Malik Monk has become a pleasant surprise for the Lakers this season, helping the team when the rest of the players have low nights. He was the second-best scorer for the Purple and Gold on Tuesday night, dropping 24 points on the Sacramento Kings to win the 20th game of the season for the Lakers.
The forward is a good piece for Frank Vogel’s team right now, proving people right after the Lakers took him away from Charlotte in the offseason. LeBron James revealed he was interested in landing the player since last season, as he and Jason Kidd plotted to lure Monk away from the Spectrum Center.
Following the game, Bron had nothing but good things to say about Monk, showering him in praise, revealing he was a target for the Lakers since the last campaign.
“It’s funny, just a little quick backstory, me and J [Jason] Kidd, we talked a lot last year. We wanted him last year. When Charlotte stopped playing him last year, or they would play him, and then sit him for five or six games, and then they would play him, and then you would see him have a game at Miami where he had like eight or nine threes in Miami, and then they would sit him and not play him. Me and J Kidd, we would talk all the time, like, ‘Is there a way we can snatch this guy from their roster?'”
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LeBron is carrying the Lakers to the 7th seed in the Western Conference, even without Anthony Davis and with Russell Westbrook struggling to find his touch. The Purple and Gold found a good player in Monk, and he’s responding in a great way.
When other players have failed to show up, Monk has stepped up to lead the Lakers alongside LeBron James. Every season, the Lakers have had an X-factor on the roster. With Alex Caruso gone, Monk could take his place. Still, they have a lot of work to do before being considered championship contenders but don’t sleep on this team. They’re still dangerous.
