For Charlotte Hornets' Malik Monk, the shots were nice, but the decisions were huge
The shooting, the leaping, the sprinting: Those are all things Charlotte Hornets fans should expect from Malik Monk, particularly against NBA Summer League competition.
Then there’s decision-making: That’s what mattered Friday.
Monk, the 11th overall pick in 2017, stuck out in so many ways in an 88-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. He scored 11 of the Hornets’ first 13 points. He made nine of 16 shots from the field and four of nine from 3-point range. He slapped away the ball on the Thunder’s last possession.
But here’s what resonated: One turnover in 27 minutes. He had two assists, but he made enough high-value passes that he could have ended the game with six or more.
New Hornets coach James Borrego hasn’t been reserved about saying Monk should be a big part of this team’s future. Borrego has also said it’s paramount that Monk and the rest of the Hornets change their ways about holding the ball.
When you touch it, make an immediate read and do something. Doesn’t matter if it’s a shot, a drive or a pass, but don’t hold and hesitate. If you’ve watched the Spurs at their best over the past 15 years, you know why former San Antonio assistant Borrego so preaches ball-movement.
The Hornets made a statement about ball-movement earlier Friday when they completed the trade that sent center Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets. The ball stuck when it hit Howard’s hands last season, sometimes wasting five to 10 seconds of a possession and often leading to a turnover or a low-quality shot.
There were times in his rookie season when the ball stuck in Monk’s hands, too. That wasn’t selfishness, it was inexperience against NBA offenses, combined with being wired to dominate offensively.
Friday, Monk expressed his talent while still complying to the non-negotiable in Borrego’s playbook.
“I got a couple of practices under my belt with the quick decisions, and I got comfortable with it,” Monk said after scoring 23 points. “I thought I did a pretty good job with it and the more games I play, the more I’ll get comfortable.”
Monk, a former Kentucky star, had a forgettable rookie season compared to what he expected of himself. It started with the sprained ankle that cost him all last summer. Then-coach Steve Clifford played him early, didn’t think he was getting what he needed, and reduced Monk’s minutes until late last season.
If the past week is any indication, last season didn’t dent Monk’s confidence at all.
“Strength and decision-making,” Monk said, when asked what he’s worked on since April. “I had everything else. I just had to show it.”
You can’t talk basketball with Borrego or his assistants without it turning to ball-movement and decision-making. So naturally, when Monk internalized that Friday, the coaches praised.
“Especially in the second half (when Monk scored five points), Malik did a great job of making the read,” said assistant Jay Hernandez, who’s the summer-league coach. “He made some really, really nice passes. Some of them didn’t result in assists, but overall he was trying to make the right play.”
Borrego says it's inevitable Monk will draw defensive rotations. It’s what Monk learns to do in response that will define his success as an NBA combo guard.
“He is going to attract a lot of attention,” Hernandez said. “When the ball is in your hands late in a game, (and you hear) ‘Make a play,’ that’s what that means:
“It doesn’t always mean, ‘Score!’ and I think he’s figuring that out.”
Sure looked that way Friday: Just one game in summer league, but this shouted progress.
This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 10:16 PM with the headline "For Charlotte Hornets' Malik Monk, the shots were nice, but the decisions were huge."