Charlotte Hornets: Where do we go from here with Malik Monk?

The Off-Court Stuff

As most of you would know, a failed drug test caused the suspension that preemptively ended Monk’s season.

I don’t want to play Dr. Phil, but maturity and responsibility is something that is often discussed with Monk, whether by teammates or by himself. In his rookie and sophomore seasons, Monk’s Instagram stories were littered with videos of Monk driving whilst singing(and thereby using his phone)…even after Monk crashed his car in his rookie year.

However, most frustrating about the drug suspension was it came just as Monk was making strides off the court.  Hornets reporter Jack Duffy obtained a quote from Bismack Biyombo, one of the wiser heads in the NBA, talking about Monk’s progression:

Strides in maturity were something constantly brought up by the Hornets beat writers too; Rick Bonnell has published multiple pieces regarding this topic, one at the end of pre-season, and one-two weeks prior to Monk’s suspension.

And Malik himself is aware of these issues; he’s constantly talked about how he’s had to grow up. Quoting from the above article:

"“You’ve got to know what 25-year-olds know when you’re 19,” Monk said repeatedly during an interview with the Observer. “I went to Kentucky, and I still wasn’t ready for the NBA.”"

Regardless of what Monk’s current maturity levels,  he must try to rebuild rapport and trust with teammates both on and off the court. To quote James Borrego in a piece penned by Rick Bonnell following Monk’s suspension:

"“All of us face different things in life; it’s how you respond,” Borrego said before the Hornets played the New York Knicks. “It’s my belief, knowing Malik, that he’ll respond the right way.”"

And as fans of the Charlotte Hornets, all we can do is hope JB is right, and a precocious talent doesn’t again go to waste in the Queen City.