Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk is out for at least a month as a result of the knee injury he sustained during Friday's clash with the Dallas Mavericks.
According to the latest updates, Monk suffered a sprained right MCL and will need four to six weeks to recover, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
“ESPN Sources: Sacramento Kings G Malik Monk has suffered a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks. Monk — who’s had a career-best season — needs a Kings run in the Western Conference playoffs to return this season,” Woj reported.
It's certainly quite the brutal blow for Monk and the Kings, especially since there are only two weeks left of NBA basketball before the Play-In and playoffs start. Considering Monk's timeline, he's now set to miss the remainder of the regular season, the Play-in and the start of the playoffs should they make it.
The Kings lost back-to-back games to the Mavericks and have now fallen to the eighth seed in the West. With Monk out, their path to return to the Top 6 seed certainly gets even more difficult.
The 26-year-old Monk is averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 44.3 percent shooting from the field. His points and assists numbers are both career-bests, which have propelled him to the front of the Sixth Man of the Year conversation.
Monk is the Kings' third-best scorer, only behind De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Having said that, his absence is going to hurt Sacramento, especially with just nine games left on the season. Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes are expected to have a more prominent role on the offense with Monk out. Sophomore Keon Ellis should also see an increase in minutes as a result.
Sacramento's depth will truly be tested to close out the season. For those not in the know, Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter has been recently ruled out due to a shoulder injury that needed season-ending surgery.
How did Malik Monk suffer his injury?
As mentioned, Malik Monk suffered his knee injury during the Kings' battle with the Mavericks. With four minutes left in the opening quarter, Dallas superstar Luka Doncic attacked the basket where Monk was waiting for him.
Doncic bumped into Monk in his drive, causing both players to fall. The Slovenian fell on Monk's right knee, which obviously hurt the Kings guard. Monk was able to stand up, but he left the floor and limped to the locker room. There were already fears that he suffered a sprained MCL, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, and unfortunately, Saturday's testing confirmed the team's fears.
The hope now is for Monk to be able to return come the playoffs, which is three weeks from now. He could potentially re-join the team in the middle of the postseason, which would certainly be a massive boost for them.
But for now, the Kings cannot think too far in advance. They have to make the postseason first, and things only got much harder for them with the injury woes they are dealing with. Furthermore, should they make the postseason, they still cannot rush Monk.
Really, all Sacramento can do right now is hope for the best when it comes to their playoff dreams and Monk's recovery from the knee injury. They play again on Sunday against the Utah Jazz.