2. Malik Monk
I have written about it before and I will write about it again. Perhaps the best value signing that the Los Angeles Lakers made this offseason was Malik Monk. The Lakers were somehow able to get a lottery pick from only four years ago on a minimum contract that is typically reserved for veterans who are chasing a championship.
There are several reasons for this. The first is that Monk was somewhat disappointing when he came into the league and his first three seasons were not that great. He showed flashes of potential, but they were always just flashes.
The second reason is that he got hurt last season. Monk was finally starting to put it all together and become a really valuable bench scorer and playmaker who could play off ball and hit shots as well as create his own shots. Then the injury happened.
There are two paths. Monk could either continue that trajectory that he was on pre-injury and he would become the best scorer that the Lakers have off the bench. He could easily give the Lakers 12-15 a night with ease, hitting threes at a 40% rate.
Or, last season could prove to be a flash in the pan and the injury could derail the momentum that he did have and he could revert back to his former self.
I am better on the former just because I like Monk’s playstyle and skill set and think it will translate, but success is not a guarantee.