BBNBA Roundup: Malik Monk's Revenge

Wynn-McDonaldby:Wynn McDonald•01/09/22•

twynstagram

Welcome back to BBNBA Roundup, the post where we gather all the neediest of need-to-know stories in the world of La Familia. From Anthony Davis’ MCL to Devin Booker’s love life, we’ve got you covered. This week’s edition turns the spotlight to Malik Monk, the superstar that was promised. You hear about this?

Not Just L.A.’s Latest Thing

When Malik Monk returned from his five-game COVID absence on Christmas Day, things were looking bleak for the Lakers. Riding a four-game losing streak, the post-Anthony Davis blues were hitting hard just in time for the holidays. They lost that day, too, but they gained something as well: a whole new Malik.

Okay, truth be told, Monk has been solid all year since joining the Lakeshow. He’s averaging 12.1 points, 2.1 threes and a 48% clip from this field this season, all career-highs — not bad for a wayward free agent who signed for a league-minimum contract. But since that Christmas game, he’s entered into another plane of hotness:

But Monk’s emergence has been about more than just hot shooting, according to head coach Frank Vogel.

“What we love about him is he can create and he can be a finisher. He can knock down backside threes with high efficiency, and obviously, you can put the ball in his hands to create as well.”

-Frank Vogel

Monk’s efficiency as a scorer this year has been revelatory. For a player whose career eFG% is just a touch over 50%, his 60% mark this year ranks third on the Lakers behind only non-shooters Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan. He’s also taken to doing things like this on the regular, which should surprise absolutely no one who watched him at Kentucky:

As of Sunday morning, the Lakers have won four straight and they sit within half a game of Dallas for the fifth seed in the West. Ladies and gentlemen, the Malik Monk effect.

Randle apologizes for thumbs-down gesture

It’s been quite a week for Julius Randle and the Knicks. After missing two games last weekend in safety protocols, Randle returned with a monster 30 & 16 game in a win against the Pacers. He then led the way in an incredible 25-point comeback win over the Celtics, during which he took the opportunity to tell Knicks fans exactly what he thought of their boos:

After the game, when asked about the gesture, he plainly explained that it meant “shut the f*** up.” He has since been fined for the language used and dealt with public criticism from all sides. On Friday, he apologized.

It was good timing, since the Knicks followed up Thursday’s dramatic win with an absolute clunker of a performance in Boston on Saturday, losing this time to the Celtics by 24. Randle was held to 13 points.

What does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. Not a gosh-darn thing. The New York media will move on to something else, Randle will still be a beast, and the Knicks will continue to be mediocre. Would we want things any other way?

All-Star Update: the Fab Five

In case you missed it, the first batch of All-Star voting results are in — and the ‘Cats are well-represented. Five former UK players appeared in the NBA’s early top 40 list released on Thursday, including Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

Here’s the full list of fan voting, which ultimately accounts for 50% of the decision:

Right on. Excellent. Love to see Herro being rewarded for his bravery after taking on Jusuf Nurkic all by his lonesome on Wednesday. Don’t love the fact that Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson are inexplicably on this list despite not playing all year, but hey, fans gonna fan.

Stay tuned for further updates on this scintillating competition as the voting heats up, and don’t forget to cast your ballots here.

Strange but True News

Discuss This Article

Comments have moved.

Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.

KSBoard

2024-05-12