LAS VEGAS -- Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis chose the Nets over other teams in NBA free-agency this summer partially because of the relationship that he has with head coach Jordi Fernandez. While Brooklyn is in the midst of a rebuild, convincing veterans like Ellis to join the team will inevitably help the organization in multiple ways, but Ellis believes that he'll improve the defense.
"I think it's just about the the effort. I go out there, I just try to make it tough on guys. At the end of the day, you're playing against the best players in the world," Ellis said to the media earlier this summer when asked how he can improve Brooklyn's point-of-attack defense. Ellis built his name in the league as a perimeter defender who can shoot the three-pointer
at a solid rate during his time with the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers.
"They're going to score, they're going to get to their spots. You're going to have bad defensive games, you're going to have good defensive games, but I just think the mindset of every night just trying to do the right things, be in the right spots, and just attack the gameplan," Ellis continued. "I think that'll help everyone just accomplish the goal. I'm not the greatest defender ever, but I think with team defense, everyone's on the same page."
Ellis, 26, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 44.0% from the field and 36.3% from behind the three-point line. Ellis split last season between the Kings and Cavaliers and while Cleveland was unable to make it to the NBA Finals, he had arguably the best stretch of his career with the Cavaliers.
In his 29 games with Cleveland, Ellis averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 49.1% from the floor and 35.5% from deep. With the Nets beginning training camp at the end of this month, Ellis will have his chance to compete against his teammates to see how much playing time he can earn. However, it seems like Ellis knows how he will impact the team on the defensive end of the floor.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Keon Ellis details the impact of his perimeter defense
