The Los Angeles Lakers made another great move during this free agency period by signing now-former Charlotte Hornets guard, Malik Monk. Monk is a very young and underrated player that has seemed to grow and blossom a bit more each year that he has been in the league.
First off, I love his size. At six foot three and weighing 200 pounds, Monk is lanky and light. There is something about his style of play and the way he moves that really gets eyes on him.
Of course, there have been things about him that many have pointed their fingers at such as the fact that he was the number 11th overall pick in the NBA Draft in 2017. He only averaged 6.7 points per game in his rookie season.
To be quite honest, he was only 19 years old during his rookie season and we know that there have been many young players his age that have shown to struggle a bit as they try and get their footing in the NBA.
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Things take time as does maturity and growth as well as getting better seasoned for today’s basketball especially at the NBA level. In his second season, Monk improved to 8.9 points per game and then last season, he broke into double digits as he averaged 10.3 points per game.
This past season was Monk’s best as he averaged a career-high 11.7 points per game and shot a career-high from three-point at 40% as well as tied his career-high in field goal percentage at 43%.
Things seem to be getting better for him as his numbers continue to increase and his performance improves as his maturity has been shown to be getting better. It also didn’t help his situation that he played for four losing teams in his four seasons with the Charlotte Hornets.
Malik Monk will bring a lot to the Los Angeles Lakers.
A pair of young and fresh legs is one of the most important things. He can shoot the three-point shot and he also has some nice moves when he penetrates and can jump. A very athletic player that is still coming into his own and finding himself. Monk is great at finishing a fast break and plays really well in the open court.
He will fit very well into the Lakers offense and now with the addition of Russell Westbrook, the team will have a more up-tempo and attack style that will help Monk very much as he will be looked at to be a finisher, which is something he does very well, or occasionally pull up and nail a three.
Malik Monk plays with electricity and a vibrancy that will fit very well into the Lakers’ style and will be great for the fans. It is something the team needed. Think of Monk sort of like a spark plug. I can see him coming off the bench to provide the Lakers with some much-needed juice.
This is one of the better moves they have made this offseason in my opinion as they have acquired a player who hustles and plays with heart. It will do him a lot of good to be surrounded by many veterans as well as loads of talent this team now has.
His game will only improve as he shall look to shine and be an integral part of a team that will be one of the teams that have a legit chance at winning it all. Plus, he will also be playing for a very smart coach in Frank Vogel whose experience will mean a lot for his overall growth.