Sixers Draft: The Minimization of Malik Monk’s Weaknesses
Talent-wise, Malik Monk may seem like a reach at three, but his fit with the Philadelphia 76ers makes that potential gamble more appealing.
Throughout the collegiate campaign, one name in particular was tied to the Philadelphia 76ers more so than the others around him — Malik Monk. The Kentucky sharpshooter not only stood out as the most prolific freshman in school history, but his game was a near-perfect fit for what this Sixers team needs on the perimeter. That sentiment remains true.
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While there are obvious flaws in his game, Monk projects as an undeniably talented perimeter scorer at the next level — almost regardless of system. His quick, concise jumper allows him to drill shots from a variety of angles with little in regards to space, while his quickness gives him significant upside off the dribble. He has carved out his niche as the draft’s best off-ball scorer, and that is in part what makes him such a strong fit in Philadelphia.
Where Monk’s fit becomes downright inarguable, though, is with the extremities of his game. Monk’s strengths are expanded upon in the Sixers’ current setup, while his weaknesses could, for the most part, be hidden.
The best example of masking those weaknesses is on the defensive end. Monk, despite wielding the offensive toolkit of a two-guard, has a frame indicative of a point guard. He’s 6-3 with a lacking wingspan, as well as a thin frame, leaving him vulnerable against stronger NBA wings. The Sixers can work around that.
With Simmons carrying the bulk of the playmaking role through the frontcourt, Monk could still be inserted into the rotation as the point guard semantically. He’d then be able to cover opposing ones while leveraging his springy athleticism with a greater rate of success defensively, while his offensive repertoire would still be based around his off-ball prowess alongside Simmons.
Derek Bodner detailed that fit in his first Sixers big board:
"“Because the 76ers have a natural forward slotted to be their primary shot creator in the half court, they can instead slot Monk in as the nominal “point guard”, aka the smallest 76ers player on the court. That gives the 6’3″ Monk the advantage of, 1) being able to guard opposing point guards, which he has a better chance of doing at an acceptable level than he would if forced to play at the 2 because of his limited ability to run an offense, 2) be defended by opposing point guards, which should make it easier to get his shot off than if a 6’7″ defender were sticking a hand in his face.”"
The second portion of Bodner’s point is especially interesting. With shorter defenders, Monk’s game could become even more effective. His footwork in already superb, as his jumper sports fluid energy flow and consistent mechanics almost regardless of placement on the court. He’s equally as adept in hitting his stroke off the bounce as he is when he’s spotting up, and allotting him even more space to do so could help him maintain what is already a high level of efficiency at the next level.
More Draft: The Case for Selecting Malik Monk at No. 3
Monk has also flashed potential as a playmaker, an important development alongside Ben Simmons. While Brown plans to utilize Simmons as the primary ball handler, he’ll likely benefit from having another guard capable of shouldering the load when needed — while obviously functioning as a complimentary piece as well.
Monk has already established himself as a prime complimentary piece, but it’s his creation skills that could continue to up his ceiling at the next level. He was successful in operating the pick-and-roll with Bam Adebayo on occasion while at Kentucky, something he could ideally translate into a viable threat alongside Joel Embiid with the Sixers.
The 19-year-old has also shown prowess in drive-and-kick situations, as his explosive first step allows him to shred opposing defenses and exploit the resulting passing lanes. While his dribble penetration was admittedly limited during his tenure in John Calipari’s system, that was more role-induced than an outright lack of ability. If the Sixers allow him more freedom to work himself into his spots offensively, that’s a rectifiable issue.
No team in this year’s draft has the luxury of marginalizing Monk’s biggest issues while maximizing his greatest attributes like the Sixers can. With solid rim protection behind him and another source of ball movement in the rotation, Brown can put Monk into a position to succeed defensively while molding his offensive game around both the needs of the team and his developmental track.
Next: Sixers Should Trade Back to 5 & 10
Whether or not he’s worth the reach at three is questionable, but how he’d fit into their rotation isn’t.