17 times in total, which resulted in 18 points. Considering that Sacramento forced Washington into 21 turnovers, that statistic is particularly concerning.

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What became clear when Boogie Ellis presented the Kings roster in a defeat

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