All season long, fans of the Los Angeles Lakers have been saying that the team needs more reliable, impressive shooters aside from LeBron James if they hope to make it far into the postseason.
Last night, Malik Monk said, "Your wish is my command."
Monk came alive in a big, big way at the Crypto.com Arena (yuck) Friday, scoring a season-high 29 points to help lead LA to a much-needed win against the Atlanta Hawks.
Monk was downright phenomenal: fast, smart, consistent. In fact, this was one of the first games of the season where it felt like LA could actually become a legitimate threat in the West.
LeBron James played well too, of course, as did Avery Bradley, Russell Westbrook, Austin Reaves, and Carmelo Anthony. In fact, the whole team was in fine form.
Still, it's Monk that should be talked about most, and not just because he put up so many points.
You see, as the chart below proves, Monk has been heating up lately and has seemingly hit his stride. He is making more points and he is landing some deep, contested threes. He has found his footing and is getting more time on the court because of it. He's quickly becoming one of the best players on LA's roster.
This isn't just fun to watch, it also opens up the floor and allows James, Davis, Anthony, and pretty much any other player more options.
The goal for LA this season has always been to take some of the pressure off of LeBron, and that's exactly what Monk has been doing lately. He is becoming a very powerful and fast perimeter shooter.
Perhaps more importantly, he's coming to LA cheap.
Remember in the postseason when LA fans were outraged that the team passed on Sacramento Kings shooter Buddy Hield? True, there are many who still wish LA would have picked up Hield instead of Westbrook but maybe those people are missing the point: maybe Monk is a better find than Hield.
Compare the two when it comes to field goal percentage and three-point percentage. Monk is close behind Hield when it comes to three and is ahead of him in terms of field goal percentage.
But the cherry on top of this sundae is that Hield's annual salary is $22 million. Monk's happens to be just $1.7 million.
I'm sorry, Buddy who?
If Monk hopes to remain a hero among the LA faithful, he will need to keep it up. The Lakers' squad has a way of achieving moments of bright promise followed by horrendous inconsistency.
But right now, there is no reason to believe that this honeymoon phase with Monk will end. When you look at his numbers, he keeps getting better and keeps improving LA's chances of being contenders.
All season long, fans of the Los Angeles Lakers have been saying that the team needs more reliable, impressive shooters aside from LeBron James if they hope to make it far into the postseason.
Last night, Malik Monk said, "Your wish is my command."
Monk came alive in a big, big way at the Crypto.com Arena (yuck) Friday, scoring a season-high 29 points to help lead LA to a much-needed win against the Atlanta Hawks.
Monk was downright phenomenal: fast, smart, consistent. In fact, this was one of the first games of the season where it felt like LA could actually become a legitimate threat in the West.
LeBron James played well too, of course, as did Avery Bradley, Russell Westbrook, Austin Reaves, and Carmelo Anthony. In fact, the whole team was in fine form.
Still, it's Monk that should be talked about most, and not just because he put up so many points.
You see, as the chart below proves, Monk has been heating up lately and has seemingly hit his stride. He is making more points and he is landing some deep, contested threes. He has found his footing and is getting more time on the court because of it. He's quickly becoming one of the best players on LA's roster.
This isn't just fun to watch, it also opens up the floor and allows James, Davis, Anthony, and pretty much any other player more options.
The goal for LA this season has always been to take some of the pressure off of LeBron, and that's exactly what Monk has been doing lately. He is becoming a very powerful and fast perimeter shooter.
Perhaps more importantly, he's coming to LA cheap.
Remember in the postseason when LA fans were outraged that the team passed on Sacramento Kings shooter Buddy Hield? True, there are many who still wish LA would have picked up Hield instead of Westbrook but maybe those people are missing the point: maybe Monk is a better find than Hield.
Compare the two when it comes to field goal percentage and three-point percentage. Monk is close behind Hield when it comes to three and is ahead of him in terms of field goal percentage.
But the cherry on top of this sundae is that Hield's annual salary is $22 million. Monk's happens to be just $1.7 million.
I'm sorry, Buddy who?
If Monk hopes to remain a hero among the LA faithful, he will need to keep it up. The Lakers' squad has a way of achieving moments of bright promise followed by horrendous inconsistency.
But right now, there is no reason to believe that this honeymoon phase with Monk will end. When you look at his numbers, he keeps getting better and keeps improving LA's chances of being contenders.
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