By Joël Pütz | Sports journalist
For some American players, having to go into exile in Europe is still seen as a punishment. But everything would actually depend on their ability to adjust to new roles in the NBA, as the star recently explained des Kings De’Aaron Fox.
Third in the Western Conference and semi-finalists in the playoffs in 2022-23, the Kings have clearly not managed to confirm this year. Very irregular during the regular season, they did not go beyond the Play-In stage despite a surprise victory against the Warriors. The Pelicans, however, sent them home in the next match, synonymous with collective disappointment for the Californians.
Despite everything, we can draw positives from Sac-Town’s season. Domantas Sabonis was monstrous to the point of receiving votes in the MVP race while setting a new all-time record for consecutive double-doubles. For his part, Malik Monk was one of the best replacements in the league and as we recently learned from Adrian Wojnarowski, he will be rewarded with a juicy extension.
Malik Monk plans to sign a 4-year, $78 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, per @wojespn.
Monk was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year runner up this past season averaging a career high 15.4 points and 5.1 assists. pic.twitter.com/hoKFM4f5T8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 21, 2024
Malik Monk will sign a four-year, $78 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.
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De’Aaron Fox raves about Malik Monk’s season
Second in the votes for Sixth Man of the Year, Monk averaged more than 15 points and 5 assists coming off the bench. An essential contribution for Sacramento and which its leader De’Aaron Fox has not failed to highlight recently. The leader is above all relieved that the former Laker was able to find his place, even though he could have disappeared from the league if he was stubborn in wanting to remain a starter:
In the NBA there are a lot of talented guys but in the end, what matters are the roles. What is your role, can you fill this role that the team needs? People always talk about guys who aren’t in the NBA, because they haven’t found their place in a role like that.
There are only so many spots available, and there are probably guys in Europe or elsewhere right now who are better than some guys in the NBA, but they haven’t been able to step into that role as the team needed them to endorse. And giving Malik this larger role allowed him to show more of what he could do.
Malik Monk is an elite backup, this role suiting him better than that of a starter. If he hadn’t accepted it, De’Aaron Fox fears he would have ended up disappearing from the NBA… not that Europe is a bad alternative, though.
2024-06-21 10:30:00
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