Sacramento Kings Guard Thriving Under New Head Coach

Malik Monk came into the season as the Sacramento Kings sixth man, with Mike Brown wanting to keep him in the role that the electric guard excelled at last year. After a rough stretch in which the Kings lost six of seven games though, Brown finally decided it was time to start Monk, for the first time ever as a Sacramento King.

While Monk has been excellent ever since joining the starting unit, his season has really taken off under interim head coach Doug Christie.

In his ten games since Christie has taken over, Monk is averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals on 44.3% shooting from the field and 32.1% from deep.

Those are easily career-high marks for the 8th-year guard, whose previous career-high in points per game was 15.4 last season.

Jan 19, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) controls the ball against the Washington Wizards during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

And it's not just the numbers for Monk that are taking off, but the results on the court for the team as well. The Kings are 9-2 in the eleven games since Christie took over, with the first loss being his first game as coach, and the second being the game Monk missed due to injury.

One of the changes the Kings have made over the recent stretch is putting the ball in Monk's hands more, especially taking advantage of his pick-and-roll game between him and Domantas Sabonis.
Monk's usage rate has increased from 21.5% under Brown to 24.9% under Christie.

Putting the ball in Monk's hands more opens up so much for the Kings. During his first few seasons and even when he signed with the Kings, Monk was cast as a shooter. But he's so much more than that.

Doug Christie said that Malik Monk reminds him of the journey that he and Bobby Jackson had to find their NBA home before they landed in Sacramento.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) January 20, 2025

A maestro with the ball, pulling off passes that seem impossible, and playing as confident as ever under Doug Christie, Malik Monk seems to have found his NBA home.

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