Malik Monk was flying high earlier this year, putting up incredible numbers and emerging as the only legitimate source of help for LeBron James as the Lakers continued their efforts to salvage a nightmare season. Monk had multiple games of over 20 points and even scored 30 on a couple of occasions, becoming a legitimate option for Frank Vogel’s team and earning praise from LeBron James.
Around Valentine’s Day, things got even better for Monk, who was spotted on a date with rapper Iggy Azalea, leading to rumors that the two have been dating one another. Los Angeles is a glamorous town, so a Laker dating a celebrity is not surprising but the other developments in Monk’s life have seemingly coincided with a trend of poor performances on the court for the team.
As seen in the picture above, Monk was averaging 10 more points per game before the rumors about Iggy Azalea began than he has since. His three-point shooting percentage may have been unsustainable at 49% but for it to drop to an abysmal 17% is almost hard to believe. It’s been something of a steep decline for the 24-year-old when it comes to recent performances.
It’s not that Monk is a certified star in the league or anything, so this could just be a normal regression that role-players will go through from time to time, but various rumors off the court have been known to be a cause of distraction for players that leads them to perform poorly.
The Lakers need Monk to play at a high level considering that Anthony Davis is going through another lengthy, injury-related absence. While he is unlikely to be the savior of the franchise, any help that other players can provide LeBron James with at this time is probably being greatly welcomed by the King himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ0m_3Wa1YQ
