There is plenty of anticipation about how Malik Monk will play this upcoming season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Monk signed a one-year deal for the minimum after the Charlotte Hornets parted ways with the four-year veteran.
Charlotte drafted Monk as a lottery pick in the 2017 NBA draft, but Monk didn’t break out until last season; by then, however, it was too late.
The Hornets had guard LaMelo Ball take over and new rookie James Bouknight pushed Monk further out of the equation.
The 23-year-old guard averaged career highs in points per game (11.7) and 3-point percentage (40.1%) last season, providing hope for the Lakers that he’ll be even better alongside LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis.
Monk, who said he’s excited to play alongside James, is also eager for the minutes shared with Davis.
“He’s a big man that can play guard, and he can guard one through five, too, as well, so if LeBron is not the biggest part, AD probably is,” Monk said. “AD is one of the biggest parts of this team, and what can’t he do? I’m just looking forward to it, super excited.”
Monk, who played collegiate basketball at Kentucky like Davis did, discussed how that connection plays a role.
“Everybody from Kentucky knows everybody, at least they tried to come back when I was in school to play with us or just talk to us, so we all talked before,” Monk said.
It’s unclear whether Monk will start given his ability to knock down 3-pointers in different ways, but the 23-year-old guard should receive solid playing time, especially if he can hold his own defensively.
