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Malik Monk has become one of the most exciting players off the bench in recent years thanks to his stellar performances for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. His value had plummeted on the bottom-feeding Charlotte Hornets, allowing the Lakers to sign him in 2022, where he became one of the bright spots on that forgettable season for the Purple and Gold. After that season, Malik Monk signed with the Kings and helped propel them to their first playoff appearance since 2006.
Then, he even took a paycut to stay with the Kings, which allowed them to land DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls, sending Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs in return.
However, if there's a player Monk looks forward to unlocking his game, it's Sacramento's 2022 No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray.
“It's Keegan, the sky's the limit for him,” the dynamic scoring guard told reporters on Tuesday, via a report from Mat Issa for the site A Royal Pain. “He could be whoever he wants to be, so I don't want to put a label on him. So I'm going to let him figure out himself.”
Where will the Kings go next season?
Malik Monk knows his teammates should try reaching a higher level of play if the Kings want to advance past the first round, and part of reaching their goal is the evolution of Keegan Murray.
They had already taken the Golden State Warriors to the brink in 2023, but the Kings' age and inexperience were no match for their opponent's championship poise and mettle.
Luckily for the Kings, Murray's upward trajectory hasn't shown any signs of plateauing. Last season, the swingman averaged 15.2 points in the regular season, along with 5.5 rebounds, on shooting splits of 45.4% from the field and 35.8% from distance.
He was a valuable piece for the Kings, who avenged their previous season's first-round loss by taking out the Warriors in the play-in tournament. However, they failed to make the playoffs after the New Orleans Pelicans beat them in the next round.
Still, Murray upped his production during the play-in games, averaging 21.5 points and 8.0 boards, and 50.0% shooting from three-point land. Once the third-year forward reaches his peak, the Kings will be a dangerous team in the loaded Western Conference.
The problem, for now, is there is only one ball to go around, and the arrival of DeRozan might reduce Murray's touches, especially in the playoffs. Moreover, DeRozan must share the ball with De'Aaron Fox, the Kings' best player, who averaged 26.6 points for the team last season.
Additionally, DeRozan is a ball-dominant mid-range guy who excels in the halfcourt, particularly valuable for the Kings who like to run and shoot during the regular season and has significant trouble adapting to the slow grind-out offense in a seven-game series.
Keegan Murray should hope Malik Monk is right about him if he wants to have a bigger role for the team.
