{"id":6614,"date":"2017-05-11T09:21:17","date_gmt":"2017-05-11T13:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=6614"},"modified":"2017-05-24T18:03:26","modified_gmt":"2017-05-24T22:03:26","slug":"malik-monk-nba-draft-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/05\/11\/malik-monk-nba-draft-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Malik Monk NBA Draft Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Welcome back to LWOPB NBA Draft Coverage, the column that brings you player profiles for the next crop of professional basketball players that are likely to be selected in the upcoming draft. Be sure to bookmark <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>the site<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LastWordHoops\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>follow us on Twitter<\/em><\/a><em>, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical profiles and scouting reports. Click <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/category\/basketball\/nba\/nba-draft\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><em> to check out our complete coverage of the 2017 NBA Draft. Last Word On Pro Basketball is your headquarters for all things 2017 NBA Draft!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/malik-monk-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malik Monk<\/a><\/strong> NBA Draft profile dives into the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky\u2019s freshman guard.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Malik Monk &#8211; 6&#8217;3&#8221; Combo Guard, University of Kentucky, 19 Years Old<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Strengths<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Malik Monk\u2019s greatest strength is already crystal clear: shooting. It\u2019s possibly the most valuable skill a guard can have in the modern NBA, and Monk certainly has it. He shot 39.7 percent from distance on 6.9 three-point attempts per game in his lone season at Kentucky. Monk showed flashes of brilliance, including a breathtaking 47-point performance in a nationally televised early-season game against UNC.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=P_d1pnwQlOw<\/p>\n<p>Monk hit several clutch jumpers throughout last year, including a huge three to tie an Elite Eight game against that same North Carolina team. The Wildcats went on to lose the game due to <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/luke-maye-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luke Maye<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s last-second heroics, but Monk\u2019s knack for coming through in big moments became unquestionable.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kentucky vs. North Carolina: Final Moments\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VrmJq8XFwkA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In addition to simple catch-and-shoot opportunities, Monk has a deadly pull-up jumper and can score from just about anywhere on the floor. His 45 percent mark from the field as a freshman was solid, and he led the team in scoring at 19.8 points per game. Monk often showed some off-the-dribble zest, with an array of step-backs and hesitation dribbles that helped him create his own shot. While it may take a little while to get comfortable going up against elite defenders in the pros, there\u2019s no doubt that Monk\u2019s sweet shooting stroke will translate rather quickly for the NBA team that drafts him.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Weaknesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>At just 6\u20193\u201d and 200 lbs, Monk\u2019s skinny frame may cause him to struggle in some respects, at least at the start of his pro career. He might have trouble defending bigger shooting guards who will use their strength and physicality to bully him. On the other end of the floor, Monk\u2019s quickness will help him score, but aggressive defenders may also bump and push him to make him uncomfortable. While Monk is no <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a><\/strong>, his style of play will cause defenses to play him somewhat like how the Cleveland Cavaliers guarded Curry in the past two NBA Finals. Monk&#8217;s defenders will often be body-to-body with him, even when he&#8217;s off the ball, and Monk may struggle to deal with physical defenders who will chase him off the three-point line.<\/p>\n<p>If Monk shifts over to point guard, his lack of size and strength will be less of an issue. However, his offensive mentality may then become problematic. Monk is a pure scorer; he averaged just 2.3 assists at Kentucky. His role on offense should be primarily to look for his own opportunities. If he becomes a lead guard, he may have trouble adjusting his game. Even at the two spot, Monk is still a below average playmaker. To become a complete NBA player, he\u2019ll have to improve his passing and learn how to create for others.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>NBA Potential<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In the modern NBA, shooting is pivotal. From the Cavs to the Houston Rockets to the Golden State Warriors, every great NBA team knows the importance of spacing. Having shooters at all positions is an advantage; having guards who can shoot is a must. Just look at lottery teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic \u2013 their backcourts have had horrendous shooting problems. Monk would be a great fit on either of those squads.<\/p>\n<p>Monk\u2019s ceiling is probably making\u00a0multiple All-Star teams. He could average 20-25 points per game as the first or second option in a good NBA offense. On a championship contender, though, Monk would likely be best as a third option, and he\u2019d need to play alongside some defensive studs. However, if he improves his playmaking significantly \u2013 which is certainly possible for a 19-year-old \u2013 Monk could be a terrific second option. Either way, he could\u00a0be a perfect crunch time closer for a playoff team someday.<\/p>\n<p>Even in a worst-case scenario, it\u2019s hard to imagine Monk being much worse than a seventh or eighth man who provides scoring off the bench. With his already excellent shooting, Monk should have no problem averaging at least 10-12 points right away for a lottery team.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>NBA Player Comparison<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to see how Monk compares to the many instant-offense sparkplugs currently in the NBA. One could argue that Monk resembles a mix between Houston\u2019s main bench scorers, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gordoer01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eric Gordon<\/a> <\/strong>and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/willilo02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lou Williams<\/a> <\/strong>\u2013 with more creativity than Gordon, but less ball-hogging than Williams.<\/p>\n<p>The best comparison for Monk is\u00a0another one-and-done Kentucky player \u2013 <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=bookede01,bookede02&amp;search=Devin+Booker&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Devin Booker<\/a><\/strong>. When he was at Kentucky during the 2014-15 season, Booker scored far less than Monk, playing off the bench behind the Harrison twins. But while Monk was enjoying his time at UK, Booker broke out in his second NBA season, averaging 22.1 points. Though he\u2019s three inches taller than Monk, Booker has a similar game. Booker is an elite catch-and-shoot player, and he\u2019s become better at attacking and creating his own shot from anywhere, which Monk has already started to do. Booker is also a better playmaker than Monk, but his two years of NBA experience have given him the chance to develop that aspect of his game. After getting some pro games under his belt, Monk may become a better passer, as well.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, Booker\u2019s most notable accomplishment to date was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PeZEmaX4cEE\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scoring 70 points in a game against the Boston Celtics<\/a> earlier this season \u2013 an unthinkable feat. Monk may never get to that point, but he\u2019s certainly capable of lighting it up on any given night. If a losing team like Orlando or Philly brings in Monk and hands him the reigns, he may prove more capable than anyone could\u2019ve imagined.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ca\/detail\/624016304\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 68.013468% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/624016304?et=J6_OpO7aSv1IySi6V9y4Bw&amp;tld=ca&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=7iYy8CGcK5W1kjj-T6J34ukuE6PCSmuHuiDX2JxgW-I=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"404\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to LWOPB NBA Draft coverage! This Malik Monk NBA Draft profile dives into the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky\u2019s freshman guard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":946,"featured_media":6617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[556,773,2,62],"tags":[591,65,791,352,776,700,96,98],"class_list":["post-6614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba-draft","category-college-basketball","category-featured","category-nba","tag-2017-nba-draft","tag-basketball","tag-college-basketball","tag-devin-booker","tag-kentucky-wildcats","tag-malik-monk","tag-nba","tag-nba-draft"],"modified_by":"Lior Kozai (Managing Editor)","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/946"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}