In an NBA Draft class that was oozing with enticing guard talent, Kentucky’s Malik Monk could be the most explosive scorer of the group. In his single collegiate season at UK, Monk showed just how lethal he could be once he got going, reeling off frequent stretches of unstoppable scoring.
Though the off-guard ended up slipping to the Charlotte Hornets towards the end of the lottery at pick #11, experts and Monk included thought he would be taken in the top 10. One team desperate for guard scoring that many had Monk going to was the New York Knicks who held the 8th overall pick.
In fact, Monk fully believed he’d be a member of the Knicks after his meeting went well with the organization, leaving him nearly certain he’d be taken at the 8th spot going into draft night. Following from Stefan Bondy of the NY Daily News:
After a positive dinner with the Knicks and a workout focused on the triangle, Malik Monk was absolutely convinced he’d be drafted by Phil Jackson.
“Me, my agent, everybody in my agency, my family — we thought we were going to New York,” Monk told the Daily News last week after a posing for his Panini trading card. “It was here, my agent is here (based in New York), a great agent, everybody thought it was going to be here. Went to dinner with (Jackson), had a great workout, everything was positive.”
Malik Monk could’ve fit like a glove in a triangle system that prioritizes long-range shooting, the 19-year old’s specialty. He could’ve immediately stepped in and provided a scoring boost from the backcourt but instead, the Knicks opted to draft their point guard of the future in Frank Ntilinka and add shooting guard talent via free agency in proven commodity Tim Hardaway Jr.
However, Monk doesn’t mind that he was passed on 10 times, saying he’ll only take that fact and use it as motivation in what should be a prolific career for the explosive 2-guard:
“Of course (it’s motivation to show-up a team that passed on me in the draft),” Monk said. “You know you want to go No. 1 pick anyway. So whoever don’t pick you, you’re going to remember that. I mean, they’re going to see.”
