Will Malik Monk win 6ixth Man of the Year?
The Kings bench leader is the new betting favorite
There is a unique phenomenon that often happens in basketball where one of the team’s best players comes off the bench. This move is a strategic play that often leaves the opposition at a complete disadvantage.
For the Sacramento Kings, this strategy is implemented by having Malik Monk come off the bench at Guard. If you’ve watched any of their games in the last two years, you’re aware of two things: he’s is the most electric player on the team, and Malik means King in Arabic.
At Golden 1 Center, Malik is a fan favorite. When he steps on the court the energy rises exponentially. Depending on who you ask, he’s likely considered the third most valuable player on the team behind Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox.
After his recent stretch of games averaging over 20 ppg in the month of February, it seems the rest of the league is finally starting to give him his flowers as well. According to an article by Sports Illustrated’s Kyle Wood, Malik became the “odds-on favorite at -110” to take home the hardware going into the All-Star break.
This has truly been the best season of Malik’s career thus far. He has truly come into his own in Sacramento. Going into tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, he’s averaging career highs in both points and assists with 15.1 and 5.3 respectively. Fun fact, he also leads the Kings in total blocks on the season with 34 (yes its sad I know, but good for Malik).
After entering the league as a pure scorer, Malik has evolved into an elite playmaker. We all know he’s liable to posterize a defender or get hot and go for 30 points. But he’s become more complete on offense. This season, he’s gotten 7+ assists in 17 games and become arguably the King’s second best facilitator behind Domas.
Amongst other candidates for 6ixth Man of the Year, Malik leads them all in points, assists and field goals made. He also leads all bench players in the number of 20+ point games with 18. 4 more than the next closest player, former King Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks.
But even if he maintains these numbers, is this enough for the leader of the bench mob to win it all?
Of the last six players to win the award, five averaged at least 18 ppg. In my opinion, I think Malik needs to get to at least 16 ppg and 6 ast if he wants to bolster his chances of winning.
This is because…as Kings fans know all too well…Sacramento doesn’t tend to get much love when it comes to voters. We saw it just last week when neither Domas nor Fox were named to the All-Star game, despite both being top 20 players in the league. On top of that, Malik would only be the second player in franchise history to be named 6ixth Man of the Year. The first, and only, was Bobby Jackson in 2003. When I was four years old.
So yea, even as the current favorite and with the numbers and value to his team to back up his case, I think Malik has an uphill battle in front of him. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m not. But these final 28 games will need to be his best stretch of the year.
Who do you think deserves to win 6ixth Man of the Year?