NBA Draft 2017: Pro comparisons for prospects

Malik Monk, G – Kentucky

Comparison: Klay Thompson (offense), Poor man’s Zach LaVine (athletic profile)

Before anyone starts losing their minds, Klay Thompson is indeed a lofty comparison to start off with when it comes to a player like Malik Monk. For all intents and purposes, the Warriors electric guard is a far more complete player than the Kentucky product. So if any team is drafting Monk with the thought that they’re getting the entire package that Thompson brings to the table, they’re going to be in for a rude awakening.

But among all of the things that Thompson brings to the table, Monk is similar in his overall offensive game. Monk is a suspect ball-handler overall, though he’s still able to create his shot. That’s a similar assessment to how Thompson was viewed coming out of Washington State and, though he’s improved his weaknesses, to how he’s viewed now. Taking it a step further, we’ve seen Thompson go full supernova on a number of occasions in his career. That’s something Monk has the potential for as well.

Where Monk separates himself from Thompson in terms of comparison, beyond being a worse defender, is with his athleticism. Not taking what the Timberwolves guard is capable of lightly, he’s very much a poor man’s Zach LaVine in terms of the electricity he brings to the table. Monk actually gets away with more as a playmaker because of his spring and quickness in his legs than Thompson would. Thus, his potential is truly through the roof if he can fine tune his overall game and, more importantly, stay more engaged mentally.