NBA
#11 – Malik Monk – Charlotte Hornets
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated5 hours ago on April 24, 2024
With the No. 11 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected Malik Monk, guard out of the University of Kentucky.
After falling out of the top 1o picks like he had been projected for most of the draft season, Monk lands with the Hornets and Kemba Walker to form what could possibly become one of the best scoring backcourts in the league.
Sharing the backcourt with another high-profile guard won’t be new territory for Monk, as he shared his time at Kentucky with De’Aaron Fox, who was taken No. 5 overall by the Sacramento Kings. During his lone year as a Wildcat Monk absolutely lit up the scoring sheet. Monk averaged 19.8 points per game while shooting 39 percent from downtown. Playing off the ball with Walker, who averaged 23.2 points per game last season, should provide plenty of opportunities to get his next season.
What could become problematic for the Hornets, however, is the lack of size between Monk and Walker. Monk measures in at 6-foot-3, which is undersized for a two-guard in the NBA, and Walker checks in at 6-foot-1. With all the scoring at their disposal, it remains to be seen if the future Charlotte backcourt can defend at a competitive level.
