Charlotte Hornets: The case for starting Malik Monk over Jeremy Lamb

Although Jeremy Lamb has started in place of the injured Nicolas Batum, there may be a case to be made for Malik Monk to join the starters.

The Charlotte Hornets‘ rookie out of Kentucky, Malik Monk, may be working his way into the starting lineup sooner than expected. With Jeremy Lamb suffering from groin soreness, Monk should get plenty of minutes against the Celtics and for the rest of the preseason. While it’s unlikely Lamb misses significant time, there’s a case for Malik Monk to jump into the starting lineup and keep that role until Nicolas Batum returns.

Monk has put up solid counting numbers in every preseason game, leading the Hornets in scoring the past two games. As to be expected from a rookie though, he has not been particularly efficient. He shot 5-14 against the Pistons and 7-22 against the Heat. Lamb, on the other hand, has gone 5-9 from the floor in both games.

When Monk has had to play, he’s played mainly in second units alongside Julyan Stone, Dwayne Bacon, Frank Kaminsky, and Cody Zeller. While that’s a fairly solid unit defensively, it leaves a lot to be desired on the other end of the court. The Cody Zeller pick and roll is always a solid option, but there’s not much else.

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Lamb has had the luxury of playing with the starting unit though. In the first preseason game against Boston, he appeared ready to handle the load offensively off the bench. With more experience under his belt, Lamb may be a more natural fit as a leader of the second team, rather than simply a piece in the starting lineup.

Defensively, Monk does leave questions. He’s a small two-guard already, and he’ll go through growing pains getting accustomed to the NBA defensively. The rest of the starters are net positives on the defensive end though and should help Monk.

This isn’t to say that Monk should be given the brunt of the minutes though. Last season, when Lamb got more than 25 minutes, he averaged 15 points per game. When he played less than 25 minutes though, he averaged only nine. While there’s obviously some bias in those numbers (the better he is playing, the less likely he is to be taken out, the more likely he then is to have high scoring numbers), there may be some merit.

Playing Lamb in a role similar to James Harden in Oklahoma City may be the best idea. Give him a majority of the minutes and let him close games, but bring him off the bench to start games. Doing so would allow him to commandeer the second unit, and effectively utilize his creativity as a ball handler and first option.

Additionally, it allows Monk to operate in the context of the starting lineup. Providing him with ample support to ensure he takes smart shots is a wise move. This will also limit his turnovers, as he will likely do less creating when on the floor with Kemba Walker. The spacing Monk would provide also keeps the starting offense running smoothly.

All in all, starting Monk may be the best option to prevent an unnecessary burden from being placed on a rookie. Of course, starting either Lamb or Monk is a stopgap measure until Nicolas Batum returns from his elbow injury. Luckily, that return seems sooner rather than later. The Hornets confirmed Batum will not need surgery on the torn ligament.

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Tune into ESPN on October 11th to watch the Hornets take on the Celtics in their first home preseason game. With Lamb out and Monk set to get plenty of minutes, the verdict for the case for him to start may be out soon.

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