NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis chose to sign with the Nets this past offseason at least in part due to the fact that Jordi Fernandez was the head coach. While Brooklyn still had to sell Ellis on what his fit with the team would be like if he signed with them in free-agency, he is finding that the Nets may be the place for him to experience a breakout.
"Honestly, I think the opportunity is there. I've been on teams where you have a lot of guys who score the ball and that's just not my job," Ellis said after Thursday's 114-108 preseason win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Ellis started at the shooting guard spot for the second time in two preseason games and he finished the contest with 12 points and one steal in 21 minutes played.
"A night
like tonight, down two of our starters, the opportunity was just there. So, that's just something that I've always had, but it's just like I go into every game just trying to do my job," Ellis continued. "So, if my job is to, and me and Egor [Demin] was talking about it, some games, I'll shoot two shots, sometimes I might shoot 10. So, whatever the game calls for, that's just what it is. So, I think that's just how the cards kind of played out."
The Nets played Thursday's preseason game against LeBron James and the 76ers without projected starters in forward Michael Porter Jr. (wrist) and center Day'Ron Sharpe, leaving room in the offense for Ellis. Ellis not only did what he usually does by applying pressure on the defensive end of the floor to Philadelphia's ball-handlers, but he also took some of the offense upon himself, especially off the dribble.
When Brooklyn is healthy, Ellis could likely find himself as the fourth or fifth option depending on how the team views Sharpe and whoever the starting point guard is within the offensive pecking order. As of now, it seems that Ellis is ready to fill the role of being the point-of-attack defender who can spread the floor for the Nets, but he also appears to be ready to provide more if the game calls for it.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Keon Ellis explains his offense under head coach Jordi Fernandez
