Malik Monk's Occasional Off Nights Demonstrate Why He's the Kings' Third Best Player
The value of a player is sometimes most visible when that player is absent. That was the case last night.
The Kings dropped a home game to the Charolette Hornets, who were in the midst of an eleven-game losing streak, were missing some key players, and were coming off a back-to-back the night prior in Denver.
Maybe it wasn't the same level of dismay given the effort utilized on Tuesday night, but losing that game felt somewhat on par with the loss in Portland last week. Both were inexcusable.
Aside from that, another similarity is that in both losses, Malik Monk did not provide the impact he usually does. Though he played in both contests, it was the absence of that high-level ability to be a difference-maker that hurt his team in both games.
Against the Trailblazers, Monk went 3 of 11 from the floor and posted a -21 in the stat sheet. It wasn't much different against the Hornets as Monk went 2 of 7 from the field with another -21 to top off a poor defensive first half in which he saw less than five minutes of play.
Obviously, Monk's poor performances are not the sole reason for either defeat. The Kings lacked resiliency and fight in Portland while they struggled to protect the ball and find an offensive rhythm against Charolette.
However, Monk has the capability of shifting things. It's just that when his energy isn't fully unleashed and the shots don't fall that the Kings find a void in production that really can't be made up for.
This is why he's hands down the third best player on the team. The only two other players that fall in that category are De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, last season's two all-stars and two All-NBA honorees. No one player can even remotely replicate what they provide, and that goes for Monk as well.
When the Kings were up 18-8, it looked like they'd run away with it in front of the home crowd. But without the typical punch off the bench from Monk, there was little to propel a commanding statement in the first quarter. As such, Sacramento found themselves down 21-25 after one quarter.
Zooming ahead to the closing minutes of the game, Monk continued to lack in the areas where he proves to be a massive asset. Clutch time is Fox time, but a sprinkle of Monk time makes things easier. Monk has shown on various occasions—whether it was scoring 11 overtime points against the Lakers after Fox sprained his ankle or hitting a game winner against the Warriors—that he can lend a critical hand to closing games out.
Being out of rhythm late in this one left Fox trading buckets with Terry Rozier. Monk not only missed a key open three with about a minute left, but his performance was such that he did not command the ball as much. Meanwhile, Fox, without the optimal help of his best friend, turned the ball over twice in the final minute of the game.
Again, it's not Monk's fault alone that the Kings let the Hornets end an eleven-game losing streak, but it's immediately clear how much an off game from him can lead to an off game for the whole team.
Malik Monk is the third best player on the team. If one doesn't buy into that, they should watch what could be two of the most disappointing losses of the season.