The Philadelphia 76ers Should Monitor Malik Monk at Kentucky

The 2017 NBA Draft is already fresh in the mind of some Philadelphia 76ers fans, and Malik Monk is somebody worth keeping an eye on heading into the season.

The 2017 NBA Draft class has a myriad of talented players that seem likely to make the leap to NBA competition after next season, highlighted by an incredibly enticing freshman class. With the Philadelphia 76ers likely to secure, at the very least, one lottery pick with a second being highly plausible, there is a number of upper echelon prospects worth keeping an eye on, but Malik Monk is a truly unique situation that the Sixers should pay especially close attention to.

Monk has already committed to play at Kentucky next season, joining what is bound to a packed backcourt alongside fellow All-American De’Aaron Fox and rising sophomore Isaiah Briscoe. This alone makes Monk’s NBA portfolio vastly different that some of his other counterparts, and that could potentially work in Philly’s favor.

Despite his exceptional talent, Monk will be fighting for stability in his role next season. Fox is a highly skilled two-way guard with ample upside of his own, while Briscoe has already established himself as a viable veteran presence on the team heading into his second season. John Calipari’s recruitment process is grueling, and carving out a major role on a roster that is often loaded with elite prospects can be just as difficult at times.

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This means that Monk is going to have a more challenging time securing his draft stock than some of the other high end pieces in this draft, especially in a class filled with incredible point guard depth. Markelle Fultz, Dennis Smith Jr., and Lonzo Ball are all going to be at the forefront of their rotations, Monk will have to truly earn that to be placed into the same conversation early on.

That could, in theory, drop his draft stock outside the epitome of the lottery, and make him a much more attainable and less risky selection for the Sixers should they find themselves with any picks within that 10-20 range. Monk has the talent and physical tools needed to be the best player in 2017, but his situation plays out very favorably for a team looking to nab him far later on.

For precisely that reason, Philly should look extensively at Monk. He’s ranked 2nd in my big board heading into next college season, and has all the skills to be the Sixers’ next elite prospect, potentially without the pains of gunning for a highly coveted lottery slot.

Talent-wise, Monk makes a lot of sense regardless, and is somebody the Sixers and fans alike should be monitoring even if they do put themselves back en route to a top 3 pick.

In terms of the best athletes in the draft, Monk is right at the top with Kansas forward Josh Jackson. He’s incredibly bouncy around the basket, and has a solid 6-4 build that projects incredibly well for a playmaking comboguard at the next level. He’s capable of playing above the rim not only with ease, but in exhilarating fashion at times, and has a quick first step and uncanny level of explosiveness that will make him difficult to contain at any level of play.

With that said, Monk isn’t your typical high-flying athlete who steps into college without some of the base skills that are needed for success at the next level. Rather than relying solely on his ability to out-maneuver his opposition, Monk is a smart player with the basketball when he wants to be, and has a natural scoring touch that should bode well alongside two defensive studs in Fox and Briscoe.

While Monk isn’t a natural pass-first guard, he does have solid vision when operating with the ball in his hands. He has excellent size for the guard spot which helps him see the full expanse of the court well and is fully capable of running the offense at a high level.

Monk’s scoring does, however, remain the most advantageous facet of his skill set, and that could bode very well alongside a playmaker like Ben Simmons if he were to end up in Philadelphia. He hasn’t been the most consistent three-point shooter during his high school career, but has smooth mechanics on his shot and has shown immense promise in catch-and-shoot situations.

Here’s Monk showcasing some of that bounciness, scoring touch, and fluid playmaking skills at the Nike Global competition back in 2015:

He’s also a dangerous player in pick-and-roll scenarios given his ability to change speeds and get to his spots on the court, and his length in combination with his undeniable athletic aptness gives him a notably high ceiling as a slasher and an isolation scorer.

John Calipari has made the comparison to another player he once recruited during his time at Memphis, and it makes a lot of sense — Derrick Rose. While I’m not putting Monk on Rose’s pre-injury level quite yet, his ability to explode towards the rim isn’t seen at that caliber very often. He’s simply difficult to guard in every aspect, and has the smooth scoring touch and budding passing skills needed to develop into a tantalizing prospect in time.

"Malik Monk, I don’t even believe knows how good he is, and when he gets in a regimented program; he had a great high school coach and program and all that, but a college program where the other guys are just as good as him, I think his game is going to go to another level because he’s got Derrick Rose [qualities]. Like the bounce, but he can shoot it a little bit better than Derrick did,” said John Calipari in a Kentucky pre-draft interview"

There are definitely aspects of Monk’s game that are raw, especially in regards to his decision making from time to time, but he has every tool needed to produce at a level just as high as the rest of a loaded draft class. He’d give the Sixers a potential steal in the back half of the lottery or even later given his situation, as he’s currently ranked 22nd in DraftExpress’ mock, and could be the secondary piece alongside Ben Simmons on the perimeter that Philadelphia needs to begin taking the next step forward.

Next: 2017 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0

The Sixers are already set in the frontcourt, almost regardless of who they trade at this point, and Ben Simmons is well-suited to be the cornerstone of the franchise for the foreseeable future. Monk is part of a handful of players who I think have the potential to be even better prospects than Simmons. He’s somebody worth monitoring, and someone whose name you’ll be hearing a lot of come draft time next year.