Lakers: Malik Monk Expected to Have Expanded Role Tonight Against Utah
The Lakers will take on the Utah Jazz in the last game before the All-Star break tonight. Los Angeles will be looking to go into the break with a 27-31 record against a Jazz team that has struggled to win games on the road, especially as of late.
But the Lakers will be playing without Carmelo Anthony for the fifth consecutive game. Melo is still recovering from a hamstring issue and will get the break to work on it. They will also be without Avery Bradley as he recovers from swelling and soreness in his right knee.
But the good news is that this gives the Lakers an opportunity to expand Malik Monk's role. Frank Vogel has yet to announce the starters, and will not do so until 30 minutes before tip-off. But he did say that Monk would be a big part of the game tonight.
As a starter this season, Monk has shifted into a new gear. He's averaging 17.8 points and 3.2 assists in the 18 games that he has started in. That's quite the jump up from when he comes off of the Lakers bench.
The reason for the Lakers not starting Monk more often remains a mystery to fans at this point. Especially considering that Bradley has started 42 games and put up very little overall production.
The last time the Lakers and Jazz went head-to-head, Monk came off of the bench and scored 14 points. He did play 25 minutes in that contest, but Bradley outpaced him at 27 minutes. On the year, Monk is putting up 13 points per game and shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
