The Sacramento Kings haven’t had the best start to the 2024-25 campaign compared to how they started their first 21 games last year.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have stepped up their production so far in the campaign, and DeMar DeRozan’s addition from the Chicago Bulls is a boon for the roster. However, their mid-November slump saw them fall to the bottom half of the West, much to Mike Brown’s frustration.
While the team is linked to roster moves that will instantly improve its performance on the court, it must make do with the players it currently has on hand. One of its most prized athletes immediately shows his value to the roster after an outstanding performance against a team that’s on the rise.
Malik Monk impresses as a starter during the Sacramento Kings’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs
The Kings’ decision to have Malik Monk as their starting shooting guard during their narrow 127-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs surprised Kings fans. While he’s been a terrific player loved by both fans and teammates, he’s widely regarded as the star man for the team’s second unit.
The Kings’ string of disappointing losses against teams like Brooklyn and Portland had Mike Brown clamoring for a change, and that came in the form of Monk starting against the Spurs.
While the Kings still lost, Monk showed off in his first start for Sacramento. He finished with 19 points on 50% shooting. He was also effective on other areas of the floor, notching seven rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block.
Brown discussed Monk’s future as a starter, and it seems that he liked what he saw in the 26-year-old Kentucky alum.
Per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Michael Wagaman:
“Malik’s going to start. Will there come a day I want to change it? Maybe, I don’t know,” Brown said. “But what we’ve done so far hasn’t resulted in good things in terms of our record. So I felt like I needed to shake it up.”
Malik Monk taking over the starting role sends Kevin Huerter to the bench. While Huerter has been a solid contributor for the Sacramento Kings, it’s hard to look beyond Monk’s impressive averages of 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists this season.
Mike Brown and the rest of the coaching staff hope Monk’s insertion to the starting lineup will inject some much-needed firepower into the Kings’ offense and help them make a mid-season surge to the top of the Western Conference.
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