Sports News - Yahoo

A Monk reveals the young Kings player who has caught his eye in preseason, published on NBC Sports Bay Area

With opening night in the NBA only one week away, the end of the Kings' bench is taking shape.

One player in particular has impressed Kings guard Malik Monk in his fight to cement a spot on Sacramento's roster.

When asked Monday if there's a young Kings player who has stood out during the preseason, Monk had a quick, confident answer: Boogie Ellis, an undrafted rookie guard who averaged 18 points per game across five college seasons with Memphis and USC.

Ellis' confident, daring mentality has driven that promising notion from one of Sacramento's respected veterans.

"He just doesn't care," Monk told reporters after practice. "You got to have that at some point, especially when you're a rookie."

Many young players might feel burdened by pressure to perform well or play a certain style as they build self-assurance in the NBA.

That hasn't been an issue for Ellis -- a First-Team All-Pac-12 honoree in 2023 with the Trojans -- even as Kings coach Mike Brown harps on players' shot selections.

"[Boogie] doesn't care. He goes out there and plays his game," Monk continued. "If he makes a mistake, Mike will tell him, and he'll fix that mistake, but he just goes out there with a free mind."

With two more preseason games to prove his case, that attitude could give Ellis an advantage over his fellow teammates on the roster bubble -- including a fellow USC product in veteran point guard Jordan McLaughlin.

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast