Keon Ellis is Set for Any Role in His First Playoff Run

Every playoff series has a life of its own. And over the course of that series, it changes shape the further it goes. 

The Cavaliers First Round matchup against Toronto had countless highs and lows – from game to game and even throughout each individual contest. And after two weeks of a toe-to-toe battle, the Wine & Gold finally emerged on Sunday night. 

On Tuesday, the Eastern Conference Semis tipped off, and the trajectory of Cleveland’s postseason run has already been altered. The 60-win Pistons got the win after running out to a big first-quarter lead and holding off a Cavs rally. But there’s also the added specter of a left hamstring injury that sidelined Sam Merrill six-and-a-half minutes into the affair. 

The extent of Merrill’s ailment is unknown, other than the fact that he didn’t practice with the team on Wednesday afternoon in Detroit. 

The playoffs are about adjustments. And in Merrill’s absence in Tuesday night’s Game 1, Kenny Atkinson leaned once again on Dennis Schröder, who chipped in with nine points in 16 minutes of action off the bench. And after three straight DNPs to end the First Round, Keon Ellis – a key contributor in Cleveland’s regular season stretch run – finally got back into the fray. 

Unlike Schröder – who made his 82^nd career playoff appearance – Ellis is making his first postseason foray this year.

Had the Wine & Gold not traded for the 4^th-year guard from Alabama at the Deadline, he’d be home watching the NBA tournament (again) with the rest of the Sacramento Kings. As it stands now, he’ll likely be counted on to help his new squad push past the Pistons. 

Ellis made his postseason debut in Game 1 against Toronto, logging 15 minutes against the Raptors, drilling the only shot he took – a three-pointer – adding three boards and a steal in the one-sided win. 

His performance proved that the playoffs aren’t too big for him. 

“To be honest, it honestly feels a lot like regular season,” said the 26-year-old Florida native “The only real difference is, obviously, there's more attention to detail from both teams. The physicality is there. And the crowds. I mean, the crowds are, like, really loud – like, from start to finish, home and away. But when I'm out there, it kind of still feels like a like a regular season. game.”

If Ellis can replicate his regular season success, the Cavaliers will be that much stronger in the Second Round. 

In 29 regular season outings with Cleveland after being acquired from the Kings – along with Schröder – in a three-team deal that sent De’Andre Hunter to Sacramento, Ellis averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.27 steals per. Over that 29-game stretch, featuring six starts, Ellis tallied double-figure scoring in nine games. 

In a March 11 loss to the Magic, he scored 20 points, going 5-of-8 from long-range. In a March 8 win over Memphis, he handed out a career-high eight assists. Ellis connected on multiple three-pointers on 10 occasions with the Cavaliers, who went 21-8 after his acquisition. 

But Ellis’ calling card has never been on the offensive end. An SEC All-Defensive team performer in 2022, Ellis had 10 outings with multiple steals, including three games with three picks. He blocked at least one shot in 16 games, including a career-best five-swat performance in a March 1 win over the Nets. 

And he knows his offensive production isn’t essential during Cleveland’s postseason run. 

“With my role, it's not like I'm a ball-dominant guy,” said Ellis, following Tuesday’s practice at Little Caesars Arena. “I think with me, it's just taking whatever the defense gives me. If it's a game where you're shooting ten shots, then that's the game; if it's the game where you're shooting two, that's the game, too. (Detroit) wants to be physical, they play fast. They’re a good defensive team. So, I know that, and you just take what the defense gives you.”

After being traded from the Kings, Ellis saw action in 27 of 29 games with Cleveland. But he only saw action in three games during the First Round matchup against Toronto. And now he’ll almost certainly be asked to rediscover his rhythm against Detroit. 

“It's definitely difficult, but I think that we all, as players, know comes with (the postseason),” said Ellis. “We have a really good team, a lot of really good players, and I mean, it’s playoff time. There's a lot of attention to details and you want to kind of be as sharp as you can be. And the rotation is going to be a little different than regular season. But I take no offense to it. 

“I know my game is still my game, and whenever I'm out there, I can still help the team. At the end of the day, the main goal is to the main goal – to win the game. And you just never know. So, you’ve just got to stay ready. Like (Tuesday) night, Sam goes down and it’s a next-man-up kind of kind of league.”

Ellis didn’t even see Sam Merrill go down in Game 1. Larry Nance Jr. told him when the Cavs sharpshooter headed back to the locker room late in the first quarter. Ellis checked in for Donovan Mitchell early in the second period and logged 11 minutes in the loss, going 1-for-4 from the floor, adding three boards and leading Cleveland with a pair of steals. 

The Cavaliers’ rough start cost them the game on Tuesday night. Ellis would like to see them come out sharper as they attempt the even the series before it shifts back to Cleveland this weekend.

“I think I would have liked to see us, you know, kind of give ourselves a chance during the first quarter and see what the game would have looked like if we had played normal Cleveland basketball in that first quarter. I think we won every other quarter, and we even tied it back up in the in the fourth. 

“For this next game, we’re just trying to get back on track and not shoot ourselves in the foot; come out ready to play in that first quarter. Everybody was up (on Tuesday). You can't really get too high, too low. It's the playoffs. (The Pistons) won a home game, that's what they're supposed to do. But for us to win this series, we're going to have to win a game on the road.”

Ellis and Co. will get their chance on Thursday night.