2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 22: College basketball is over

If the Philadelphia 76ers can ever get their young core on the floor together, they’ve got plenty of pieces to work with. There are still holes, though, particularly in the backcourt where adding a shooter like Kentucky’s Malik Monk could prove highly valuable.

Monk was one of the best shooters in college basketball this season. He averaged 24.8 points per 40 minutes, posted a 58.6 true shooting percentage and knocked down 39.7 percent of his 3s. Monk shot it 82.2 percent from the foul line and attempted more than eight 3s per 40 minutes, suggesting that he should also be a good shooter at the next level. He’s comfortable running off of screens, shooting off the bounce and just awaiting passes on the perimeter.

Monk’s just 6-foot-3, which leaves some questions about how well he’ll translate to the next level as a shooting guard when opposing defenders are much bigger than him. North Carolina’s Justin Jackson kept Monk in check during the Elite Eight simply by being quick enough and long enough to harass. That’s what makes Philadelphia such an intriguing destination for the Kentucky guard. With Ben Simmons coming back and likely to dominate ball-handling duties, Monk could play as the team’s point guard in terms of defending opposing lead guards, but he would also be able to play off the ball on offense. It’s the best of both worlds.

Learn more about Malik Monk at The Step Back.