Ellis Expected To Start in Nets-Hornets Preseason Opener

Keon Ellis will make his Brooklyn Nets debut against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday and is expected to start, according to sources from NetsKingdom.

Ellis is stepping into a starting role with rookie Mikel Brown Jr. nursing a left ankle sprain. Brown is expected to play during preseason, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post confirmed he's been cleared for contact practice.

The 26-year-old will share the backcourt with Egor Dëmin, meaning the second-year guard will share ball-handling duties with Julius Randle.

Starting Ellis gives Brooklyn's backcourt a bona fide defensive specialist. He can be the point-of-attack defender, guarding Charlotte rookie Christian Anderson and veteran Dennis Schröder, a former Net.

Coach Jordi Fernández runs an aggressive defensive scheme, and that fits the 6-foot-4 guard's playstyle. Ellis has elite "per 100 possession" defensive metrics, ranking in the high 90th percentile.

His 2.7 steals rank 93rd, 1.5 blocks rank 95th, 6.4 deflections rank 96th, 1.6 turnovers forced rank 96th and his stop percentage ranks 98th.

Ellis has active hands in rotation and when defending the drive. He chops his feet on closeouts, helping him stay in front of the ball handler and time his block or steal.

The Nets have a proven defender who can help the team reach the defensive heights they accomplished last December. They had the No. 1 defensive rating that month, topping a contending team like the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Opposing teams were held to 104.6 points per game, a shocking jump from the 113-plus points it allowed earlier in the season. Brooklyn allowed a month-high 120 points against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 29 and a month-low 81 against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 21.

He's also a valuable floor spacer, shooting 40.7% from three in his career. Ellis shot a career-high 43.3% from three on four attempts in the 2024-25 season with the Sacramento Kings.

Brooklyn desperately needs positive shooting regression after tying with Sacramento for the worst shooting percentage last season (34%).

Ellis starting in preseason builds a strong case for him to be a lock in Fernández's regular-season rotation, backing up Dëmin or Brown off the bench.

It's a combination of his two-way skill set and deep bond with the Nets' coach. He and Fernández built a relationship in the 2022-23 season when Ellis was an undrafted rookie, and Fernández was the associate head coach.

Their reunion could be one small part of Brooklyn's success this season, and it starts on Tuesday against Charlotte in its preseason opener.