NBA prospect primer: SG Malik Monk

Unlike the NFL Draft process which unfolds over months and months, the NBA season turns around to the draft so quickly that it can sneak up on you. In advance of June 22, we're going to take a look at some of the top prospects and their respective strengths and weaknesses. I originally posted this on my own page, but it's hard to deny the bigger audience of /nba.

Obviously, a lot of redditors here already know about these prospects and have formed their own opinions, but this series is intended for those NBA fans who haven't studied the draft yet and want a one-stop shop to get to know the next generation of NBA talent.

######SG Malik Monk, Kentucky

his career

A star guard in Arkansas (and younger brother of their local football standout Marcus Monk), Malik Monk was a national top 10 prospect for most of his high school career on the merits of his scoring abilities.

Although he considered staying in Arkansas, Monk ultimately went down a familiar path for star recruits: heading to Kentucky. There, the 6'3" shooting guard would join fellow top prospects De'Aaron Fox and Bam Adebayo for a title contender. Although it wasn't Coach Calipari's most vaunted class in his run in Lexington, the young pups led the Wildcats to a 32-6 record and a #2 seed. The team beat top contenders like Wichita State and UCLA before falling to eventual champ UNC in the Elite Eight.

It was actually Monk's first game against UNC in the regular season that put him on the national radar, though, when he exploded for 47 points, a freshman record for the school. Monk flashed that type of scoring all season long, leading the team with 19.8 points per game. He declared after that freshman year, with the expectation of being a top 10 pick.

why he'll succeed

Malik Monk's primary skill isn't hard to figure out: dude can shoot. That 19.8 points per game illustrates how he can light it up, but Monk does it with a quick-release and a sweet stroke. He shot 39.7% from three (on 6.9 attempts per game) and 82.2% from the line (on 4.7 attempts per game.)

I mention those "attempts" because they're important when projecting shooting at the next level. Based on the simple stat sheet alone, guards Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz both were "better" three point shooters, with 40%+ from beyond the arc. However, both of them attempted less threes, and struggled from the free throw line (67.3% for Ball, 64.9% for Fultz). That's the same profile that allows us to overrate a player's NBA readiness -- for example, Brandon Ingram shot 41.0% from three in college, but only 68.2% from the line. Sure enough, he was a sub 30% three-point shooter as a rookie in the NBA.

I say that not to bash Ball or Fulz (or Ingram), but to praise Monk. His shooting is legitimate, and should be ready to contribute right away. He has a quick release and deep range, making it all but assured he'll be able to be a "plus" three-point shooter at the next level. He can get hot in a hurry, with scoring flurries that remind you of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

The obvious question with Monk is his size at 6'3", but he has a natural athleticism that should allow him to cover for some of that on the defensive end. He's an explosive athlete, which is hinted at when you see that he blocked 0.5 shots per game from the guard position. As long as he's "hidden" on smaller guards, he shouldn't be a liability there.

why he'll struggle

Monk can clearly shoot, but NBA general managers will definitely wonder what else he can do.

With De'Aaron Fox handling the ball, Monk didn't get to showcase many other skills as well, offering up a modest 2.3 assists against 2.0 turnovers. Coach Cal claims that he can play some point guard, but we haven't really seen that enough to have confidence in that ability.

As mentioned, Monk's athletic, but he didn't put that into practice much in the games, grabbing just 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game. Monk's shooting numbers should translate to the NBA, but those defensive numbers usually do as well: and that should be a major red flag for him.

More than anything, it makes FIT crucial for Monk's success. As an undersized shooting guard, he needs to play with a backcourt mate who can help cover for his weaknesses. If a team has that, then Monk can thrive as a starter. If not, he may be relegated to a life as a scoring sixth man off the bench. I actually list his "low-end career" as being a starter anyway, because those types of sixth men (the Jamal Crawfords, Lou Williams of the world) tend to play around 30 minutes anyway, effectively "starters" minutes.

best team fits

PHI (#3) -- There's no denying the dream fit between Monk and Philadelphia, although they may feel like they're too high in the draft to take him. Philly intends to make PF Ben Simmons their primary ball handler a la LeBron; in that case, playing Monk as a nominal "point guard" would be ideal. Monk can provide much-needed spacing on offense, and cover opposing point guards on the other end without any size limitations.

ORL (#6) -- The Magic don't need shooting guards, necessarily, but they do need shooters. Even if Monk comes off the bench for Orlando, he'd provide them with a scoring spark.

MIN (#7) -- Ideally the Timberwolves would draft a hybrid forward like Jonathan Isaac, but I can see a decent fit for Malik Monk here as well. Two reasons why: Monk would be a great complement to Ricky Rubio in the backcourt, where Rubio's size can cover for Monk on defense, and Monk's shooting can complement Rubio on offense. The other season is that Zach LaVine is a free agent next summer that the team may not be 100% sold on re-signing to a big money contract. Even if they do, I don't mind the fit here. The Rubio - Monk backcourt makes sense, allowing you to bring LaVine off the bench as a super sub a la James Harden in OKC. Again, it's not a perfect fit, but it's an option.

overall grades

For this, we're using the scale that:

• = bust

** = rotational player

*** = starter

**** = good starter

***** = All-Star

immediate impact : **

low-end career : ***

upside career : ****

total score : 9 stars. (#5 prospect on our big board)

previous prospect primers

#1 -- Josh Jackson, #2 -- Markelle Fultz, #3 -- Lonzo Ball, #4 -- Jayson Tatum, #5 -- Malik Monk, #6 -- Jonathan Isaac, #7 -- Dennis Smith, #8 -- De'Aaron Fox, # 9 -- Lauri Markkanen, #10 -- Jarrett Allen, other lottery talent