PBA: Will ‘Air Force’ Ellis ever take flight again?
Unfortunately, his dream stint came to an abrupt end when he was traded to the Blackwater Elite. Ellis and Dave Marcelo were sent to the Elite in exchange for Art Dela Cruz and Raymund Aguilar, Manila Bulletin Sports reported. The move was seen more as a form of preparation for the Gin Kings future.
Since the trade, things have not really panned out for Ellis. The 28-year-old Fil-American has reportedly only shown up in one practice for Blackwater, something that was short-lived due to health reasons.
According to team owner Dioceldo Sy in a report by Spin.ph, Ellis has already been cleared to play. The only problem is that “Air Force” Ellis is nowhere to be found.
In the same report, Sy believes that Ellis may have lost his focus and desire to play in the PBA. The Elite team owner does not intend to force the issue and has even reached out to several teams (including the MVP and SMC group) for a possible trade. Unfortunately, none of the teams have shown interest.
The case of Ellis is not far from how Blackwater is treating it. His contract is expired with the Elite. Having shown nothing at this point, Sy says he cannot offer anything if the player does not show up.
Before the trade, the performance of Ellis dipped. He averaged meager numbers of 3.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in six games. The move to the Elite would have been a great opportunity for him to jack up those numbers and rediscover the old (high-flying) form that endeared him to PBA fans.
Unfortunately, Ellis seems to have taken a different approach. Blackwater is clueless about the direction Chris is headed though it looks like the high-flyer has lost the appetite to play pro ball.
“I think he’s on the exit already (from) the PBA, personally,” Sy admitted. “Otherwise, if you’re interested to play, you have no choice but to follow the trade.”
With most PBA teams showing no interest, for now, the best Ellis can do is try to rediscover that itch to play ball. He could end up in the PBA D-League where he did make waves before turning pro in 2012.
