Keon Ellis's offensive role with the Cleveland Cavaliers continues to grow.
Keon Ellis has made quite an impact on the Cleveland Cavaliers since joining the team ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
The Wine and Gold needed a scrappy, physical, defensive-minded guard/forward, and Ellis has filled that void beautifully. However, there’s more to his game than just being a defensive presence on the floor.
Ellis’ sample size in Cleveland has remained relatively small, having only played 12 games with his new team. Because of that, the Cavaliers are still learning how Eliis can make an impact on the floor, especially on the offensive end.
As Cleveland continues to do that, Ellis’ role on the team has the capabilities of only increase.
In the Cavaliers’ 115-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday evening, Ellis scored 19 points while shooting 55 percent from the floor (five-for-nine), and 57 percent from behind the arc (four-for-seven).
The Cavaliers didn’t acquire Ellis for his scoring capabilities, but he’s certainly proving that his ability to score the ball can’t be overlooked by opposing defenses, and he creates many more opportunities for Cleveland.
Mar 1, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis (14) looks to shoot past Brooklyn Nets forward Josh Minott (00) in the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images“We're just discovering his offensive capabilities,” said Atkinson after Cleveland’s win over Philly.
“I saw a couple of things that I haven't seen him do yet: come off a DHO [dribble hand off], get in a lane, shoot a floater. I didn't even know he had that. So we're still discovering him. Obviously, when he gets the catch-and-shoot thing going, that's huge for us, because he's so good defensively.”
The Cavaliers are clearly starting to figure out a way to get Ellis involved more and more on the offensive end. Over his last five games played, Ellis is averaging 8.8 points, while shooting an efficient 48 percent from the floor and 40 percent from behind the arc.
With a team full of scorers, such as Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley, efficiency will be the key to Ellis’s offensive success.
Ellis was already playing himself into a key role in the postseason because of his ability to change the momentum of a game with his defense. If he can continue to shoot the ball and the Cavaliers can discover new ways to incorporate him on offense, Ellis has the potential to be a true X-factor in the playoffs.
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