Who is Malik Monk? Scouting report, bio, analysis of NBA draft prospect

Get to know Malik Monk, one of the top prospects in the 2017 NBA draft.

Malik Monk, who was expected to be a top 10 pick in the NBA draft and has long been on scouts' radar as a potential difference maker, fell to No. 11 overall before the Charlotte Hornets selected him.

During his one and only season at Kentucky, Monk averaged almost 20 points a game, and was named the SEC Player of the Year and earned first-team All-SEC honors. Monk could be the 12th Kentucky player to be draft in the NBA's first round in the last five years.

Check out a full scouting report as well as some fast facts about Monk below. 

Malik Monk scouting report

Stats: 19.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 39.7 3P%, 45 FG%

Bio: Monk arrived at Kentucky as a top-10 prospect in the class of 2016 and promptly got to work justifying his towering recruiting hype, highlighted by a 47-point explosion against UNC in December. As half of arguably the nation’s top backcourt (the other being De’Aaron Fox), Monk led the Wildcats in scoring and earned both AP SEC Player of the Year honors and the Jerry West Award, which is given to the best shooting guard in college basketball.

Strengths: Monk is a prolific scorer who haunts opposing defenses with his shooting ability. Launching effectively off the dribble or off the catch, he knocked down 42.5% of his three-point attempts in SEC play last season. With an excellent first-step and the capacity to finish above the rim, often in spectacular fashion, Monk is far more than just a perimeter sniper.

Weaknesses: Monk’s physical profile limits his utility as a defender, and he hasn’t shown that he can offset those weaknesses with his effort or awareness on that side of the court. It’s also unclear whether he has the distribution skills to log major minutes at point guard, which would help mitigate his vulnerability on D.

- Chris Johnson

Grade: A-

Although Monk fell out of the Top 10, he wasn’t bound to fall very far. Charlotte planned to find a partner for Kemba Walker at this spot and also considered Donovan Mitchell. Monk’s the higher-upside play of the two, and presented a strong value opportunity here. He’s one of the draft’s top shooters, and could eventually be more than that thanks to his athletic ability. His defensive fit alongside Walker is a little questionable, and the Hornets will be giving up size, but they’ll certainly be more exciting. This was the right choice. – Jeremy Woo

Fast facts about Malik Monk:

Birthday: February 4, 1998

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 200 lbs.

Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.

High School: Bentonville High School