Malik Monk
Monk is another very interesting player. He’s also a freshman, and currently plays shooting guard for Kentucky. He’s averaging 19 points on 48 percent shooting, to go with three rebounds and a steal per game.
Despite that, there are many who think that his best chance at the next level is as a point guard. He’s got solid size for the position, measuring in at 6-foot-3, with a 6-foot-6 wingspan. Monk is similar to Smith in that he’s one of the most explosive players in the country. Observe:
Malik Monk Windmill Dunk #SCtop10 #BBN pic.twitter.com/q148iknAJu
— Wildcat Dunks (@WildcatDunks) November 26, 2016
He’s an avid dunker, and is great at using his speed and quickness to run the floor in transition. Monk often finds himself finishing alley-oop attempts, which is just so fun to see out of your point guard.
Though the mid-range game is his forte in the half-court, Monk has proven to be an adept three-point shooter (thus far, at least). He’s currently making three of them per game, and shooting it at a respectable 39 percent clip from deep.
The one setback with Monk is that whoever drafts him will need to unlock his point guard abilities. He doesn’t have the size to play shooting guard full-time at the professional level. Especially not early on in his career. That means that the Kentucky star needs to perfect his loose ball-handle, and become less of a selfish passer. From DraftExpress:
"While Monk can really pass, he’s also a bit of an assist hunter, only giving it up when he knows he’s in line for an assist, rather than constantly moving the ball ahead in transition or making the fundamental swing pass to shift the defense. If Monk is able to keep up his distributing and shot making, while playing unselfishly and staying away from the hero ball plays, he’ll be a much more valuable long-term NBA prospect."
So far he’s only averaging two assists per contest, so his distribution remains a work in progress.
But even with these slight flaws, Monk is a top prospect who’s projected to go fifth overall as of right now. He does need to work on his passing, but at least he’s shown he has the ability to make these types of plays:
This crop of potential future NBA point guards is just absurd.