Charlotte Hornets: Why isn’t anyone talking about Malik Monk’s comeback?

Something that needs to be talked about more is the secret weapon coming off the Charlotte Hornets’ bench. That weapon is none other than Malik Monk, who’s been playing some of the best basketball of his career lately and worked his way back into the Hornets’ rotation.

Monk started the season by not getting any minutes until the seventh game of the season, where he only played for nine minutes. After that, Monk’s playing time was still inconsistent and he made it aware of how frustrated he was. He has come off the bench and averaged 29.5 minutes per game in his last four outings.

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However, Monk has exploded in his last six games and has earned more minutes. His best game of the season came against the Miami Heat, where he scored a career-high 36 points and knocked down nine three-pointers.

So far this season, Monk is averaging 9.9 points and 1.6 assists per game. One of his most surprising improvements has been his shooting from beyond the arc. Monk is shooting 50% from three, which is a career-high.

Monk’s previous seasons were plagued with inconsistent shooting from the field. Many criticized him because of it, but it seems that Monk has silenced a lot of doubters with his impressive shooting.

Monk has had a great comeback after how the 2019-20 season ended. He averaged 20 points per game during the last six games he played off the bench last season. Monk’s terrific play finally earned him the first start of his career (his last game of last season), but he was suspended after it due to a violation of the drug- abuse policy.

Many thought that his suspension was going to be the end of his career in Charlotte. However, when given the opportunity by head coach James Borrego, Monk has taken full advantage of his opportunity to solidify himself back into the Hornets’ rotation.

Monk is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. If he continues to play well, then the Hornets will look at how they can keep Monk on the roster.

The Hornets have another long week coming up, and Borrego could be looking to give Monk even more minutes. Monk could see his first start of the season if injuries continue to plague Charlotte.