Minnesota Timberwolves: Pros/cons of Timberwolves drafting Malik Monk
By Antoine Bass
Con: Monk is undersized at the shooting guard position. He only stands 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-6 wingspan.
He isn’t great at absorbing contact well when attacking bigs because of how small he is. Instead of going to the rim he settles for runners.
His small frame not only impacts his offensive tools but also his impact on the defensive end. He lacks the size to contain most shooting guards and at times bigger point guards.
His small size gives guards the ability to shoot over him and the ability to get to the rim because he doesn’t have the size and length to bother them.
The ability to be able to defend in the NBA is very valuable. The guard position in the NBA is deep. The Timberwolves will need players who can not only score at an elite level but who can also play defense at that level too.
Monk has the tendency to fall asleep on defense. With his lack of size and length, he has to be aware at all times just to even effect other guards on the defensive end of the floor.
He also struggles in the pick and roll game because his lack of size makes it hard for him to stick onto the hip of guards. He just isn’t strong enough to be a great defender.
Monks defensive ability should come as a red flag to the Timberwolves. To put it quite simply, the Minnesota Timberwolves were rather mediocre on the defensive end of the floor.
The last thing the Timberwolves need is a player who can’t play defense or who isn’t aware on the defensive end of the floor.
Monk will have to consistently play intense defense to make up for the physical traits he does not possess. Though, with Tom Thibodeau as his head coach, I’m sure Monk has the tools and ability to become a solid defender at the professional level.