Just how good has Malik Monk been for the Lakers?
In a season full of disapointments, Malik Monk's progression has been one of the lone positives for the Lakers
Advanced Stats used in this article are from Statmuse.com.
When the Charlotte Hornets drafted Malik Monk with the 11th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, they had high hopes for the guard out of Kentucky. Always known to be a gifted scorer, the Hornets expected Monk to at least become a 15+ point scorer on offense by some point in his career. Monk averaged 19.8 points per game while shooting 40% from 3PT range in his lone season at Kentucky.
However, Monk struggled with efficiency and his 3PT shot in his first three seasons for the Hornets as his eFG% was 45.8 his rookie season, 48 his second year, and 49.4 his third year, while his 3PT% was 34.2 his rookie season, 33 his second season, and 28.4 in his third year, none of which are good percentages for a scoring guard, especially of his caliber.
Granted, Monk was never really given the green light by Michael Jordan and his coaches playing in only 13.5 minutes per game his rookie season, then never averaging over 21 minutes per game over the next three seasons either. Perhaps if the Hornets had implemented Monk as a bigger piece in the offense, they could have gotten a glimpse of what Lakers fans are enjoying at the moment.
It wasn’t just the Hornets that messed up when Malik Monk entered free agency this past offseason, it was every team. Even though Monk had an abysmal 2019-2020 campaign where he only shot just over 28% from 3PT range, he came back in 2020-2021 with a much-improved stroke shooting over 40% from 3 for the first time in his career, even in limited minutes. Last season Monk also averaged 12 points per game with an eFG% of 54 percent, a 5 percentage point increase from his previous career-high.
This was all in limited minutes, but Monk showed enough of a jump in efficiency and production to warrant at least 5-10 million dollars a year considering his age and promise based on his production. But no, Monk was signed for the veterans minimum by the Lakers at just 23 years old, bolstering the team’s horrid 3PT shooting with an opportunity to play serious minutes on a championship-caliber team.
Anybody who has been watching the Lakers games this season knows how much Malik Monk has meant to this team undisputedly becoming the third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis because of Russell Westbrook’s continued struggles.
Monk is finally getting the minutes he deserves (just over 27 per game) and is averaging 13.1 points and 2.5 assists per game with a TS% of 60.5, a 3PT% of 41, and an eFG% of 58.7 (one of the highest percentages in the league among guards in the NBA this season). Not only has Monk been one of the most efficient players on the Lakers, but he has become one of the most efficient players in the entire NBA.
Monk has had 15 games this season where he has scored over 20 points and has plays drawn up for him by Frank Vogel and the Lakers because of how lethal he has been, especially from beyond the arc. A LeBron James-Malik Monk pick and pop play call has been the most popular for the Lakers this season and defenses still can’t defend it even when they know it’s coming.
Furthermore, Malik Monk has taken his game to another level this season and advanced statistics show that he is one of the most efficient players in the NBA. The Lakers are going to need Monk to continue this kind of production for them to have any shot at doing anything if they get into the playoffs. However, Malik Monk is also the poster boy for why teams can’t overlook advanced statistics even in a small sample size.
Just because Monk only played 20 minutes per game at 22/23 years old for the Hornets does not mean that his production and 40+% from 3PT range wasn’t legitimate. Teams messed up badly on Monk and maybe this next offseason teams will look at continued progression even in limited minutes to get more breakout seasons from free agents.
Now Monk is due for a huge payday that could be between 10-15 million dollars per season. Whether or not the Lakers will be able to retain him this offseason remains to be seen, but either way, Monk will continue to be a dominant and efficient three-level scorer when he gets paid this summer.