© Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
NBA Champion Gives Kings' Malik Monk Praise for 6MOY Award
This ESPN analyst gave Monk his flowers to the Sacramento Kings' own.
The regular season is finally over for the Sacramento Kings, but their campaign isn’t over just yet. Falling short in three of their last four games, the Kings now find themselves sitting in the ninth seed in the Western Conference, good enough for the play-in tournament.
In a season that started better than it ended for head coach Mike Brown, there’s plenty to learn from and utilize heading into their first knockout game. With a “swing for the fences” mentality, Brown says he’s “excited about an opportunity to play”, despite not being happy with where his team sits following 82 games.
While the season had looked promising heading into the All-Star break, some unfortunate injuries struck the Kings, forcing the team to find a new identity. Losing guards Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk gave Mike Brown a difficult task in replacing two of the players that ran the offensive machine for Sacramento.
As Monk’s presence has yet to be replaced by any member of the roster, it’s fair to say that his impact has been greater than any other sixth man in the league. Former NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins agrees, and says that Monk has his vote for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2023-24 season.
Since Monk’s lower leg injury in late March, the Kings have had a losing record, and have beaten zero teams with a winning record. Putting together his best season in the association, Monk averaged 15.4 points per game along with 5.1 assists per game, both career highs for the former Kentucky Wildcat.
Among the competition for this year’s 6MOY award is Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, who has been a staple in the Wolves’ rotation. Despite starting 14 games this year for his team, Reid is still in the running for the 6MOY award, and has become one of the favorites following Monk’s injury.
The Sixth Man of the Year award winner will be announced on April 20th as the league tallies the votes from analysts across the country.
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