Keon Ellis is known and cherished for his defensive prowess, but even the young Kings guard has endured challenges on that end of the floor in the NBA.
After emerging in Sacramento's rotation and eventually the starting lineup during the back end of the 2023-24 season, Ellis oftentimes was tasked with defending the opposing team's best player. While there's no stopping some of the game's greatest stars, Ellis did his best to limit what the world knows they're capable of on the hardwood.
But amongst the flurry of superstars the 24-year-old has had to face, whom does he believe is the toughest to defend? Before NBC Sports California's Deuce Mason could get the full question off, Ellis didn't hesitate to reveal his answer.
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"Kyrie Irving is probably the toughest to guard," Ellis said on a recent "The Deuce & Mo Podcast" appearance. "Because for me, I am the most worried about guarding guys who can shoot it from deep. If you can shoot the 3 at a high clip, it's like, damn, because now I have to press up and I can't use my wingspan."
Ellis continued to explain how other explosive players, such as Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, can affect the game in several different ways, but they don't necessarily rely on the 3-ball as much, making it slightly easier to defend them.
Not with players such as Irving, though, who can score on all three levels.
"But a guy like [Jalen] Brunson or [Steph] Curry, [Damian Lillard], you have to be in their airspace because any little bit of room, it's going up, and we know how those guys can get it going," Ellis continued. "But Kyrie, he can shoot it from 3, but he can also get to his spot in the mid-range. He'll do something that you ain't ever seen. You'll think you have him, and he'll just throw something up with the left hand, and it'll hit nothing but net."
NBA
The NBA has enjoyed the privilege of watching the cheat code that is Kyrie Irving for more than a decade now. His handles alone elevate his game to a level where very few in the history of the game reside.
While Ellis acknowledges the nightmare that is defending Irving, he won't ever forget the time he almost -- almost -- picked his pocket once.
"His handles are just so tight that he knows what he's doing, he knows how to get to his spots," Ellis said. "I almost stole it from him one time -- almost. He hit a crossover, and I plucked it and it might've went out of bounds, but he thought I kicked it. He was like, 'You kicked it?' I was like 'Nah, I almost stole that one.'
"If I would've stole that one, that would've been a core memory for me."
Luckily for Ellis, he'll have plenty more opportunities with the 2024-25 NBA season right around the corner.