I’ve been riding Monk high ever since the offseason, and now everyone seems to finally be catching on. After a 47-point showcase against North Carolina, Monk’s hot shooting hand has garnered national attention on a whole new level.
As somewhat of an undersized two-guard, there are some concerns, mostly defensively, that hold Monk back a bit. He’s a gritty defender and a gifted athletic presence, but could be relegated to guarding point guards at the next level — at least early on.
With that said, the offensive upside is unquestionable. He’s a smooth athlete in transition, and possesses the ability to get to the rim and play above it with impressive ease. That, however, isn’t what has sparked his dominant stretch thus far. Monk has shot lights out from deep, and is looking more and more like an instant go-to option at the next level.
Must Read: 2017 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0.1
Monk is hitting 42% of his 3-point attempts on upwards of 8 tries per contest, and proving himself to be college basketball’s most prolific threat from deep. He has a compact release with excellent footwork on the outside, and is easily among the better offensive prospects in this class.
Where he fits with the Philadelphia 76ers
This is probably the best fit so far. Monk is capable of handling playmaking on some occasions, and can be easily relied on as a hefty perimeter scorer working off of Simmons and Embiid. He’s the type of instant shooting spark that the Sixers don’t yet have, and could find a strong niche from day one.
Philadelphia doesn’t have much guard depth in general, and Monk’s athletic upside and overall scoring prowess helps fill a lot of that void. He’s both a floor spacer and somebody who can function as a go-to scorer on the outside, and that’s something they need to balance out Embiid’s interior scoring.
Defensively, Monk makes a lot of sense as well. With Simmons as the primary ball handler, Monk’s limitations become far less restrictive. He’d be able to easily guard point guards on the other end without being without compromising defensive effectiveness elsewhere.
He simply fits with what the Sixers are trying to build in a very complementary manner.
Expert’s Opinion — Sam Vecenie, Sporting News/Yahoo
"Monk has been terrific in the early month of the NBA season. He’s ironed out his shot selection, which has led to more consistent results in his shooting percentages.[Monk has] also shown a solid ability to get into the midrange for pull-up jumpers, which is a lethal weapon for him. Two concerns going forward: he’s still a 6-3 player with short arms, meaning defensively, he might be resigned to playing against point guards most of the time. Second, he’s still not a creative ball-handler that can get all the way to the rim. That’s the difference between him becoming a top option on offense for teams or becoming a J.R. Smith-type that hits consistently hits shots as a fourth option."
Big Board Rankings:
- Big Board 3.0 — 3
- Jeremy Woo — 4
- DraftExpress — 5
- Sam Vecenie — 11