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2017 Boston Celtics Draft Targets: Malik Monk

By Aiden McAleer

Jan 31, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) makes a layup against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Georgia 87-81. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) makes a layup against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Georgia 87-81. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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Malik Monk is scoring in a way that will force the Boston Celtics to pay attention to him at the draft

Malik Monk is enjoying one of the best seasons ever for a freshman guard under John Calipari, averaging over 22 points a contest, at close to 50% shooting from the field and 40% from three. This is an immensely impressive feat when you think of some the outstanding guards Calipari has coached in his time at Memphis and Kentucky in particular, such as Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Archie Goodwin, James Young, Devin Booker, and Jamal Murray to name a few.

All of those players left school after their freshman seasons and were all selected in the first round. While some of those guys have struggled to make the transition into playing in the NBA, (Celtics fans will lament about Young’s lack of development), most have enjoyed at the very least solid success and have received strong second contracts out of their rookie deals.

Despite the prolific scoring abilities of all of these players, few stack up with Monk as a pure shooter and scorer at this level. Monk just had his third 30+ point game Tuesday night for the Wildcats, going 7-11 from beyond the arc en route to dropping 37 against Georgia. Earlier this season, he poured in 47 in a classic against North Carolina. The impressive aspect of Monk is his ability to quickly create his shot off the dribble seemingly from anywhere, needing very little airspace to get his shot up.

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Being able to create shots for yourself is a crucial skill in the modern NBA, particularly with guards. Shifty guards with a tight handle like Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas have been lethal shooting off the dribble when creating their own shot.

While there is no denying Monk’s natural ability to score, critics have looked at his size at 6’3” as a major drawback given the larger guards he would have to defend in the NBA. Monk is projected as a top 10 to lottery pick, and could rise up draft boards much like Buddy Hield did last year with a strong finish to the end of the year and a long run in the NCAA tournament.

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Monk is an intriguing prospect if the ping pong balls again fail the Celtics and they are left picking outside of the top three, thus failing to land a Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball. Monk could provide instant offense in a reserve role and could enjoy a Jamal Crawford like career in the NBA.