Shooting is one of the most critical needs for the Orlando Magic. In a top-heavy draft, there may not be a better shooter than Kentucky guard Malik Monk.
The Orlando Magic have a crucial decision to make in a couple of weeks that could turn the fortunes of a franchise that has not seen the postseason since 2012.
Although Orlando has had its issues making the most of their draft picks, they still have time to turn around the franchise if they take a closer look at Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk.
The Magic have not had a great drafting record in the top 10 for the last five years. None of the players they selected in this four-year period developed into the franchise player the team needed. Worse still, all of those players seemed to be devoid of that most important NBA skill — shooting.
First, it was Victor Oladipo in 2013, then Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton in 2014. Finally, the team selected Mario Hezonja in 2015. He has managed to shoot just 32.7 percent from beyond the arc in two years despite his shooting accolades.
All four of those players have not come into their own yet, for whatever reason.
Monk would be an upgrade to all of these players offensively and a potentially elite scorer, something Magic fans have not seen since the Dwight Howard era.
Monk averaged 19.8 points per game at Kentucky as a freshman and would have the “green light” on a Magic team that ranked in the bottom four in every major scoring category. Most of all, his 3-point shooting.
Monk shot 39.7 percent from beyond the arc on 6.9 attempts per game. Monk can score points in a hurry and score them quickly from beyond the arc.
Monk put up an impressive 47 points against the eventual national champion North Carolina Tar Heels and showed the world what he is capable of. This type of scoring is desperately needed on an Orlando Magic team that was widely known as a terrible offensive team.
The Good
The good thing about Malik Monk is his scoring ability from any area on the floor. In today’s NBA, it is vital to have at least one player on the roster who can create their own shot from any spot on the court. This is a key element to any shooter coming out of college as a potential top-10 pick.
When Monk gets hot he can score with the best of them.
He has shown the ability to make tough, contested, off-balance shots. If he can improve on his all-around game by getting to the basket more consistently, Monk could become a prolific scorer on the NBA level.
Monk also has a quick release on his shot. He has an uncanny ability to get to his spots frequently, which makes him a threat to score at any time. That is a high-IQ skill he has developed in his repertoire and makes it hard for defenders to disrupt his timing on his release point.
Another good thing about Monk is he played and started for Kentucky under John Calipari and earned his trust early in his career. Calipari had nothing but good things to say about Monk during his time with Kentucky. The Wildcats have a pretty good track record when it comes to college players translating to the NBA level.
Monk has also proved in college he has the clutch gene pundits talk about so much. Calipari has called his number in most clutch situations, which shows that one of the greatest collegiate coaches of all time has faith in him in the waning moments of a game.
Monk has also shown he can play big minutes in college. He averaged 32.1 minutes per game at Kentucky and played at a high level during those minutes. This will be key because most of the teams he could potential be selected by need a scorer like him to play big minutes.
The Bad
Although Monk may continue to grow an inch or two later in his NBA career, the bad thing about Monk is his height and size. Most shooting guards are taller than 6-foot-3 and can get their shot off on longer defenders. This may be an issue for Monk on the next level.
It is unknown if he will be able to shoot consistently over most shooting guards in the NBA, which makes him a high-risk, high-reward type of guard. He is high risk because he is small in stature and will probably have to readjust a lot of his shots contested by bigger guards.
Another bad thing about Monk is his low assist and rebounding statistics. In his only year as a starter Monk only averaged 2.3 assist and 2.5 rebounds per game. Whichever team takes Monk in the top-10 will need him to average more assist and rebounds than he did at Kentucky.
In his only year at Kentucky, Monk only averaged 2.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. Whichever team takes Monk in the top 10 will need him to average more assists and rebounds than he did at Kentucky.
Another bad thing about Monk is he doe snot use his athleticism to get to the rim consistently to get easy baskets. That could be because of his extreme confidence in his shot. But if Monk wants to be a future All Star in the NBA, he has to stop shying away from the paint and take advantage of high percentage opportunities.
There really is not an excuse for him to not attack the basket more often especially with him shooting 82.2 percent from the free-throw line at Kentucky. This will be key in his early years as a pro because he will need to get to the charity stripe as much as possible to gain confidence early.
Draft Sites Say
Mike Schmitz & Matt Kamalsky, DraftExpress
"Monk’s intrigue at the next level starts with his tremendous athletic ability, even if he is a tad undersized for a shooting guard at the NBA level at 6’3 in shoes, with just a 6’4 wingspan. A freakishly explosive leaper capable of finishing emphatically above the rim, registering a 42-inch vertical leap at Kentucky’s preseason combine, the Bentonville, Arkansas native also possesses the strong first step and quickness to potentially grow into a dynamic shot creator off the dribble, even if that wasn’t his identity at the college level. Possessing a lean, but promising 200-pound frame, Monk lacks a degree of height and length, but makes up for that in other ways."
Michael Visenberg, NBADraft.net
"Explosive guard who is one of the more adept scorers in his class … Has great touch on his shot and has been deadly from long-range off the bounce and catch … Great elevation while shooting, has ability to shoot off of screens while also being able to freeze the defense off a hesitation dribble. . . . Certainly best as a scoring guard, though at around 6’3 with a 6’6 wingspan, definitely would be considered undersized and could struggle defending bigger guards … While some have referred to him as a combo guard, he is not particularly comfortable setting up the offense and does not really show the vision of a primary handler … Can be a bit loose with his handle and decision making, not entirely comfortable beyond a few dribbles creating for himself."
Final Word
Having a prolific scorer and shooter like Monk would help space the floor considering he shot 39.7 percent from beyond the arc in college. Monk was able to change the game with his scoring ability on several occasions.
It was not just the North Carolina game. Monk scored the majority of his 33 points in a second-half comeback against the Florida Gators in February.
The biggest question for Monk is if his game can translate to the NBA level considering he is only listed at 6-foot-3 and played primarily off the ball at Kentucky with De’Aaron Fox manning the point. It is unknown if he can be all he can be with this style of point guard.
These are questions that can only be answered through an extended amount of time.
Monk would be considered a miniature shooting guard in today’s NBA. But his heart and his confidence in college were not measured by his height. He is the type of player who plays bigger than he actually is, like an Isaiah Thomas-kind of confidence.
If the Magic draft Monk and decide to use him as a point guard, there will be plenty of questions regarding his abilities to lead this Magic team from that position.
On one end, he would be a dominant scoring point guard, one who would probably consistently draw double teams when he enters the lane. On the other hand, he will need to learn how to distribute the ball consistently on the NBA level to take full advantage of his teammates talents.
Although we have seen Monk bring the ball up occasionally at Kentucky, him orchestrating an offense and consistently getting good shots for his teammates remains a huge question mark.
Next: 2017 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Who is Josh Jackson?
The Magic offense would be a lot more efficient with more threats from downtown in the starting lineup, and drafting Malik Monk would begin to allow fans to see a big difference in productivity.