Malik Monk exudes confidence on and off the court. The Charlotte Hornets’ first-round pick has the belief that he can take on anything and anyone.
At the Charlotte Hornets‘ Media Day, Malik Monk talked with WFNZ-AM. They asked him which player he’d love to take to the hoop and his answer was none other than the reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. The rookie said that “In order to be the best, you have to take on the best.” (Twitter/ @WFNZ)
One thing that the former Kentucky Wildcat does not lack is confidence. In a recent interview with the Charlotte Observer, he talked about how he’s never lacked self-confidence. He said that he’s always been that way and has always had this mentality to be the best.
It’s clear that he isn’t afraid to take on each and every challenge no matter the size or difficulty. That’s a good trait for the young prospect to have heading into his first year in the league and it should bode well for now and in the future.
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Malik will get his first chance to go against Russell Westbrook on December 11th as Charlotte travels to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. The two sides will meet twice throughout the 2017-18 regular season with their second meeting coming in the Queen City on January 13th. With OKC’s new additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, those will be a couple interesting matchups for the Hornets.
After being one of the top recruits coming out of high school, Monk backed up the hype by being one of the best players in college last season. His incredible shooting touch and incredible athleticism made him a lottery pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. To the surprise of many and himself, Malik fell to the Hornets at No. 11.
With the guard missing the summer league, our first opportunity to see him in action will be on October 2nd against the Boston Celtics in Charlotte’s first preseason game. Although he’s still recovering from an ankle injury and his conditioning is still getting back up to speed, the consensus seems to be that he will be ready for the start of the regular season.
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We’ll see if Malik Monk’s fearlessness and self-confidence can translate into production at the NBA level during his rookie season. He will likely be the Charlotte Hornets’ sixth man to start and while it’s unlikely that he becomes a starter in his first year, it is a possibility if he plays well or if someone goes down with an injury.