‘He’s matured; making the right decisions’: Is Hornets’ Malik Monk reinvented?
Malik Monk is more productive of late, which is important. Why and how that has happened is more important.
Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Monk critiqued himself as “passive” early this season. He took that to heart and changed his approach. The result: In 55 minutes over the past two games, Monk has totaled 35 points and eight assists. He shot 12-of-21 from the field in those games. He took nine free throws and just seven 3-point attempts.
That’s a different way for Monk to play than he did in his first two NBA seasons, and he’s the first to say so.
“This is me growing up as a player; learning and seeing what I’ve got to do. Whether it’s me getting to the free-throw line or seeing a couple of makes go in,” Monk said after practice Thursday. “Me attacking opens up everything else for me and my teammates.”
Monk’s time as a Hornet has been a series of false starts, but the path he has followed of late looks right. General manager Mitch Kupchak has called Monk this team’s best pure athlete, but he had to get stronger. He added about 20 pounds over the summer to beef up. He says that has helped him not get bumped off routes to the rim.
The math that rules the NBA these days puts a premium on shots from 3-point range and at the rim. Mid-range jump shots are the least efficient, while free-throw attempts are a strong measure of productivity. The shift for Monk, after he called himself passive a couple games into this season, is noteworthy.
Monk took zero free throws in his first six games this season, which represented 109 minutes of playing time. In the five games that followed, also 109 minutes, Monk took 20 free throws.
Yet a better measure of how well Monk is finishing at the rim is his uptick in 2-point percentage: In his first two seasons, he shot 42 percent from the field on non-3 pointers. This season, he’s shooting 64 percent on 2s.
Coach James Borrego sees an important shift in Monk’s approach.
“He’s matured — trying to play the right way,” Borrego said. “He’s one of our best playmakers right now — coming off screens, in transition and in pick-and-roll.
“Making right decisions, making shots and taking what the defense gives him.”
The doubts regarding Monk have not been about talent. The 11th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Monk had the shooting and scoring ability when he arrived from one college season at Kentucky. The issue was judgment on both offense and defense, being more focused and prepared for who he was guarding and cutting down on turnovers and bad shots.
Reflecting on his transition from Kentucky to the NBA, Monk now thinks he became too comfortable viewing himself first as a long-range shooter.
“It’s me growing up and being an NBA player: If something isn’t working, you’ve got to go to something else. And I’ve got multiple things in my package that I haven’t shown yet, that I think I can show right now,” Monk said.
“I think I had five assists (against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday). That’s me; I’ve had the ball in my hands all my life, creating for other people. When I got to Kentucky, I had to play off the ball and change into a scorer. That’s what my mind-set was coming into the NBA.
“To stay on the court, you’ve got to do multiple things.”
It has taken a while, and the sample size is small, but that’s just what Monk has accomplished of late.
Batum update
Nic Batum had his third practice Thursday after sustaining a fractured finger in the season opener Oct. 23. Batum won’t play Friday at home against the Detroit Pistons but is confident he’ll return during the four-game road trip that starts Saturday against the New York Knicks.
“By next week, I should be OK,” Batum said.
Borrego says the Hornets need the defense, ball-movement and positional versatility Batum can supply. He was with the second unit in the opener. Borrego is still mulling how to use Batum — as a starter or as a reserve, and at what positions — when he returns to the active roster.
While Batum is listed as out for the Pistons game, shooting guard Dwayne Bacon, who missed the Grizzlies game with a sore right knee, is listed as probable to play against the Pistons. Devonte Graham started in place of Bacon on Wednesday. Borrego hasn’t said who will be his starter at shooting guard Friday.
