So I’ve been watching Malik Monk since Kentucky and is it just me but does he look like the next elite 3 point shooter in the game. At Kentucky I saw him clutch jumper after clutch jumper and get in a shooting rhythm which reminded me of Curry’s and Kobe’s. Not saying he’ll ever reach any of those two legend’s ceilings but make no mistake about it he will be an all-star at least once or twice in his career.
His rookie season was subpar but more because former
coach Steve Clifford had him on a short leash due to his subpar defense and inability to be a full-time playmaker on the floor for the Hornets. His ball handling ability is decent but not good enough so he can actually run the Hornets’s offense on a daily basis. He’s 6’3 so he is undersized to play the shooting guard so my guess is the Hornets will look to play him at the point guard assuming the Hornets decide to move on from Kemba Walker this summer.
James Borrego is the coach now and he is looking to bring a lot of what he coached in San Antonio to Charlotte and hopes to keep the core intact with Kemba,Dwight, and Nicolas but if you ask me I believe at least 1 of those 3 guys will be gone this summer. If I were the Hornets I would groom Monk into the point guard, he showed massive improvement as a ball handler and playmaker and had multiple 20 point games towards the end of the year which makes you wonder was Clifford’s reluctance to play him more part of the reason he was dismissed as Head Coach? Could be.
The Hornets have Zeller locked in for 3 more years, Batum also, Dwight and Kemba will become free agents next summer so they can certainly be moved to teams where they would have a better chance at competing for something because re-signing both would not be worth it considering they did not even make the playoffs last season with both playing all season. Willy HernanGomez was acquired via trade and could certainly be a franchise cornerstone going forward at the center position while Monk could occupy the point guard position. They do hold the 11th pick in the NBA Draft this June so maybe bringing in a young prospect like Kevin Knox would be a good idea. Knox is a 6’9 forward and is only 18 years old, he showed the ability to be a floor spacer and could play the small forward position as well as serve as a small ball power forward once he adds 15-20 pound to his frame.
I saw Monk become a different player towards the end of this past season and he gave us a glimpse as to what to expect in the future. He ran the pick and roll exceptionally with Willy and they both worked great together on the floor. Monk looked exceptionally quick with the ball in his hands and like a natural play-maker at heart which makes you believe he’ll be ready to take over at point guard if given the keys without question. He’s athletic, can shoot from the perimeter, make plays for his teammates, and has the heart of a lion on the court.
The Hornets have flopped with draft picks in the past but I believe they got this one right. Not comparing Monk being drafted at 13 to Kobe Bryant but the Hornets got themselves a steal and Monk is a competitor and confident in his abilities to become a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
D-NBA 