Coach Ty Ellis is certain of himself, despite uncertain future with Kings organization

While the Sacramento Kings have struggled to put together a winning season over the last decade, their minor league counterpart has been doing it on a regular basis.

The Kings’ G-League team has suffered only four losing seasons since its inception as the Reno Bighorns in 2008, and it has qualified for the playoffs more times than missed out.

Ty Ellis was hired as head coach of a revitalized version of the Bighorns when they moved to Stockton in 2018 and changed their name to match the big-league club.

The Stockton Kings made the playoffs in Ellis’ first season and were on track to do the same in 2020, but the season was shut down due to precautions related to the coronavirus.

Ellis’ contract expired following the season. With everything in flux, the Kings have made no announcement as to who will coach the team going forward and the league has not announced a timeline or a format for the next G-League season.

The franchise is undergoing significant changes after Vlade Divac stepped down as general manager Aug. 14. Peja Stojakovic, who worked as an executive with the minor league team for years, stepped down as assistant general manager the following day. The G-League itself may also experience changes as it adapts to the circumstances presented by COVID-19.

“I’m not closing the book on Sacramento,” Ellis said when asked about his future. “Maybe it’s another chapter that’s coming up. You just never know.”

SUCCESS IN STOCKTON

While the future is uncertain for Ellis, his track record with the Kings is not. Stockton has been successful both in terms of winning games and in the bigger picture of developing talent for the NBA during his tenure.

Stockton’s 54 wins under Ellis are tied for the fourth-most of any G-League team in the last two seasons. The five Stockton players that have received NBA contracts over that period place the team fifth in unique call-ups.

The two goals seem at odds on first glance. Losing players to the NBA should make winning games harder. But Ellis says helping players grow and improve will always take priority in Stockton. When players leave the team for a larger stage, he says he hopes they have learned the tools to stay gone.

“If our culture is strong enough where somebody leaves, the next person is up and we don’t lose anything,” Ellis said. “That’s what we did. There were literally games this year where we played with sever or eight players against a full roster plus their two-way guys. And we still won.”

“It’s not that we’re going to win or develop players. That, to me, is a lazy way out and that breeds excuses,” said Anthony McClish, general manager of the Stockton Kings. “And so my goal going in, that I was very clear about with (Ellis), is we’re going to do both and we’re going to do both at a high level at the same time.”

Ellis and McClish both say they feel Sacramento’s G-League team has delivered on that goal so far.

Multiple prospects developed in Stockton can be found on NBA rosters still fighting for a championship in the Orlando bubble. Gabe Vincent and Cameron Reynolds are reserves with the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks, respectively. Wenyen Gabriel has started multiple playoff games for the Portland Trail Blazers.

WHAT CULTURE CAN DO

Ellis attributes his success to a culture of hard work and humility. These are qualities he demands from himself and his staff, as well as his players.

“I make sure all my coaches have – including myself – we all have towels,” Ellis said. “Anytime somebody falls on the floor, anytime there’s a break in practice, the coaches are on our knees wiping up sweat. I don’t want the towel boy. No, that’s our job as coaches to set the tone.”

Ellis says Vincent bought into the team mentality. He says Vincent arrived on the team with fantastic scoring ability, so they focused primarily on improving his habits and his mentality.

Vincent still made his share of mistakes. In fact, Ellis says he benched Vincent in a G-League showcase game because of a defensive lapse. The benching came in front of countless scouts. Ellis says Vincent’s agent was upset. However, Vincent was not.

“(Vincent) held himself accountable,” Ellis said. “The following game he had 37 points and played a phenomenal game on defense. And now I just saw him on TV with the Miami Heat.”

That culture of accountability is where the Stockton Kings experience comes home to roost. Ellis has similar stories about Gabriel and DaQuan Jeffries. He has a preferred type of player, and it’s one that fits McClish’s outlook too.

McClish says that when Ellis played overseas and in the minor league that he had the same attitude toward learning that the Kings organization now targets. That was one of the reason McClish wanted him as a coach in Stockton in the first place.

FAITH IN THE FUTURE

When discussing how he is dealing with the abruptly shortened season and the lack of clarity going forward, Ellis brought up a story from his past.

Ellis had a severe stutter as a child. It was so serious that he would not speak when in school. He says he grew up in a religious home and he once asked his grandmother why God had chosen to give him this difficulty. She told him it was God’s way of making him special. He took those words to heart and chose to have faith in his future.

Now Ellis is praised by his peers for how clear, articulate and assertive his speech is.

“The best part about him is how he communicates with the players and the staff,” said Kings player development coach Rico Hines. “He’s one of the best that I’ve seen and worked alongside, and I’ve been doing this a long time.”

“In times like this, you have two options,” Ellis said. “You either pray or worry. But my grandmother said you can’t do both. So I choose to pray and give everything else to God.”

When Ellis chooses faith, things work out better than expected. That is how he approaches life in good times and bad. For now, he does not know how the Stockton Kings, the G-League or the world as a whole will look next year. But he also does not feel he has to know.

“It’s not my job to connect all of the dots. It’s my job to work on (myself),” Ellis said. “During this COVID time I’m working on being a better leader, a better husband, a better father, a better coach. When my opportunity comes, I will be ready.”

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 12:49 PM.