A proprietor of buckets, a scoring savant. Malik Monk’s talent for putting the ball in the hoop dates back to his Kentucky days, but Sacramento’s hottest hand has taken on new responsibilities of late. Now he’s setting the table, creating out of pick-and-rolls, and playing real defense. Monk is no longer a sixth man microwave; he’s a legitimately well-rounded starting guard.
- Chris Kline
FanSided Staff Writer
The shooting dynamism stood out from day one. Whatever your complaints about Monk, he can work up a groove in a hurry. He’s an elite shot-maker, comfortable launching off the catch or torching his man out of isos. A springy athlete with plenty of ball-handling tricks up his sleeve, Monk has no trouble getting to his spots and launching his attacks, really from anywhere on the court.
How he has used that scoring threat to open up the rest of his skill set, however, is what makes ‘prime’ Malik Monk so dangerous. He’s generating more assists than ever without a huge spike in turnovers. He’s getting to the rim more, scoring proficiently at all three levels. The defense, while not great, is at least serviceable. He has committed to doing the small things, which help maximize the impact of his flame-throwing.