It was a simple answer, really.
Keon Ellis came to play for the Nets for one major reason: Jordi Fernández.
“In this game — and it is a business — having someone like Jordi being the head coach, someone you’re familiar with, [is big]. You know all the schemes, you know what he’s about, you know what they want to run,” Ellis said Friday after practice. “It’s a safe space right there. He’s familiar with my game, I’m familiar with how he rocks. That was the No. 1 thing.”
“He knows how I play, and I know how he wants his team to play. I know I can have a big impact in that way.”
The two were together with the Kings from 2022-24, when Fernández worked under then-Kings head coach Mike Brown — and Fernández left such an impact on Ellis in that time that he wanted a reunion.
The two sides agreed during the offseason to a two-year, $18 million contract, with a full mutual option for the second year. The 6-foot-4 Ellis, known for his defense and 3-point shotmaking, hopes this reunion can serve as a spark.
Last season didn’t go as planned as he averaged 6.7 points split between Sacramento and Cleveland after a February trade, one season after posting 8.3 ppg for the Kings. He shot 36.3 percent from 3-point range but had been at 42.9 percent over his first three NBA seasons.
The Nets are banking on more than just his shooting touch. The hope is the 26-year-old can be a defensive stopper. Last season, Ellis ranked in the 93rd percentile in steals (2.7), in the 95th percentile in blocks (1.5) and the 96th percentile in both turnovers forced (1.6) and deflections (6.4) per 100 possessions. His stop percentile of 4.4 ranked near the top of the league.
“I think Keon’s got the best hands in the NBA, and that’s hard to teach,” Fernández said. “At the same time, you want to be disciplined and follow the schemes, whatever the game plan is. I trust him. I know he’s very diligent with his work and everything, and I know he can perform at a high level. He’s going to help us a lot at the defensive end.”
Early on, he has impressed his new teammates.
“Strong start,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “Keon has been hooping these first two days. He plays the right way. He plays defense. He can really shoot the ball, and he’s been just overall very solid.”
The most important thing for both Ellis and Fernández is there is a comfort level already in place. Each knows what the other expects.
“You have a guy with many intangibles, is a super pro. He has probably the best hands in the NBA, can shoot the ball, can handle, is a good human,” the Nets coach said. “He’s coming here and is about business. It was a no-brainer.
“It’s not for me to say [how much of an impact he will make]. It’s for me to believe every time he guards he’s going to be good on that player, and every time he shoots the ball, I believe it’s going to go in.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
