Malik Monk ‘swerved’; how he’s earning back status and Charlotte Hornets’ trust
Malik Monk says he’s solid now — both physically and emotionally.
That’s been no given in the zigzag path of his first three NBA seasons. Even the best stretch of his time as a Charlotte Hornet ended abruptly last season, when he was suspended in February under the NBA’s anti-drug policy.
Monk took responsibility for himself Friday in his first interview since being reinstated last spring during the NBA’s COVID-19 hiatus.
“I did it. I took my consequences for it,” Monk said of the suspension, which cost him eight games and roughly $200,000 in salary. “I think I’m making up for it right now.”
“I’m in a great place with my mind and my body. The responsibility now is even bigger for me to stay like this, instead of swerving off a little bit.”
For Monk, this is a hugely important season, the last on his rookie-scale contract before he would become a free agent. The Hornets can restrict that free-agency with a $7.3 million qualifying offer.
They believe him in; general manager Mitch Kupchak has repeatedly called Monk this team’s most talented player.
“When I say that, I mean in terms of his athleticism for his size, his speed and quickness, his ability to get up the floor, his skill level — being able to shoot the ball and handle the ball,” Kupchak described in a June interview on WFNZ. “He’s got a pretty finished package.”
But Kupchak also said Monk needs to “rebirth himself,” following the suspension.
Talent vs. Production
Monk’s career so far has been such a dichotomy between talent and production. He has started only one NBA game — his last right before the suspension. However, there are flashes when he is not just talented, but captivating in his ability to attack defenses.
In that 13-game stretch, he averaged 17 points and shot 45.3% from the field. He didn’t settle for jump shots, as he mostly did his first two seasons, driving hard to the rim.
Monk has struggled to put on weight and muscle; he says he’s at 210 pounds now and that feels sustainable. Coach James Borrego believes that bulk, combined with the February success, will keep him attacking.
“If they’re getting knocked on their tails over and over, and not finishing, guess what? They’re not going to keep going there,” Borrego said of guards of Monk’s body type shying from the lane.
“With Malik’s size and strength now, and success last season, he’s more and more confident to go there.”
Self-awareness
Borrego said recently he’s never seen Monk more emotionally and mentally engaged. Fluctuating focus has been an issue in the past. Monk said in an interview with the Observer last season that he wasn’t mature enough, after one season at Kentucky, to adapt to the NBA as a 19-year-old rookie.
Veteran teammates, such as Bismack Biyombo, say Monk at 22 is a better listener — less defensive, more receptive to what he can learn from others. That was reflected, Borrego said, in how he addressed his weaknesses during that hot streak: Borrego said he could trust Monk to play longer stretches because he reduced bad choices with the ball and played better defense.
“People say you don’t love working out or you don’t love the game. You can’t let that get to you,” Monk said in February. “I know I love the game and I love working hard. I just had to take responsibility for myself.”
He said Friday that free-agency isn’t on his mind. But he does think about Kupchak’s praise: It is both a boost and a challenge.
“It takes a bunch of weight off my shoulders, because I know he is rooting for me. That really relaxes me to go perform the way I can,” Monk said.
“But it also puts pressure on me because I’ve got to show him that I’m still working and I’m still one of the best talent-wise on this team.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Malik Monk ‘swerved’; how he’s earning back status and Charlotte Hornets’ trust."
