“He’s our sixth starter”and the expression is rather well found on the part of De'Aaron Fox to express the importance of the role of Malik Monk within the Kings. More than a luxury sixth man, the former Lakers and Hornets player is valuable in the offensive balance put in place by Mike Brown… And his absence was already felt last night in the defeat against the Spurs d 'a great Victor Wembanyama.
The day before, the Sacramento guard had twisted his ankle by stepping on Mason Plumlee's foot during the victory against the Suns, marred by this hard blow.
The verdict fell Monday before the match against San Antonio. If he suffers a “moderate” sprain of his right ankle, Malik Monk will not be no return for at least two weeks.
A new challenge for Mike Brown
“Malik is clearly important to us,” had slipped De'Aaron Fox after the victory in Phoenix. “He’s a player who could start for a lot of teams. He's going to be out for a while, and it's clear that, like last year, it's really hurting us.”
Same story from Mike Brown, who recalled that Malik Monk had started this season very well, still valuable in his role. It’s up to him to find the right formula for the weeks to come…
“He’s having a great season so far. He's another player who can carry the ball, create, and do a fantastic job on defense. To lose someone as dynamic as him is tough, but it will be up to the player who replaces him to be up to par. This is the mentality we must have.”
And unfortunately, against the Spurs, the bench was transparent, like Keon Ellis (1 of 6 on shots) or Doug McDermott (1 of 5 on 3-pointers).
| Malik Monk | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | CHA | 63 | 14 | 36.0 | 34.2 | 84.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 6.7 |
| 2018-19 | CHA | 73 | 17 | 38.7 | 33.0 | 88.2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 8.9 |
| 2019-20 | CHA | 55 | 21 | 43.4 | 28.4 | 82.0 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 10.3 |
| 2020-21 | CHA | 42 | 21 | 43.4 | 40.1 | 81.9 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 11.7 |
| 2021-22 | LAL | 76 | 28 | 47.3 | 39.1 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 13.8 |
| 2022-23 | BAG | 77 | 22 | 44.8 | 35.9 | 88.9 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 13.5 |
| 2023-24 | BAG | 72 | 26 | 44.3 | 35.0 | 82.9 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 15.4 |
| 2024-25 | BAG | 9 | 27 | 44.6 | 28.6 | 83.3 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 13.6 |
| Total | 467 | 22 | 43.3 | 35.4 | 84.4 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 11.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
