Malik Monk is relevant again for the Hornets. He’s carved out a unique role in Charlotte
Malik Monk, youth basketball coach.
Odd as it might sound, that’s how Monk kept his perspective when he wasn’t even sniffing the Charlotte Hornets’ rotation: Watching over the rookies on the bench, offering instruction and encouragement.
“Having all the guys younger than me (around) helps me lock in,” said Monk, who finally got consequential playing time Thursday. “Keeps me sane, keeps my head on straight.”
Monk, the 11th pick in the 2017 NBA draft, was playing behind Cody and Caleb Martin — a second-round pick and a guy who went undrafted. He played in just two of Charlotte’s first 12 games, for a total of 11 minutes.
There were reasons he rode the bench, primarily the 10 days of the preseason that Monk lost while quarantining with a positive COVID-19 test. There was also the crowd at the perimeter positions, with the Hornets drafting LaMelo Ball and acquiring free agent Gordon Hayward.
Thursday, circumstance changed. Hayward sat out the loss to the Toronto Raptors with a left hip strain. Caleb Martin replaced Hayward as a starter. And the Hornets were coming off a horrid offensive performance Wednesday (93 points) in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. One thing undeniable about Monk: He can score.
He did just that in the first half, going 3-of-3 from 3-point range for 10 points. Monk went scoreless in the second half, but what he showed over 23 minutes drew praise from coach James Borrego.
“He impacted that game on both ends of the floor,” Borrego said. “He made shots, got to the rim, made the right play, played with the right spirit.
“I thought he was really good tonight.”
Little feedback
When I spoke with Monk one-on-one in late December, he said he hadn’t gotten much feedback from the coaches, other than to stay ready. He was trying to stay in game shape, with the Hornets not practicing much, and processing his grandmother’s death from COVID-19.
Monk understands he had some “swerves” — his word — in his first three NBA seasons. By his own description, he wasn’t emotionally prepared for the NBA when he left Kentucky at 19 to enter the draft. Last season was odd: He played his best sustained basketball in a 13-game stretch in February, then was suspended by the NBA under the anti-drug policy.
The juxtaposition of those two events were good for him: Showing him simultaneously how good he can be and also how fragile an NBA career is. He worked intensely over the summer, knowing this is the last season on his rookie-scale contract.
Monk described Thursday against the Raptors as effectively the first organized game he’s played in 11 months. There were times in the past three seasons when he wasn’t used in games, but nothing like what the last month has been.
“After the first couple of games, I got adjusted (to) not playing,” Monk described. “To just coaching, helping, being a great teammate.”
Helping LaMelo Ball
Monk has become close to rookie Ball, offering himself as a resource to understanding the league. It makes a certain sense: They both entered the league as teenage lottery picks; Monk knows the pitfalls.
“I know I can help him a lot,” Monk said. “When I was young, I was doing the same things he’s going through: Came to the league when I was 19.
“I’ve got a lot of points I can give to him, and I’m going to continue to do that daily.”
Monk knows he can help the Hornets more tangibly than by mentoring rookies. The stakes are high; he is auditioning this season not only for the Hornets, who can restrict his free-agency with a $7.3 million qualifying offer, but for the other 29 NBA teams.
Thursday was a first step toward relevance again. Does he believe he earned more minutes?
“I think it did,” Monk said.
“But if I don’t, I’ll always be ready to go in and do what I did today. I’m here to do what I’ve got to do to help the team.”
